Pelham - Windham News 6 - July 29, 2011


Woof Talkby Belinda Sinclair The Well-Adjusted Dog


by Belinda Sinclair


I have long believed that one of the most important things you can do for your puppy or dog is to socialize them. People often ask me what socialization means. Socialization is the process of exposing your puppy or dog to other dogs and people in safe and non-overwhelming ways, in a variety of settings. The concept seems simple enough, but so many people fail to properly follow through on this critical step of their dog’s development. People believe that having two dogs in their home will help, when in fact it often makes the problem more severe. Occasional visitors to the house and some short interactions with your neighbor’s dog are not enough to develop a well-adjusted social dog. A puppy that never leaves the house thinks that the house is the entire world and everything else is scary and strange. Exposing your puppy to new people, new dogs, and a host of varied environments is the first step in creating a dog that is happy and welcomed everywhere. One of the worse mistakes owners make is to keep their dog away from people because they want it to be more “protective.” Preventing a dog from meeting people only tends to make them fearful of strangers and can lead to biting issues. The number of people bitten by fearful dogs far exceeds the number of bites from aggressive dogs, although aggressive bites tend to be more damaging.


I had a recent client that owned two 40-pound, mixed-breed dogs that had never been properly socialized and were in need of help. They called us because they were having a child and they were concerned about their dogs’ behaviors. They were concerned not only with how the dogs would interact with the baby, but also with the way the dogs would react to all the visitors that would be coming to see the newborn bundle of joy. I asked them how the dogs react now when people come to the house, and they informed me that friends and family had basically stopped coming to the house because of their dogs’ behavior. I found this hard to believe, but once I met their dogs I realized they were not exaggerating. We immediately started an in-home obedience program so the owners could get control of their dogs. The dogs responded in amazing ways. They immediately started showing increased confidence and decreased fear. The owners also became more confident in their ability to handle the dogs in social situations. We then introduced new people and dogs to them and they responded well, although we also had to train some of the dogs’ new friends on how to best interact with the dogs. I am thrilled to inform you that we received a thank-you letter from them and the dogs are doing great! The dogs absolutely love the baby and they have not had any issues with their dogs behaving badly. We see dogs with severe socialization and behavioral issues at our doggie daycare frequently. It is amazing to watch their transformation as they go from scared and insecure puppies or young adults to confident and well-adjusted pets. There is nothing more rewarding then seeing a dog that is difficult to deal with and in danger of being given up on transformed into a loved and cherished family member!


Belinda Sinclair is the owner and trainer of Woof Woof Doggie


Daycare & Training Center based in Windham. Belinda and her two Border Collies, Bonnie and Duncan, have taken their sheep- herding skills and used them to remove unwanted geese from local properties in the area and call themselves the Woof Woof Geese Chasers. Have a question you want answered about dogs? E-mail it to woofwoofpds@comcast.net, or call us at 890-6239.


Chamber’s Business After Hours Social a ‘Big Hit’


This month’s Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours at Searles School and Chapel, hosted by the Windham Community Development Department, Windham Historic Commission, and Windham Baseball/ Softball, was a “big hit” in more ways than one! Members and guests of the Chamber were treated to an old- fashioned cookout complete with hot dogs, burgers, salads, cotton candy, and yes, even Cracker Jacks, courtesy of Bev Donovan of Grubb & Ellis, Northern New England. Bella Vino Specialty Wines & Gourmet brought a variety of


wine and beer for tasting, and everyone was treated to baseball cookies created by Lisa Martin of Culinary Capers. As always, the Chamber, members, and sponsors spoke at the event and gave away some great prizes, including free ads in local publications, gift certificates, and some autographed sports paraphernalia. Attendees were encouraged to participate in a friendly baseball skills competition in the lower sports field. After the Business After Hours, many headed over to Griffin Park for a softball game under the lights.


