It’s Mother’s Day and we shouldn’t forget that many of our dogs have been mums too (whether planned or unplanned).
In my case, Daisy has been a mum – it happened before I adopted her. Although I don’t know any of her puppies, I think it is fitting that we celebrate her motherhood status, particularly as she is a senior dog of almost 13.
Happy Mother’s Day Daisy! Your Mum loves you!!!
Posted in Dogs, dogs and holidays
Tagged animals, dogs, Mother's Day, motherhood, unplanned pregnancy
Firstly, I’d like to say that this will not be an x-rated post!
Timothy is my Sleepover Dog tonight from the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Timothy was abandoned at the sanctuary, left to fend on his own on the property until someone found him. This is a risky strategy because the area is home to mountain lions, rattlesnakes and other deadly creatures.
Because of the nature of his surrender, there are no records on why he was abandoned. He’s a young boy of just over a year and he’s very sociable.
You may notice in these photos that Timothy is wearing a green collar. Green collars signify dogs that can be handled by adults and children who visit the sanctuary.
Timothy enjoyed riding in the car on the way home tonight. He also let me know that he prefers to sleep on the bed, not the blanket that accompanied him in his overnight pack.
I particularly find Timothy’s underbite appealing and so far, the only negative behaviours he’s shown is a liking for digging in the rubbish (a common characteristic of many dogs, which is very manageable) and a dislike for two people wearing large cowboy hats.
I’ll be submitting a full assessment form when I return Timothy to his kennel in the morning.
Timothy is a very trainable dog (he already knows sit) and would make someone a lovely pet.
The Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is pet-friendly. Through discount site Coupaw, it is currently offering a 3-day/2-night stay for 2 adults at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for $30. The voucher for this deal includes a Las Vegas BITE card which provides the cardholder with other excellent deals on a wide array of food and entertainment throughout Las Vegas.
As with many pet-friendly hotels, there are restrictions including breed specific ones 😦
The fine print says:
2 Dog maximum – $25 additional fee – per dog/per night. Pet fees are paid directly to the Riviera Hotel. All pet arrangements must be made directly with the Riviera Hotel. Pet friendly rooms are located in classic room types – San Remo tower. Dogs cannot exceed 50 lbs. Dog Owner must provide proof of current vaccinations including exhibiting current rabies tag on check in. Dogs that are excluded to stay in pet friendly rooms include but are not limited to: Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Chows, Doberman Pinschers, English Bull, Terriers, German Shepherds, Mastiffs, Pit Bulls, Presa, Canaries, Rottweiler, or any dog with a bite history. Coupaw is not responsible for the Riviera hotel refusing to accommodate specific dogs for any reason.
It’s been almost a year and a half since I wrote about the alpha roll myth. Yet, there are still dog trainers who are using methods that are based on outdated thinking about animal behaviour and training.
Here’s a great video by L David Mech, who wrote “The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species” in 1968. The book, published in 1970 and re-published in paperback in 1981, is often cited as the reason why ‘dominance’ and ‘leadership’ models for dog training are acceptable.
L David Mech now admits he was wrong and has publicly announced on his website that he has pleaded with the publisher to stop publishing his book.
“Alpha” implies competing with others and becoming top dog by winning a contest or battle. However, most wolves who lead packs achieved their position simply by mating and producing pups, which then became their pack. In other words they are merely breeders, or parents, and that’s all we call them today, the “breeding male,” “breeding female,” or “male parent,” “female parent,” or the “adult male” or “adult female.”
In the rare packs that include more than one breeding animal, the “dominant breeder” can be called that, and any breeding daughter can be called a “subordinate breeder.”
I’m a supporter of positive reinforcement training. Please be on the lookout for trainers who still use outdated information and possibly damaging training techniques.
When traveling, it helps when you can stay in the home of another dog lover. Here’s just a few of the decorations that were in my guest bedroom last night:
The quotation reads ‘A friend is not a feller who is taken in by sham; a friend is one who knows our faults and doesn’t give a damn!’ From the writings of J A McEvoy
With thanks to my hosts:
Abbie
Rosie and Liam
Louis
and their person, Betsy (sorry, no photo of Betsy!)
