February 21, 2007
But we want a puppy so our kids can grow up with it”.
There is NOTHING in the world as wonderful as a puppy...I think puppy breath should be bottled and sold! Puppies are cute and cuddly and fun! But the reality is this: Most dogs are taken to pounds or shelters when the dog is between 8 months and 2 years old. That is the age of what I call the "terrible twos" of dog years when all dogs will assert their dominance in the pack, which is now your family, and if you don’t know how to speak "dog" you will find yourself at your wits end trying to endure the accidents, chewing, jumping, destroyed personal articles and general "bratty" behavior. Most people can’t deal with that, and sadly many dogs are given up and subsequently euthanized due to lack of room at the shelters. I choose not to have a puppy because I know I do not have the time to put into training it with my family, business and lifestyle. I prefer dogs that are adult in age, past the chewing stage, and a bit more mellow and easy to train.
I am a huge supporter of rescues. Here is a fact I’ll bet not many of you know. On http://www.petfinder.com/www.petfinder.com at any given time there are more than 110,000 dogs and more than 91,000 cats in the United States alone looking for homes. There are pets of all breeds, sizes and ages. There are also rescues organizations for everything from horses, llamas, and farm animals to rabbits, guinea pigs, pocket pets, and assorted reptiles. We live in a throw away society but what people fail to realize is that these animals are dependant on humans for survival. You can’t just toss out a cat and figure, "well it can catch mice and live" or "somebody will find him and take him in" when you are tired of dealing with your rambunctious Labrador and you take him for a "ride" out in the country. The vast number of animals abandoned die by automobiles or suffer a lingering death from starvation.
Honestly I was shocked to find out there are so many rescue organizations out there! There are several in Indiana and only a few are listed on www.petfinder.com. Pick a breed and look it up. There are hundreds of rescues out there that are currently fostering dogs and cats and other animals waiting for a forever home. When I heard about rescues, I assumed it was the humane society or local dog pound. I was very wrong. There are breed rescues that many of the pounds will call whenever they see a breed that they specialize in. For instance there is Sheltie Rescue of Greater Lafayette who specializes in the rescue and adoption of Shetland Sheepdogs, or Shelties as they are commonly called. This is the breed they work with almost exclusively because they know all about them and can match up potential adoptive families to the dog. Another wonderful thing about rescues is they can tell you all the quirks about a particular dog, whether or not it gets along with other animals or children and they have all the veterinary work taken care of before you adopt, spaying or neutering is already done and vaccines, heart worm test and medication and any dental or medical issues the pet may have will be addressed. Your adoption fee may be higher than the city dog pound or shelter but there are advantages to adopting this way. You can focus on a particular breed and you get a pet with the assurance of no unwanted pregnancy, and they have usually been fostered for a period of time and they know what behavioral issues if any, the pet has.
The other thing people fail to consider when they see that cute little puppy is what breed it is and what it was originally bred to do. If you don’t want holes dug in your backyard, do not get a terrier. They were bred to hunt for vermin underground. I had one client tell me that they purposely cut their dogs nails back to the quick so they bled and hurt so the dog would not dig up the yard. It was a Rat Terrier. They are bred to dig up rats. Was that fair to the dog? Not all dogs are perfect for all families. I have guinea pigs for pets. therefore I can’t have a terrier, that’s vermin to them and they focus intently on them. You can’t get their attention away from the cage and if given the opportunity they will kill them. If you are wanting a very obedient dog, you still have to remember that hounds will either follow their nose, or they could be a "sight hound" such as a Greyhound and if they see a squirrel or rabbit . . . all obedience training is out the window. You can’t fight nature. You have to be prepared for it.
Ask yourself a few questions before you look for your perfect dog. How large of a dog can I afford to feed, vet, exercise, groom or have groomed. Do I have time to care for a puppy? Would an older dog that has already been housetrained work out better? Do you have kids? What ages? Itty bitty dogs and itty bitty kids are not a good combination. Face it kids are rough on dogs, unintentionally of course but they are. And small dogs can be injured or killed by accidentally hugging the dog too hard. Some big dogs knock over little kids, again unintentionally. Good training helps solve that. I do what Cesar Millan "The Dog Whisperer" does. I go to peoples home, observe what is going on and show people how to be the leader of the pack and stop problem behaviors. Once you understand how to communicate with your dog, you will have the dog of your dreams! But first, you have to understand Dog Speak.
February 17, 2007 Dogs are just children with fur
February 7, 2007
Dogs are just children with fur
Some of you may have heard the expression “Dogs are just children with fur.” Well speaking from experience, I can tell you how true that really is! I see many people daily and usually they refer to their dog as their “baby.” But I really want you to know that dogs are just like a 2-year-old child, forever! No matter how old the dog is, or what breed they are basically all the same and are figuratively speaking, a 2- year-old child.
