Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Pit Bulls Are The Best- McNuggets - not so much

2012-02-09T08:01:00-05:00

In response to the stoopid (yes, stupid) radio ad McDonald's did recently touting their chicken nuggets as less risky than petting a stray pit bull, America responded with acclaim. And McDonald's pulled the ad. Now, if we could do the same for puppy mills, we'd be golden.(image)

Wordless Wednesday - Chester Fits In

2012-02-04T15:14:18-05:00

While Emily and Olive were stealing Beneful Baked Delights in the kitchen, this is what Chester was up to.(image)

Trees and Rolling Hills

2012-02-04T15:05:29-05:00

One doesn't like to think about ... the end. You know, when the grim reaper comes and delivers you to your fate. In this pic, Carmie, our dog, passed on... and left us bereft for two years. Wabby, the cat, is still with us but...at 19, who knows how much longer we will have her. Our pets force us to think about the end, don't they? Despite the best in healthcare, our pets do not live long enough. Whatever pet you have, it's likely that he or she will pass on before you do. I know, some birds live forever,...One doesn't like to think about ... the end. You know, when the grim reaper comes and delivers you to your fate. In this pic, Carmie, our dog, passed on... and left us bereft for two years. Wabby, the cat, is still with us but...at 19, who knows how much longer we will have her. Our pets force us to think about the end, don't they? Despite the best in healthcare, our pets do not live long enough. Whatever pet you have, it's likely that he or she will pass on before you do. I know, some birds live forever, but...for those of us with warm-blooded animals (dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, etc), we will face their demise at some point in time.  That is not to say one or more of us won't go first. It happens. And, there is a movement to give pets protection by creating trusts for them. I approve. I have not done this, but I approve it. I wonder why pet insurance companies don't partner with the legal firms offering pet trusts - and give folks a way to combine the two. Seems like that would be in the pet's best interest, yes? Anyway, I came across this article a week or so ago and that's one of the things that got me thinking about 'the end.' The other thing that got me thinking was... my dad being admitted to an extended care facility for his Alzheimer's. But, I don't want to get into that, here. The article, Owners Want to Be Buried in Pet Cemeteries, really struck home, with me.  "The burial of human remains in pet cemeteries isn’t exactly commonplace," so says the article from MSNBC, "but it’s a practice that’s been happening across the nation quietly for years. But last year, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory, the oldest operating pet cemetery in the world and where the Harrises had purchased plots for themselves, was thrust into the news when the state required them to stop." Luckily, that decision was overturned, so you can be buried with your pet in New York. I don't know about other places. The ultimate issue, as I see it, is... why are we burying anyone, pets or ourselves? I guess it goes to the religiousness of whatever we 'believe.' Not desecrating the body, or something. I don't know. I only know that pets, for the most part, are cremated and I think people should be, too. I think the less space we take up, the better.  Doesn't mean I'm right or you're wrong, if you've got your funeral planned already. It means - this is one more way we're showing our love and affection, our respect and consideration, our belief that our pets are as important as we are, in this great big world of beginnings and ends. If you want to be buried, I say, why not next to your pet? [...]

Happy Treat Day!

2012-02-04T14:19:36-05:00

We were lucky enough to receive some fancy new treats from the good folks at Beneful, recently. I was concerned because my dogs are pretty fussy about their treats. Especially that Chester! Also, Olive has to have soft treats because of her lack of teeth (regualr readers will remember that Olive comes from a puppy mill and after we adopted her, we had her teeth cleaned but... she came home with 17 less teeth than she went in with - they were so rotten they had to be pulled!) Here's what happened with the Beneful Baked Delights when they were...(image)