Open a copy of United Airlines’ flight magazine and there will be a full page ad of a man and his dog. The ad is for Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a vodka made in Texas. The man is Tito, and the dog is resident distillery dog, Roscoe.
United is now serving Tito’s vodka, which is huge exposure for a company with humble beginnings. The company also has a long association with animal rescue.
Over 30 homeless dogs and cats that have passed though the distillery grounds and all have been brought to good health and absorbed by Tito’s employees or their extended family. The company also sponsors Emancipet‘s low-cost spay/neuter programs through events like its annual fundraising luncheon.
Roscoe was a rescue dog, too. After claiming that Roscoe winked at him, Tito had a yard fenced and a house built for him. He is now the ‘poster dog’ for the brand.
Posted in Dogs, dogs in advertising
Tagged Dog, Emancipet, magazine, Roscoe, Tito's, Tito's Handmade Vodka, United Airlines
I find it really interesting that some people refer to this dog as a German Shepherd (sometimes GSD – standing for ‘German Shepherd Dog’) and others as the Alsatian.
Strictly speaking, the name Alsatian is no longer valid. It was officially removed as an identifier in 2010 by the American Kennel Club.
The change in name from German Shepherd dates back to the years after World War I, when it as felt that the name ‘German’ in the dog’s breed would affect its acceptability in society. So, the UK Kennel Club decided to call the dog the ‘Alsatian Wolf Dog.’ The name caught on with other kennel clubs.
Over time, ‘wolf dog’ was dropped and the breed was simply referred to as the ‘Alsatian.’ (Alsace is the region of France in the north-east corner, bordering Germany.)
In the 1970s, there was a successful campaign to again have the dogs referred to as German Shepherd Dogs and the word (Alsatian) in parentheses followed.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in dog breeds
Tagged Alsace, Alsatian, France, german shepherd, GSD, World War I
I’m a caterer – but of the doggy kind. I took an order a few weeks ago from the Herne Bay Local Eatery and Bar for a special Dog and Grog event (these events are held the last Sunday of every month when patrons and their dogs are all welcome to attend).
The special event was Dexter’s first birthday.
Anna is the manager of the restaurant and also Dexter’s mother. From the photos she’s sent in, all had a wonderful time. Thanks for your support of Canine Catering, Anna!
Birthday boy, Dexter
Party guests
The ‘spread’ was a mixture of dog treats and people food. (The beer and wine were for the human guests)
A birthday party is a great place to meet and greet
Posted in Dogs, dogs and holidays
Tagged birthday party, catering, Dexter, dog treats, Herne Bay Local Eatery and Bar, homemade dog treats
Trupanion, providers of pet insurance, have published this very useful guide to deaf animals. Deaf pets make great pets. Yes – they have special needs – but they are often even more attentive to their owners because of their deafness and they are easy to train.
Have you considered adopting a special needs pet? Consider a deaf one!
Last month, a story circulated worldwide about a man in Argentina who had purchased what he thought was two toy poodles from a local market for a bargain price. The poodles turned out to be ferrets that had been loaded with steroids to plump them up and make them appear more like a poodle than a ferret.
I have two things that concern me:
1. While some people focused on debates about ‘how dumb could the guy be….?’, my thoughts were – ‘what a shocking case of abuse.’
These ferrets were loaded with damaging steroids to make money. There was no thought given to their welfare and the impacts on their health from the steroids.
2. There is no such thing as a free lunch. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is…
When dealing with animals, people really need to think about quality. Are they buying quality? Is it a cheap product that could damage animal health (how many cases have we seen with cheap, spot-on flea treatments and the damage that they cause?)
In this case, the buyer should have questioned the bargain price. At a minimum, he was probably purchasing a poodle with health problems resulting from poor breeding practice. What he got was even worse, a different species of animal that had been altered to deceive…
So, in summary, I think it is good that this story was circulated. However, I am disappointed the track that many media took about the story. We need to put animals first. Welfare of the animals is top priority.
What do you think?
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