The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should move toward permitting private contractors to train explosive-sniffing dogs and make them available for use at government certified cargo screening facilities, the Airforwarders Association (AfA) urged a congressional panel in testimony today.

Appearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, AfA board member Chris Connell urged TSA to finalize its efforts to develop a program for private companies to use their own canines, certified to TSA standards, to meet federal air cargo screening mandates. Currently, TSA permits only the use of the agencys own dogs in cargo screening, and only at on-airport facilities.

Click here to download the AfA’s written testimony.

Connell, who is President of Commodity Forwarders, Inc., a Los Angeles-based freight forwarding company specializing in perishable products, said enabling the use of private sector dogs will help broaden the security options for freight forwarders who operate off-airport Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF), which are supervised by TSA.

We are not saying that privatized canines are a magic bullet when it comes to screening cargo, but they are a potentially valuable part of this multilayer approach another important tool in the toolbox, if you will that includes a range of other technology solutions that our members can use to meet their screening requirements, he said.

Connell told the subcommittee that the AfA had just recently surveyed its members and found that fully three-quarters of the respondents about half of whom operate CCSFs said they would strongly consider using dogs provided by private companies if they were given the option to do that.

While emphasizing that the threat to the aviation industry remains high and association members are determined to do their part to ensure safety, Connell noted that time is money in our business. And right now our company believes that we could save over a million dollars a year at our LAX facility if we had access to a third party solution deploying canines. And of course our customers would highly appreciate the time savings that this solution would help us achieve.

Accordingly, we are highly interested in any solution that can help us expedite the screening process, move our perishables more quickly through the supply chain, and still provide the utmost in safety and security of what we ship. We think dogs can really help us do that, he said.

Connell also noted that use of specially trained dogs is one of several methods for screening air freight that are identified in the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act that was passed by Congress in 2007. And he said that, given the track record of using canines in cargo screening, proceeding with a private sector option with solutions fully regulated, certified and monitored by government agencies would square with other screening approaches such as in-house x-ray and ETD, where the government relies on private sector solutions that are tested and certified.

About the Airforwarders Association

The Airforwarders Association (AfA) represents more than 360 member companies dedicated to moving cargo throughout the supply chain. The association’s members range from small businesses with fewer than 20 employees to large companies employing more than 1,000 people and business models varying from domestic to worldwide freight forwarding operations. In short, they are the travel agents for freight shipments, moving cargo in the timeliest and most cost efficient manner whether it is carried on aircraft, truck, rail or ship. For more information, visit the association’s website at http://www.airforwarders.org.

Fresh Patchmaker of the real-grass, disposable dog pottyjoins with many other dog-friendly Americans in welcoming The Weather Channels new therapy dog, Butler.

For several months, The Weather Channel has been conducting a search for a therapy dog that will bear its name, and will travel as its emissary to places struck by natural disasters. Chosen from five finalists, Butler will be an ambassador for both The Weather Channel and for the American Humane Association, which worked together in this effort.

A young shepherd mix, Butler was rescued from the Humane Society of Charlotte, North Carolina. Butler will be trained by Amy McCullough, the National Director of Animal-Assisted Therapy for the American Humane Association. McCullough says that she will train Butler at her home in Colorado, with the goal of registering him as a therapy dog in time for the storm season this spring.

Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters have shown that therapy dogs can be a valuable aid to individuals and families who are experiencing tremendous loss. A therapy dog can be a source of comfort and hope. According to McCullough, The Weather Channel will be keeping its viewers posted on Butlers training, and will follow his service as a therapy dog. Updates will be posted on Butlers Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/therapydogbutler

Like other fans of The Weather Channel, the Fresh Patch Company has been captivated by the stations search for a therapy dog, and was glad to see that Butler was given the important role. Our company was just one of many Weather Channel viewers who found the process engaging. Because we are a dog-focused company, we like to applaud programs and events that recognize the enormous contributions dogs make to people and to society, says a Fresh Patch spokesperson.

When it comes to housebreaking, crate training puppies is probably the best method of education. Most veterinarians recommend this technique over all others. By nature, dogs enjoy having their own small, personal space. They understand how to take care of this area, which includes not soiling the floor. This is the primary reason why crate training is such a good idea when housebreaking your dogs.

In order to properly train your puppies, you must have a crate that is just the right size for them. This may mean paying a small one now and upgrading at a later date, but the size is important. You want to be sure your dog has enough room to step in, turn around, and lie down inside the crate. Having one that is too large can cause the puppy to use the restroom on one end and lay on the other, which defeats the purchasing of crate training. The location of the crate should be a quiet area, as your dog is likely to use it as a place to rest during the day and sleep at night.

The difficulty involving crate training puppies will depend on the dog. Some will love having their own place, while others will need a bit of coaxing in the beginning. Getting your dog to like his crate can involve treats if necessary. Place a treat inside the crate and command your dog to go inside. Eventually, your puppy will start to go in and look for a treat even when you have not commanded him.