To Choke or Not to Choke

2012-02-04T12:55:20-05:00

Introducing guest blogger, Alecia Evans of Walk in Sync Do we have an ethical or moral right to use training and walking tools with dogs that choke them when there are safer more effective tools we can use to train them? Have you ever used or are you considering using a harness to train and walk your dog? Has the time for collars, neck and nose attachments to your dog run its course? What do you think? What do your readers or subscribers think? Here's what I think: We Can Do Better for our Dogs and Pups My chocolate Lab... Introducing guest blogger, Alecia Evans of Walk in Sync Do we have an ethical or moral right to use training and walking tools with dogs that choke them when there are safer more effective tools we can use to train them?  Have you ever used or are you considering using a harness to train and walk your dog?  Has the time for collars, neck and nose attachments to your dog run its course?  What do you think?  What do your readers or subscribers think?  Here's what I think: We Can Do Better for our Dogs and Pups My chocolate Lab Barney was about as easy to train as Marley.  I was told to use a choke chain, then a prong collar, then directed to a nose halti and finally to a shock collar.  It broke my heart to use those tools but I had no idea what else to do.  But one thing I did do at the time was make a promise to Barney to develop a way to train that was totally respectful of the animal’s body and was really effective.  For over a decade I have been training clients on the best ways to work with their pups and dogs to bring about the best communication between them to develop and encourage the best relationship between them.   Along the way I realized that the tools I was using were not necessarily helping that relationship but hindering it for both parties.  Before I began my training career I took a massage course for animals.  I loved it because it allowed me to see the inner and outer workings of my clients.  It also helped me learn to assess whether a behavioral issue was truly a behavior or a compensation for unrecognized pain or misalignment in the dog’s body.  As a result, I began to see the disconnect that happens in a dog or pup that has been taking place when their neck is yanked on or they are repeatedly choked, either by a choke chain or by pulling continuously on a nylon collar.  During this time I continued seeking out tools I could use to train dogs and pups that were totally humane and would never choke them.  I found some wonderful front clip harnesses which worked like a charm to end pulling immediately.  I found that the harness clipping at the front really changed the way the dog or pup received the signal of pressure and would back off rather than try to pull through. I also loved the fact that there was no more choking.   I have been using a front clip harness for over 6 years now on every dog or pup I train and I am so pleased to be doing the best for my clients both human and dog.  It has made me realize that we can do better for our dogs and pups and now is the time to Train Humane and raise the bar on the tools we use to train dogs.  Let’s evolve the gold standard of the tools we use to train dogs to be totally humane and harness based.  We will be happier we did and so will our pooches.  We want to hear from you about your thoughts on humane training. Alecia Evans has been professionally transforming the relationship between dogs and their humans since 2001.  Her philosophy is harness your dog’s energy to unleash their greatest potential and your own.   Never feeling right about choking dogs and unsuspecting puppies to train them, Alecia invented The Walk In Sync™ Humane Dog Walking and Training System as the gold standard of training tools in order to end the choking and pain caused to dogs during training and walking.   [...]

Good Dog! Good Cat!

2012-02-03T14:24:21-05:00

Once in a while you meet someone who is impressive not just because they like the same things you like (think pets) but because they are working in the community to help promote change. Steve Dale is that kinda guy. He's smart and talented and a good writer, but he's so many other things it's hard not to gush about him, given the chance. Of late, he's also an author of two new books, Good Dog! and Good Cat! As a pet behaviorist, Steve makes it his duty to help pet parents understand why Fido and Fluffy do what they...Once in a while you meet someone who is impressive not just because they like the same things you like (think pets) but because they are working in the community to help promote change.  Steve Dale is that kinda guy. He's smart and talented and a good writer, but he's so many other things it's hard not to gush about him, given the chance. Of late, he's also an author of two new books, Good Dog! and Good Cat!   As a pet behaviorist, Steve makes it his duty to help pet parents understand why Fido and Fluffy do what they do. Oh, if we could all just spend an hour with Steve - the things we might learn! I'm one of the lucky ones who got a sneak preview of these books before they came out. They involve a nice Q &A, where Steve shares the questions he's most generally asked, and the answers to those questions.  Tell me your dog hasn't: peed on the rug when he had plenty of time to go out (mine have) torn up newspapers, magazines, books or other objects when you're out (mine do) given a visiting dog the "get out of my way" growl... upsetting visiting dog's Mom or Dad. If you want to understand why your dog does these things, and many, many other things dogs do, get Steve's book and learn. Mind you, the best thing about his Good Dog! book is that he doesn't preach. He's not the be-all and end-all of 'dog whisperers' - he's a guy that loves dogs and studies them. His advice is based on research and experience and a desire to show people why dogs...need to be dogs. The Good Cat! book is similar, but different. I mean, let's face it - cats are not dogs, no matter how much we try to make them so. You know you do. You think your cat should come when its called (mine does...but I'm not sure she doesn't just associate the sound of my voice with food); you think your cat should learn tricks (I know cats who will do tricks, but only when they want to); you think your cat should show a little more appreciation, like... keeping mice out of the house (ours just gives us the, "do you see that? what are you going to do about it?" look when mice show up and eat her food).  But, cats are individualists - they don't like the pack mentality. They don't feel compelled to thank us for feeding and caring for them. And they only catch mice in the wild - because they don't think we'll see them doing it and expect them to do the same at home. Steve's book will help you understand your cat better. And, he'll help solve some of those little issues with litter box training, or hairballs or why cats sleep so much.  Get your copy of these books online, they're e-book format, and read up on the behaviors of your favorite furry friend. I promise, no matter what you think you know about dogs and cats, you will learn something helpful from these books.  Enjoy! (links go to other reviews of the books or their Facebook pages - check'em out!) Kindle ($2.99 at amazon) iPad ($2.99 on iTunes) Nook ($2.99 on Barnes & Noble) Kobo ($2.99 on Kobo) [...]

Emily on Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T08:30:00-05:00

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PALs for Life

2012-01-28T14:48:13-05:00

We are all judged by our compassion. We are all required to show compassion. We are less human when we cannot be compassionate to animals, as well as people. The picture should show more animals - horses, birds, ferrets, guinea pigs, wild animals, elephants, and farm animals. All creatures great and small.(image)

Hey, that's my Mom!

