TrainPetDog Finalist

Holy Jumpin'! So I totally had forgotten that I had entered this blog as a contestant for the TrainPetDog.com 2010 Dog Blog Award. Lo and Behold! Yesterday when I logged in to read my emails, I received an email that this blog is one of the 20 Finalists! Check it out!

2010 Dog Blog
Award

Thank you to all of you loyal readers who voted for my blog. Now the rest of the voting is up to the subscribers of the TrainPetDog newsletter.

Training Rant - Grey Matter

Ok, I've read trainers who preach both sides of some arguments and it drives me crazy. On the Furniture. Off the Furniture. Feed rawhide. Don't feed rawhide. Do this. Don't do that.

I really dislike it when it is all or none ... black or white ... good or bad. It bothers me. Why? Probably because it is misleading and it's not real life. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my experiece, real life is not yes/no, black/white, good/bad answers ... it is full of grey matter. When trainers start preaching their way or the highway and push that the only way is their way, it really irks me.

On the flip side, it really bugs me when I am talking to a client and they want a definite answer. I can't always give that.

Sometimes the answer really IS "maybe".

Next time you're talking with a trainer or veterinarian about your dog, please don't get mad if their answer is maybe. It could be that "maybe" is the best answer they can give.

Have you ever had an experience with this? When? What was it about? Was there any grey matter?

News Reel - Coyote Attack In Pickering

I've blogged about Coyotes before but I thought I would post this anyway since it is recent. Check it out ...




Police warning public of coyote threat after puppy snatched in Pickering
March 3, 2010




The owner was walking her two dogs and one of them was snatched away by a Coyote! Granted, they are small dogs (Pomeranians) but that doesn't mean we shouldn't beware. The important thing is not how big the dogs were but the fact that the human was right there walking the dogs.




Scary. Watch out for those Wily Coyotes!

Featured Rescue - Jessie the Bluetick Coonhound

Ok, so I'm a bit cynical today. Been a rough week and I'm running out of patience for stupidity.



Today's Featured Rescue is a Bluetick Coonhound. Jessie is due to have puppies in 3 weeks. Her ad says that "She is really shy at first but warms up quickly". Jessie is at the Auglaize County Humane Society in Wapakoneta, OH. This ad makes me angry ... and of course I'm going to tell you why!

Here's what we know ... Normal canine pregnancy is 9 weeks. If Jessie is due in 3 weeks time, plus the minimum 3-5 days that she would have had to be sitting in limbo as a 'stray' (let's add two days for the shelter staff to get the pictures up on the internet plus their vet to look her over and give her a timeline). That makes 4 weeks. Subtract that from the 9 weeks we know most canine pregnancies run for. So, Jessie must have been around 5 weeks along in her pregnancy IF she only just arrived at the shelter.

Here's what really bothers me. WHY HAVEN'T THEY ABORTED THE PREGNANCY?




Puppies are easier to adopt out, right? Like it or not, puppies make the shelter money not to mention the great fundraising campaign you can run with them. Some shelters will let a bitch go to term instead of aborting the puppies. I know many vets who will do an abortive spay provided the bitch isn't too far along. There are also many drugs you could use to terminate a canine pregnancy without spay. From what I've seen and read, you can use the drugs up to the 30 days marker (4 weeks). After that you have to look to an abortive spay. Jessie isn't too far along (or at least wasn't when this ad was posted).




I've often figured the reasoning is either the people are pro-life who won't agree to abortion or that financially, puppies bring in more money for the shelter and so it makes financial sense to let her go to term. Funny thing - I know many pro-lifers in the animal rescue business; most do NOT agree with an abortive spay.

But tell me this, in 6 - 12 months time, when the puppies are no longer cute, how many of them are going to end up at Canine Control or an Animal Shelter where they will be euthanized?

How did that work for the best?

Asshat Rant - Some People Shouldn't

You know, I strongly believe that some people just shouldn't own dogs. No, let me re-word that statement, I believe many people shouldn't own dogs. Owning a dog is not a right; it is a privilege.

Check out this ad on CL this week from Toronto ... the OP's words are blue, mine are red.

Border Collie puppy needs a new home (Toronto/Whitby)

He is not neutered. Of course he's not. Why would you spend money to neuter the guy if you weren't planning on keeping him? He had his Rabies shot last year. Im located in whitby. There is an adoption fee that applies. No kidding. You'll probably want to re-coup the money you spent on his original purchase price as well as his vaccinations. Very good dog. They all are. And they are often "beautiful" when they are looking for new homes - did you know that? Energetic. He's a Border Collie - what did you expect? A couch potatoe? I dont have the time to play with him as much as I should. Than why did you get a Border Collie? Asshat. Good with kids, and other pets. Very cute. That's nice. His cuteness was obviously not enough to prevent you from getting rid of him. House trained and understands when you tell him to sit, stay, sleep. You taught your dog to sleep? Interesting ... I have to find a home for him because I have a baby and he is to energetic. You have a baby and he's energetic? Wow - I couldn't see that one coming. Do you know how many people out there have dogs AND babies?? Good grief - some people can even chew gum and walk at the SAME TIME. Astonishing. He is a border collie. He is 8months old. Woah. Hold on there skippy. He's 8 months old ... Did you not have a baby when you got him?? Did you forget you were pregnant? Did you just find this baby on the side of the road somewhere and BOOM suddenly your world changed? Now you can't keep your dog?

You know, the sad thing is that this dog probably has the potential to be a wicked-awesome dog. He's probably smarter than the owner. Let's hope she hasn't done too much damage and it doesn't take too long to retrain this poor guy.

Asshat. Congratulations.

You've been awarded the Dogs Deserve Freedom Asshat Award.

Black Dog Monday

After a brief hiatus from the Blogsphere, I am returning to my daily posts. Sorry all.








Today's Black Dog is Leo. I saw his picture and thought he'd make a perfect featured rescue. Leo has been in rescue for over a year. Leo is 8 years old! He has been diagnosed with Perianal Fistulas which is like a human with chrohns disease but it doesn't seem to bother him much. Leo is available for adoption through Grand River All Breed Rescue in Cambridge, ON