Team Chamber: Christine Steele, Administrative Assistant; Michelle Harvell, Marketing & Event


Coordinator; Donna Morris, Executive Director; and Nick Letizio, Chamber Intern


Front row: Tim Donovan of WHS; Donna Morris, Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce; Everett McBride of Salem. Back row: Dave Macary of WBSL; Jay Yennaco of Delahunty’s Nursery;


Dave Sexton from the Town of Windham; Elliott Gould of Render Edge Media; Jill Schott of Canobie Lake Park; Ron Carbonneau of WBSL; Bill Brennan of WBSL; Bruce Breton, Windham Selectman; Scott Mueller of WBSL. Missing: John Skinner of CVS


Robin Young of Northstar Financial Planning,


Jessica O’Neill of State Farm Insurance, Barry Moeckel of State Farm Insurance, and Sy Wrenn of Wrenn Construction Services


Windham, Pelham Meet for Summer Hoop Match-Up


by Chris White The Windham and Pelham boys’ varsity basketball teams met for a summer scrimmage on Monday night at Windham High School. Pelham came out on top, 79-76, after the teams played six ten- minute periods of running time. Both squads were evenly matched during the scrimmage, as


players from each team worked to get better while also showcasing their talents. The score was tied 22-22 at the end of the second frame and 49-49 at the end of the fourth before Pelham went on a run to take a 65-56 lead by the end of the fifth. Windham regrouped and managed to cut the deficit to three in the final period. The meeting proved to be productive for both teams, as they worked hard and were physical with each other throughout the


contest. Pelham played aggressively on defense while showing the ability to knock down the outside shot and drive the lane on offense. On the other end, Windham showed a lot of hustle on defense while running the fast break effectively and playing unselfishly in its half-court offense. Point guard Derek Defranzo did a good job of running the offense


for Pelham, as he passed the ball to open teammates while also driving to the basket for lay-ups or fouls on the defense. Pelham guard Brett Bailey also played well on the perimeter, knocking down his shot when he had it. Windham got some strong play inside from Joe Lorenz and Andrew Lowman, as they played tough underneath the boards and finished well on offense. Meanwhile, Alex Whitehead was solid at the point, pushing the ball up the floor and finding the open man. On the wing, Scott Priestley, Jr., created some opportunities for Windham on defense, while Danny Cannone got his shot to fall from the outside. Before playing Pelham, Windham had previously played


Timberlane in a scrimmage on Wednesday, July 20 at Timberlane High School in Plaistow. The scrimmage consisted of four separate quarters which were all won by Windham (28-8, 26-6, 21-6, and 21-19).


During the game, Windham was led by Mike DiOrio, who had his outside shot flowing while also getting the job done on defense. Matt Shamon also played well at the guard position, driving to the basket for lay-ups and to draw fouls. And Conor Redmond was strong in the post, pulling down rebounds and finishing his lay-ups against Timberlane’s defense.


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news@areanewsgroup.com drawn by Sarah Pacheco “Living the full life she deserves.”


“Honestly, this has been the best decision for everyone,” says Anthony Piacenza, grandson of Lorraine Sicard who lives at Windham Terrace, an assisted living community. “She had done so much for us, and we wanted the best for her,” he continues while recalling his family’s consideration of a place with “a little bit more support” for the beloved grandmother, who had been living with Anthony’s parents for about two years.


When Anthony’s father became ill and Lorraine could no longer drive, together, the family took Lorraine’s “super positive” lead and chose Windham Terrace as a warm and welcoming residence. “She picked up the ball and ran with it,” Anthony says of Lorraine’s attitude about joining Windham Terrace. “Now, she is more engaged and living the full life she deserves.”


If you are facing decisions about the changing needs of aging, call to learn more about assisted living, memory care, and short-term stays.


Call Lynda Brislin today! (603) 437-4600


Resident Lorraine Sicard and her grandson, Anthony Piacenza.


3 Church Road | Windham, NH 03087 | www.TerraceCommunities.com Premier Assisted Living & Memory Care


www.TerraceCommunities.com pms 4695 pms 539 pms 494 send us


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