2012-01-28T14:38:48-05:00

Does your dog recognize you... on TV (well, in a video) or in a picture hanging on the wall? We catch Emily watching TV all the time. I know many people don't think dogs watch TV. They think the dog may be interested in it because of the noise or the movement and that the dog's eyes can't really see the images. Well, that's just not so at our house. Emily is clearly watching TV. I don't know what she thinks of what she sees, but she likes shows with people and, of course, dogs. And, it's obvious to me...Does your dog recognize you... on TV (well, in a video) or in a picture hanging on the wall? We catch Emily watching TV all the time. I know many people don't think dogs watch TV. They think the dog may be interested in it because of the noise or the movement and that the dog's eyes can't really see the images. Well, that's just not so at our house. Emily is clearly watching TV. I don't know what she thinks of what she sees, but she likes shows with people and, of course, dogs. And, it's obvious to me that she's not just watching flickering objects on the TV monitor. She's engrossed in whatver is going on there - she is watching. Animal Planet recently published this article, Would my dog recognize me in a picture? by Alison Kim Perry and it struck a nerve with me. In a good way. The research done by Veterinary Behavior Solutions DVM, Beth Strickler, seems to show that yes, our dogs can recognize us in pictures. Sometimes. "Dogs can distinguish between different people based on the person's appearance at that time, meaning that sometimes a dog can identify his owner's head in the photo. But if in another photo his owner's head is blocked, the animal might have a problem figuring out who she is." She goes on to say that dogs generally depend on more than 'sight' to identify things. Hounds, like our Chester and Emily, may use their nose more than their eyes. I know Chester is always sniffing - us, our clothes, our furniture, the air... and he certainly needs to use scent as an identifyer. Emily is supposedly a sight hound, however. She watches...everything. Her expressions are amazing! When she's watching TV she's totally engrossed. I can talk to her and I know she hears me because her ears will move or she will blink, but she will not move her gaze from the TV. We've only had our 3 precious pups for a year or so, so I don't know if they'd pass the picture test of ID. I do know they are so happy whenever we go out and come back (whether we're gone for an hour or 5 hours - which is our limit); all three dogs act like we're turning voyagers who left them untended for weeks on end. Mind you, they get treats and toys and have warm, soft beds to sleep in, and windows to look out and all manner of comfort. Not enough, if they're Mom and Dad are not home. :-)  Oh yes, we love it! [...]

Animal Hoarding - A Glimpse Inside

2012-01-28T14:20:06-05:00

This article over at SFGate, by Jennifer Scarlett (Co-president of the San Francisco SPCA) really opened my eyes to the issue of animal hoarding: Shedding Light on Animal Hoarding. She talks about "therapy -and legal action" and share this image for a peak inside the way researchers believe this issue starts. Jennifer writes, "One very clear thing about animal hoarders is that they need intervention to stop. After all, most of them think they’re doing the right thing. And two of their signal traits are denial and persistence." She goes on to state cases where hoarders are discovered and defend...This article over at SFGate, by Jennifer Scarlett (Co-president of the San Francisco SPCA) really opened my eyes to the issue of animal hoarding: Shedding Light on Animal Hoarding. She talks about "therapy -and legal action" and share this image for a peak inside the way researchers believe this issue starts. Jennifer writes, "One very clear thing about animal hoarders is that they need intervention to stop. After all, most of them think they’re doing the right thing. And two of their signal traits are denial and persistence." She goes on to state cases where hoarders are discovered and defend themselves, where they actually believe the animals are fine - when in truth, they are riddled with parasites or disease. Or, they are malnurished. On one level, I feel a kinship to animal hoarders. I mean, I, too, would love to rescue hundreds of dogs and cats - to bring them home and shower them with love. But, I stop myself because I do not have the resources to care for more than I am caring for right now. I have three dogs and a cat. That is all I can manage. Even if and when we move to a larger house, with a bigger yard, I will not have room for more than one or two extra dogs and maybe one or two cats. It's a fact of life. And therein lies the problem for hoarders - they do not recognize their own limitations. Jennifer describes three types of hoarders: 'the overwhelmed caregiver' who obtains her animals (it is most often a woman) "passively." Second is the 'rescue hoarder' who is "mission-driven" and who feels compelled to do better by the animals (and then doesn't). And, third, the 'exploitive hoarder' - who is "sociopathic: charming, manipulative, lacking empathy." The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium, mentioned in Jennifer's article, is "a group of researchers who collaborated from 1997-2006 to define and better understand the problem of animal hoarding" and which also shares resources on the subject.Including, links to places that discuss the issue. Including, this link to the show on Discovery - which seems shocking to me. A show on hoarding. But, maybe it's a good idea - maybe exposing this issue is what it will take to diminish or change it. This video (click the image) is from a serious hoarding event, and shows how hard it is on the animals.  Reading about this has shown me that it's more of an issue of mental health, sometimes, than one of cruelty or just ignorance. Not sure what to do about it - I once knew a woman who had like 100 cats, but as far as anyone knew (I never went to her 'farm' so I don't know if this is true or not), she lived on a farm and the cats were not only well-fed, they were well cared for. I do know the vet I worked for vaccinated them.  I recommend reading the article and writing about this issue. Education - of us, the people who know about these things only tangentially, via the news. What can we do? What should we do?  [...]

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