For instance, a 2-year-old child will pick stuff up off the floor and put it in their mouths. So will your dog. A 2-year-old child would never be left unattended outside, yet how many folks let their dog run loose? Would you let a child wander around outside without any supervision? Of course not, why? Because they could wander into the street and be killed, they could be kidnapped, they could get hurt! So can your dog.
2-year-old children can be hard to understand when they talk. So is your dog. How many times have you looked at your dog and said “what?” They give you “the look” but you don’t exactly know what “the look” means. Sometimes they bark . . . and bark . . . and bark . . . so you yell at them to be quiet, but WHAT are they trying to tell you? Are they hungry? Frustrated? Need to go out and potty? Is there someone snooping around the house? Intruders? The mailman? How many of us really pay attention to their signals?
2-year-old children need a routine and structure. So does your dog. You can put a 2-year-old child in a playpen or enclosed area to keep them safe, but you don’t leave them in it 24 hours a day and give them no attention at all, except for maybe food and water. A kennel outside is just that. A playpen but they never get out of it. They seldom get attention. If you want a well-behaved dog that is a member of your family, you need to treat it as a member. That means supervision, love, discipline, a routine, playtime, etc.
If your 2-year-old child wasn’t feeling well, and you didn’t know what was wrong, you’d be taking them to the doctor. Yet so many people don’t bother taking the family pet to the vet because they are hoping they “get over it.” Kids get vaccines, well child visits, etc. Dogs rarely see a vet until it’s an emergency then it’s a life or death case.
Don’t get me wrong, I see plenty of spoiled pooches that are treated WAY better than most children, that in itself can be an issue, just like children, if you give them everything they want whenever they want it, they become spoiled and have tantrums and turn into creatures nobody wants to be around . . . so can your dog.
If a two-year-old child is going thru potty training, and has an accident, you simply clean them up and start again, watching more carefully next time. Yet when a puppy or dog has an accident, they are smacked with a newspaper, or have their face rubbed into it. Would you do that to a child? I think not. In fact the best advice I can give someone when potty training a dog is if you find an accident on the floor, roll up a newspaper, and smack YOURSELF in the head and say “I should’ve been watching my puppy! I should’ve been watching my puppy!”
Dogs are just children with fur
Some of you may have heard the expression “Dogs are just children with fur.” Well speaking from experience, I can tell you how true that really is! I see many people daily and usually they refer to their dog as their “baby.” But I really want you to know that dogs are just like a 2-year-old child, forever! No matter how old the dog is, or what breed they are basically all the same and are figuratively speaking, a 2- year-old child.
For instance, a 2-year-old child will pick stuff up off the floor and put it in their mouths. So will your dog. A 2-year-old child would never be left unattended outside, yet how many folks let their dog run loose? Would you let a child wander around outside without any supervision? Of course not, why? Because they could wander into the street and be killed, they could be kidnapped, they could get hurt! So can your dog.
2-year-old children can be hard to understand when they talk. So is your dog. How many times have you looked at your dog and said “what?” They give you “the look” but you don’t exactly know what “the look” means. Sometimes they bark . . . and bark . . . and bark . . . so you yell at them to be quiet, but WHAT are they trying to tell you? Are they hungry? Frustrated? Need to go out and potty? Is there someone snooping around the house? Intruders? The mailman? How many of us really pay attention to their signals?
2-year-old children need a routine and structure. So does your dog. You can put a 2-year-old child in a playpen or enclosed area to keep them safe, but you don’t leave them in it 24 hours a day and give them no attention at all, except for maybe food and water. A kennel outside is just that. A playpen but they never get out of it. They seldom get attention. If you want a well-behaved dog that is a member of your family, you need to treat it as a member. That means supervision, love, discipline, a routine, playtime, etc.
If your 2-year-old child wasn’t feeling well, and you didn’t know what was wrong, you’d be taking them to the doctor. Yet so many people don’t bother taking the family pet to the vet because they are hoping they “get over it.” Kids get vaccines, well child visits, etc. Dogs rarely see a vet until it’s an emergency then it’s a life or death case.
Don’t get me wrong, I see plenty of spoiled pooches that are treated WAY better than most children, that in itself can be an issue, just like children, if you give them everything they want whenever they want it, they become spoiled and have tantrums and turn into creatures nobody wants to be around . . . so can your dog.
If a two-year-old child is going thru potty training, and has an accident, you simply clean them up and start again, watching more carefully next time. Yet when a puppy or dog has an accident, they are smacked with a newspaper, or have their face rubbed into it. Would you do that to a child? I think not. In fact the best advice I can give someone when potty training a dog is if you find an accident on the floor, roll up a newspaper, and smack YOURSELF in the head and say “I should’ve been watching my puppy! I should’ve been watching my puppy!”