Insecure puppies need a great deal of patience when crate training. You may have to begin by shutting the door and standing nearby for a few seconds, then opening it back up and presenting the dog with a treat. You can then work your way up from there. Eventually, you want to be able to shut the door with the dog inside the crate and then leave the room for several minutes without it stressing your dog out. If you have a whining dog, do not let him out while it is still making noise. Allow it to get quiet before letting him out. Also, do not make letting him out be an exciting event, or he will never want to stay inside his crate. Never use the crate as punishment if you want him to enjoy the area.

Once you have completed the crate training portion of housebreaking, you can then work on getting your dog to go out at certain times. It is important that you puppy be on a strict eating schedule if you are going to be letting him outdoors at certain times. He will learn to hold it and eliminate when he is allowed outside. Dogs can typically wait one hour for every month of their age. Therefore, a two month old dog will need to be let out every two hours to use the restroom. Do not punish your puppy for occasional accidents, especially while you are still working on getting him housebroken.

Crate training puppies is possibly the most effective way to housebreak your pet. With the crate, he will have a nice place of his own that he will not want to mess up. Therefore, he will learn not to go inside the house, and can get on a schedule of going when he is let outside.

Akita dogs are big dogs that need plenty of training to turn them into them a good friendly house dog. Having an Akita dog is not like owning any other dog. This is a huge assertive dog that by nature is domineering and will look to take authority of a group or family. If you are thinking about owning an Akita dog then you really need to do your homework before taking the plunge. The dog can be very challenging and is not for everyone

Akita dogs are by nature dog aggressive and require thorough socialization when they are young to get them familiar to other dogs. Even a well-trained Akita has to be carefully watched when in the company of other dogs, especially male dogs. The dog is not a natural mixer and doesn’t like strangers.

The Akita has lots of great qualities like unquestionable loyalty to its family; it’s this deeply innate loyalty that can lead to the Akita dog to become hostile when near other dogs. It may mistake playfulness by other dogs, as a threat and attack in what it believes is a defence of its pack. You need to counter this tendency by coaching the Akita from a puppy that not everyone is a threat.

It’s also very territorial and does not mix well. If you introduce an Akita dog to your home it will soon try to demonstrate its position as pack leader. A huge part of coaching the dog is to make certain that it acknowledges you and other family members are above it in the pack hierarchy.

It’s important that you do this, if you don’t, then the Akita will take command and if that occurs your ownership of the dog will not be agreeable. Don’t even consider taking on an Akita dog without having a good training plan in place.

It will require a lot of your time in the early days to train it to its new home. Lots of people take on Akita dogs and fail with them because they don’t understand what having an Akita involves. You need to do some serious research about this dog before committing yourself to getting one.

A properly trained Akita is a wonderful companion for life, they’re loyal, funny and once trained pretty easy to look after. They’re not the kind of dogs you can take onto a general space however and just let free. Even a trained Akita requires watching when around other dogs and strange people.

Akita dogs make superior guard dogs and family pets when they are well socialized, I can’t emphasise the well trained advice enough. If you’re thinking of getting an Akita then look for an training school to take it to while it is young. The sooner it becomes socialized with other dogs the better. Training is the key to successful ownership of Akita dogs

Once trained though you’d be hard-pressed to find a dog that will give you total loyalty and become a protector and friend for life. The dogs are very loyal to their pack and will not allow any member to be threatened. Despite its domineering nature a well-trained akita is a wonderful dog to have.

Mo climbs inside the 1902 442 Atlantic engine inside the Roundhouse in Greenfield Village

CBS announced today that the new series The Henry Fords Innovation Nation is joining the three-hour Saturday morning block The CBS Dream Team, Its Epic!, which returns for its second season Saturday, Sept. 27 (9:00-12:00 ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Hosted by Mo Rocca, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, the show will tell the fascinating stories behind the historic innovators of the past and the forward-looking visionaries of today, and the extraordinary talents and dedication required to bring their inventions to life.

We are extremely proud of our Saturday Morning line-up and thrilled to add a fresh, new, inventive show to the mix of our family friendly weekend programming, said Angelica McDaniel, Senior Vice President, CBS Daytime. In partnership with Litton and The Henry Ford, Innovation Nation is the perfect complement to our strong schedule, sharing the same mission to inspire and educate young people and their families.

It has always been our vision at The Henry Ford to become a national force for fueling the spirit of American innovation and inspire those inventors, innovators and makers of tomorrow, said Patricia Mooradian, President of The Henry Ford. With THE HENRY FORDS INNOVATION NATION and our partnership with CBS and Litton Entertainment, we will now be able to share the stories of perseverance, passion and ingenuity that we tell on our campus every day to audiences across the country.

Mo Rocca began his career in TV as a writer and producer for the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning PBS series Wishbone. He went on to write for other childrens series, including Pepper Ann and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, a pre-school series combining the whimsy of Seuss characters with the magic of Jim Henson puppetry. Mo is the host and creator of the Emmy Award-nominated My Grandmothers Ravioli on the Cooking Channel. His work on CBS Sunday Morning covers a range of topics, from the presidency of Millard Fillmore to a profile of hockey great Bobby Orr. Also, Rocca is a frequent panelist on NPRs weekly quiz show Wait, Wait…Dont Tell Me! and he spent four seasons as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and four seasons as a correspondent on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

THE HENRY FORDS INNOVATION NATION exemplifies Littons core mission of co-viewing, a television show that will inspire young people to open their eyes and minds to becoming innovators in their own communities,” commented Dave Morgan, President and CEO of Litton Entertainment.

