Thursday, November 26, 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Be CAREFUL with your guests & pets today!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Save Two Dogs

I am reversing my previous stance on adopting pets for holidays. With the economy being wrecked by government bungling, a lot of people have lost their homes and jobs. Dogs have filled the shelters, and are being killed in unbelievable numbers. Normally, I have been against people adopting dogs for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, as birthday presents, Easter, etc. I have mainly been against it because so many dogs are purchased from breeders as impulse purchases, and then 90 days after the holiday, the dogs are dropped off at the shelters. This time, the situation is reversed. There are too many dogs dying in shelters, and I'm encouraging people to adopt 2 dogs for the holidays. Most people will keep the dogs they adopt, and thus it is more humane to save these dogs than let so many die as a result of this terrible economy.

So, this year... please, adopt a dog for the holidays. Save a dog. Better yet, save two. Dogs are pack animals, and they do better in groups than alone. I have other tips here and at my web page, www.SamTheDogTrainer.com, on how to select the right dog for your home.

Save a dog. Save two.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Would It Be Right To Kill A Dog Hater?

Is it right to kill people who hate dogs? I was asked this question recently, and of course, my answer is "NO". Killing people, outside the legal justice system, or unless in self defense, or unless in defending someone else from unjustified death, or unless in the event of war, is and always has been considered murder. The prohibitions against murder go back to the earliest times. "Thou shall not kill" means you must not, are not morally justified in, murdering ANYONE.

Would it be right to kill someone who killed an animal, even if it was your own dog? The same answer: NO. Even police officers are not allowed to kill someone just because a criminal has killed their K9. Human life is not the equivalent of animal life. Animal rights nuts say that a bug is the same as a dog is the same as a horse is the same as a human. That's garbage. Even if it was made legal in your area for someone to kill a human if they killed an animal, it would still be murder regardless of what the law said. Morals are not based upon what is legal, instead what is legal should be based upon what is moral. Yes, it was a hanging offense to kill someone's horse in the Old West. A person's horse was something that people relied upon for survival. Stealing that horse was pretty much the same as killing you. It would be the same if somehow the nation was in a famine after a nuclear or biological or chemical attack, and someone tried to steal away the food you had to survive, or tried to kill your dog to get to you or your basic survival resources... I think it would be morally right to defend your life by defending your animals... but that is a very extreme example that none of us faces. However, you still need the law to deal with the situation, clear permission in the law and clear permission by the police.

Animal rights wackos think they have the right to kill humans for the sake of animals, outside the boundaries of the law. That's why they are considered domestic terrorists and are put in prison for their crimes.

There are some justifiable reasons for killing a human being. But not because someone hates dogs or even kills dogs. The only justification for you, personally, killing a person is to defend your own life, or the lives of others... and in a free country, doing it according to the law. The way to deal with dog haters is to win them over to your cause by persuasion, and to prevent them from harming dogs using legal means.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Want A Confident Puppy?

Choose your breeder wisely. All else being equal, it is better to get a puppy from someone with an active household and regular contact / handling of the puppies, than from someone who lives in an isolated area with no visitors and living alone.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Interesting Behavior Factoid

Shepherd breeds are more attuned to sheep & deer scent than other breeds, bird dogs more attuned to birds, & thus each breed type will have a greater propensity to attack & kill these types of prey. What is a trait used for hunting will, when unchecked, also become a propensity to finish the job. Terriers, on the other hand, aren't as attuned to scent as they are to sounds.

What we breed for will sometimes get us unintended consequences. That's why I recommend that people try to read between the lines when studying which breed to buy, looking at the original purpose of the breed they are considering. What might be normal for that breed might be a hassle in your home.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

The Type of Question That A Dog Behaviorist Considers

A dog behavior puzzle for you: When a dog plays fetch, is the object of the game the toy or the game itself?

(The answer might surprise you... however it is for you to come up with the answer yourself. It's stuff like this that I puzzle over, and it's stuff like this that I get paid to know.)

Calm Submissive?

Cesar Milan and his followers all talk about making your dogs "calm submissive". There are many situations where a dog won't be that way, and most of them are the ones where you must have control over the dog. In these circumstances, "Cesar's way" will fail. I know the answer, do you?