December 14, 2005 Apathy
December 14, 2005
Apathy
There is a horrible type of abuse happening to pets everywhere. It is called "Apathy". Apathy is defined as
Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference.
Lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness
This abuse takes form in many ways, oh not by starving a pet, or by beating it. This causes a much more subtle, slower and more painful death. Not many people see the pets who are victim to this abuse. Usually it's a neighbor who also abuses the pet by not reporting it. They don't want to get involved or cause a neighbor dispute.
Maybe you see those pets that are victims? Dogs tied outside on chains. No shelter. Maybe it's just the "outside" dog that never gets petted but get food thrown at it daily. No it's not starving for food. It is starving for affection though.
Maybe it's that neighborhood cat that keeps hanging around having kittens. Nobody ever claims the cat as theirs..but they feed it just the same. They won't spend any money on the cat or dog because ...it's just a cat or it's just a dog. Instead of spaying or neutering this stray or calling animal control to come take care of it, they continue letting it hang around, producing more cats and puppies that nobody wants and who will become feral (wild), or will suffer with flea infestation, worms, starvation or a host of any other ills, and grow up to produce even more of the same.
Perhaps it’s the dog who is full of matts and has owners who don't know what a brush is. Did you know that matts get wet in winter and actually can cause hypothermia? Would you like to wear a wet blanket that never dries outside with the windchill below zero?
Dogs and cats that are neglected never get petted all over or get a bath. Tumors go unnoticed until it's too late. Teeth rot in the pets mouth, but it still eats...it must to survive. Pets ears get infected or have mites, they shake their heads over and over and over, but nobody does anything, then the blood pools in the ear flaps and becomes a hematoma, thick blood-filled flesh. Then again...it's JUST a dog.
Arthritis affects dogs just like people. How many arthritic people do you know of that live outside all the time in the winter but don't take any pain killers? It's JUST a dog . It doesn't feel pain like people right? Wrong. Pets are stoic about pain. It's survival of the fittest. If an animal shows the pain it's in, other animals will think it's weak and it might get eaten. At least that’s what your pet thinks. Believe me, pets feel pain. They feel physical pain as well as emotional pain.
Ever notice that the ignored dog still wags it's tail when it sees you? Always holding out hope that you may give it some crumbs of affection. What if it were a child? Wouldn't people be put in jail for ignoring their children and denying them medical attention?
Groomers and Vets see the victims of apathy daily. They belong to the owners who wait to have them groomed until winter and by then the pets are so horribly matted that the matts can't be removed without shaving off all the hair, and then being left to freeze outside. Maybe they belong to owners who waits until the tumor is as big as their hand and bleeding before they bother taking it to the vet, who by then can't do anything to help it.
Maybe it's the owner of the old, sick and dying pet that isn't humanely euthanized but instead they just wait for it to die on it's own, so it suffers, a long, painful death.
Maybe it's because they can't "afford" to take it to the vet. Yet they somehow manage to eat out, buy "necessities" like beer and cigarettes and maybe some cool stuff from Walmart. They won't give the pet up for adoption to someone else who would care for it better after all it is THEIR dog. They OWN it.
I so wish that apathetic people could just change places for ONE day with their pets. One day with food and water in a filthy dish, frozen water, no shelter. Maybe a chain around their neck too tight. How about all wounds would be left to fester, and a good case of fleas and ticks. How would you feel if you didn't wash your hair for over a year or brush it. Think it would look good? How many sores would your scalp have on it? Then you'd have to live outside and get wet in the rain, wearing that matted mop. Don't forget the fleas! Is your head itching yet?
Before you take home that puppy or kitten. Ask yourself if you can "afford" to take care of it for it's lifetime. Ask yourself if you have time to dedicate DAILY to this pets upkeep and emotional well being. You are for all intents and purposes this pets "parent" and as a parent you have responsibilities to care for your pet. It doesn't take money to play with your pet and brush it. While you are doing that if you run upon some medical issues, NOW is the time to take care of those things, don't let them fester, grow and eventually kill your pet while you sit back waiting for it to go away and pretending it doesn't exist. Would you avoid taking yourself or your child to the Dr. if you found huge festering sores and unexplainable lumps?
Apathy? No folks, it's reality. I see it everyday. I see it with people who are well off financially and have prestigious jobs. It isn't just happening to those who can't afford to properly take care of their pet. Apathy crosses all financial, racial and ethnic barriers. Stop letting this abuse continue. I sincerely hope this wakes up some people and they can see how abusive they truly are to their pets. I hope that reading this makes you a better pet parent, and you start to think, really THINK about your pet and how you could improve your ways. Your pet will love you for it. Sandy BlackburnYour Pet Care Professional atThe Groom RoomAttica, IN 47918(765) 764-4330
Apathy
There is a horrible type of abuse happening to pets everywhere. It is called "Apathy". Apathy is defined as
Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference.
Lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness
This abuse takes form in many ways, oh not by starving a pet, or by beating it. This causes a much more subtle, slower and more painful death. Not many people see the pets who are victim to this abuse. Usually it's a neighbor who also abuses the pet by not reporting it. They don't want to get involved or cause a neighbor dispute.
Maybe you see those pets that are victims? Dogs tied outside on chains. No shelter. Maybe it's just the "outside" dog that never gets petted but get food thrown at it daily. No it's not starving for food. It is starving for affection though.
Maybe it's that neighborhood cat that keeps hanging around having kittens. Nobody ever claims the cat as theirs..but they feed it just the same. They won't spend any money on the cat or dog because ...it's just a cat or it's just a dog. Instead of spaying or neutering this stray or calling animal control to come take care of it, they continue letting it hang around, producing more cats and puppies that nobody wants and who will become feral (wild), or will suffer with flea infestation, worms, starvation or a host of any other ills, and grow up to produce even more of the same.
Perhaps it’s the dog who is full of matts and has owners who don't know what a brush is. Did you know that matts get wet in winter and actually can cause hypothermia? Would you like to wear a wet blanket that never dries outside with the windchill below zero?
Dogs and cats that are neglected never get petted all over or get a bath. Tumors go unnoticed until it's too late. Teeth rot in the pets mouth, but it still eats...it must to survive. Pets ears get infected or have mites, they shake their heads over and over and over, but nobody does anything, then the blood pools in the ear flaps and becomes a hematoma, thick blood-filled flesh. Then again...it's JUST a dog.
Arthritis affects dogs just like people. How many arthritic people do you know of that live outside all the time in the winter but don't take any pain killers? It's JUST a dog . It doesn't feel pain like people right? Wrong. Pets are stoic about pain. It's survival of the fittest. If an animal shows the pain it's in, other animals will think it's weak and it might get eaten. At least that’s what your pet thinks. Believe me, pets feel pain. They feel physical pain as well as emotional pain.
Ever notice that the ignored dog still wags it's tail when it sees you? Always holding out hope that you may give it some crumbs of affection. What if it were a child? Wouldn't people be put in jail for ignoring their children and denying them medical attention?
Groomers and Vets see the victims of apathy daily. They belong to the owners who wait to have them groomed until winter and by then the pets are so horribly matted that the matts can't be removed without shaving off all the hair, and then being left to freeze outside. Maybe they belong to owners who waits until the tumor is as big as their hand and bleeding before they bother taking it to the vet, who by then can't do anything to help it.
Maybe it's the owner of the old, sick and dying pet that isn't humanely euthanized but instead they just wait for it to die on it's own, so it suffers, a long, painful death.
Maybe it's because they can't "afford" to take it to the vet. Yet they somehow manage to eat out, buy "necessities" like beer and cigarettes and maybe some cool stuff from Walmart. They won't give the pet up for adoption to someone else who would care for it better after all it is THEIR dog. They OWN it.
I so wish that apathetic people could just change places for ONE day with their pets. One day with food and water in a filthy dish, frozen water, no shelter. Maybe a chain around their neck too tight. How about all wounds would be left to fester, and a good case of fleas and ticks. How would you feel if you didn't wash your hair for over a year or brush it. Think it would look good? How many sores would your scalp have on it? Then you'd have to live outside and get wet in the rain, wearing that matted mop. Don't forget the fleas! Is your head itching yet?
Before you take home that puppy or kitten. Ask yourself if you can "afford" to take care of it for it's lifetime. Ask yourself if you have time to dedicate DAILY to this pets upkeep and emotional well being. You are for all intents and purposes this pets "parent" and as a parent you have responsibilities to care for your pet. It doesn't take money to play with your pet and brush it. While you are doing that if you run upon some medical issues, NOW is the time to take care of those things, don't let them fester, grow and eventually kill your pet while you sit back waiting for it to go away and pretending it doesn't exist. Would you avoid taking yourself or your child to the Dr. if you found huge festering sores and unexplainable lumps?
Apathy? No folks, it's reality. I see it everyday. I see it with people who are well off financially and have prestigious jobs. It isn't just happening to those who can't afford to properly take care of their pet. Apathy crosses all financial, racial and ethnic barriers. Stop letting this abuse continue. I sincerely hope this wakes up some people and they can see how abusive they truly are to their pets. I hope that reading this makes you a better pet parent, and you start to think, really THINK about your pet and how you could improve your ways. Your pet will love you for it. Sandy BlackburnYour Pet Care Professional atThe Groom RoomAttica, IN 47918(765) 764-4330
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