Following is The CBS Dream Team, It’s Epic! Saturday morning lineup for the 2014-2015 season. The block is FCC educational/informational compliant, targeted to 13-16 year olds and appealing to all viewers. The schedule’s day and time may differ market-to-market. (Check local listings).

LUCKY DOG Animal trainer Brandon McMillan is swooping into animal shelters across the U.S., rescuing hard-to-love, out-of-control, untrained and unadoptable dogs. Then, back at Brandon’s training facility known as the Lucky Dog Ranch, he goes to work on the seemingly impossible task of turning the frightened pooches into perfect pets. In the end, a lucky family will adopt an even luckier dog, making each episode an adoption story that warms the heart.

DR. CHRIS PET VET Chronicling the adventures of Dr. Chris Brown, DR. CHRIS PET VET allows viewers a unique insight into the life of one of the world’s busiest vets and the animals he devotes his days to caring for and treating. For those animals that require specialist services, Dr. Chris calls on his good friend and colleague Dr. Lisa Chimes, who works at a small animal specialist hospital. Each episode delivers a carefully crafted mix of human and animal interest stories, and features a variety of animals that undergo elective procedures as part of long-term treatments involving the most intricate and technologically advanced surgery.

THE HENRY FORDS INNOVATION NATION INNOVATION NATION, hosted by Mo Rocca of CBS Sunday Morning, will be a weekly celebration of the inventors spirit – from historic scientific pioneers throughout past centuries to the forward-looking visionaries of today. Each episode tells the dramatic stories behind the worlds greatest inventions – and the perseverance, passion and price required to bring them to life. Featuring the what if it never happened, the innovation by accident and a strong focus on junior geniuses who are changing the face of technology, this series will appeal to young viewers and their families.

RECIPE REHAB Hosted by Evette Rios, families submit their favorite high-calorie, family-style recipes, and two chefs face off in a head-to-head competition to give the recipes a low-calorie twist. After making each rehabbed recipe in their own kitchen, the family chooses their new favorite. This recipe makeover challenge promotes using healthy, wholesome ingredients and shows healthy food choices can have positive effects on quality of life.

ALL IN WITH LAILA ALI ALL IN, hosted by Laila Ali, scours the globe to track down the world’s most compelling stories, profiling inspirational people, groundbreaking achievements and extraordinary lifestyles. Whether through sports, culture, travel or adventure, ALL IN steps off the beaten track into uncharted territory inspiring audiences to go all in on their dreams.

GAME CHANGERS WITH KEVIN FRAZIER Celebrating athletes and fans who reach out in their communities to make life better for so many, GAME CHANGERS, hosted by Entertainment Tonights Kevin Frazier, highlights professional athletes who use their public image to make positive changes in the lives of fans in need. Young reporters go out in the field to file their stories and bring back journalistic gold to the GAME CHANGERS studios to culminate in heartfelt reflection and insight from the host. Whether on or off the field, GAME CHANGERS takes an inspirational look at how sports positively impacts individuals and the communities they serve.

CHEAT TWEET: .@MoRocca joins the @CBSDreamTeam Sat morning childrens lineup with #InnovationNation premiering 9/27 on #CBS

Following is the “CBS Dream Team, Its Epic!” Saturday morning lineup for the 2014-15 season: (Schedule’s day and time may differ market-to-market. Check local listings.)

As of Sept. 27 9:00-9:30 AM ETLUCKY DOG 9:30-10:00 AM ETDR.CHRIS PET VET 10:00-10:30 AM ETTHE HENRY FORDS INNOVATION NATION (N) 10:30-11:00 AM ETRECIPE REHAB 11:00-11:30 AM ETALL IN WITH LAILA ALI 11:30-12:00 PM ETGAME CHANGERS WITH KEVIN FRAZIER

Please note: In some markets, CBS News’ CBS THIS MORNING: SATURDAY will be broadcast 7:00-9:00 AM ET/PT.

Photos available: http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/cbs-dream-team-its-epic/photos

About Litton Entertainment Litton Entertainment is the preeminent independent producer and distributor in the U.S. television industry creating and distributing quality programming for over twenty years. Litton’s Weekend Adventure, produced by Litton Studios, is the first program block of its kind airing Saturdays on ABC stations nationwide. Litton’s Weekend Adventure features all original E/I series including Jack Hannas Wild Countdown, Emmy winning Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin, Emmy winning Born to Explore with Richard Wiese, and Emmy nominated Sea Rescue. Litton Entertainment provides CBS Network with six original programs for Saturday mornings called CBS Dream Team, Its Epic!, including Emmy nominated Lucky Dog, The Henry Fords Innovation Nation hosted by Mo Rocca, All in With Laila Ali, and Emmy nominated Game Changers with Kevin Frazier. Litton recently announced the new block of programming for Th