What To Do About A Spoiled Dog?

From time to time, I get interesting emails that illustrate important points about responsible dog ownership. I publish these for the education of the general public, but remove identifying information about the persons involved to protect their privacy. This is just such a letter. Here is what happens when you spoil a dog.

How many times do we see people spoil their dogs… not willing to give them order and leadership, feeling that is somehow harsh… only to see the owners being bullied and bitten by those same dogs, the owners ultimately either yelling and hitting the dogs, having these dogs put to death by veterinarians for biting problems, giving the dogs away to a shelter, or causing the breakup of families over the dog issues?

If you have a spoiled dog, then hire a professional to help out, and do what they say:

Here is a real case study, and a classic example of the Mommie / Daddy type of dog owner:


Dear Sam,

I have a 1 ½ year old standard poodle. I have had her since she was 8 weeks old.

I enrolled in an obedience class and have completed 7 sessions. In these classes, she learned to sit and off (sometimes).

My problem is I got married in January. My husband is afraid of dogs, yet he is with her while I am at work. He tells me she is quiet all day long and good. When I come home from work, she starts to jump on me, and at night she bites my hands. She loves to chew on my skinny wrists and it hurts. Then, she will get a little aggressive as I pull away and she’ll come after me. I have to let her outside to run. When it comes time for food she sits at the table with me and eats with me and wants my food. She wont stop barking for food so I have to give it to her to keep her quiet.

I can't eat with my new husband I have to eat with the dog to keep her quiet. It is ruining the marriage. I won't give her away.

She is my child and means the world to me.

I tell him not to yell at the dog. When he yells at her, she gets worse, and he’ll go into the bedroom to close the door. She lunges after him and then I have to try and grab her to get her away from him. She is uncontrollable to get, but I grab her and get my hands scratched. I won’t have her attack him to keep peace.

She is spoiled with the food and the bones. That I agree. But the biting is the major problem. Why is she biting my arms, and why does she get aggressive towards my husband? She gets even more aggressive after he yells at her. She bites hard, and I have been bitten and bloody. I have to be careful so I don’t get my arm bitten or finger bitten off.

I love this dog. Why does she do this?

The dog is great otherwise with me. When I‘m alone with her she is fine. If he is alone with her she is fine. But, when we are both together she is biting my arms. or my legs. I have to give her bones to chew to keep her from biting me to quiet her down.

I don’t know what to do anymore.

I was married before but my first husband of many years died and I just remarried. My first husband loved dogs and they loved him but not this new one.

It is awful!!!!

My first husband saw my new pup when she was a baby and he loved her. He said to me before he died “take care of her; she’ll be your best friend.” Now, she’s a year and a half old, and I’m married to a retired military man who hates dogs but puts up with her. One minute he talks nice to her but as soon as my dog jumps up to him he gets scared and yells and it sets the dog off. I don’t know what to do anymore.

If I knew this I would never have married him and put myself in the position I’m in now.

He knows it’s my dog and she comes first to me. I hate to say it, but, after my first husband died, I lost the love of my life, I didn’t need to remarry and now be in this situation with someone who can’t tolerate my pup.

Thank you,

XXXXXX


Dear XXXXXX,

Your dog is a spoiled brat. This problem is being created by both you and your husband. This can be fixed with proper obedience training and house rules. You need a better trainer to work with. No need to get rid of the dog or your husband. Both of you should be involved in the classes to learn more about your dog and how to manage her. This is easily fixed.

The biting is because she is a spoiled brat. You gave up your leadership position with this dog long ago, and it doesn’t help your husband is afraid of the dog. Fear doesn’t make you act like a calm, directed leader around a dog, so the dog takes advantage of that. You baby the dog, and so you are half the problem, your husband is the other half.

The bones are a small part to fixing this. If you do this on your own, without a professional, you will not fix this.

I see from your letterhead that you are a professional person. Do you think I could just walk into your job today, without any training and experience, and do what you do? You believe in education otherwise you wouldn’t have the degrees you have. However, you don’t believe that training and experience play a factor in becoming a good dog trainer or dog owner. You can have this fixed in a month if you work with someone good. On your own, this will keep going on and on because you don’t know what you are doing. You need a new type of education: dog training.

This is a piece in the puzzle for sorting out your marriage problems, too. This is a way for you both to learn to work together better. It can be good for you, your husband, and your dog.

Best wishes

Sam Basso
www.samthedogtrainer.com

UPDATE: This person has contacted me and told me they are setting up lessons. This is a good sign. I have encouraged her to stick with the training to see this through.

This Is What All Those Dog Hating Journalists Are Causing

Lynnwood police are investigating the hanging of two pit bulls.

After hearing barking and yelps, the owner found his dogs, 1-year-old Peanut and 10-month-old Wiggles, hanging by their necks on ropes over his fence. One of them was limp, and the other was struggling.

"I put in an incredible amount of time training them, taking them to obedience classes, working with them to be sure they were calm, submissive, playful dogs and not aggressive at all," he said.

He speculated that a neighbor may have killed the dogs out of fear of the breed. He said his dogs had never had problems with people. But while walking the dogs, he said, some residents expressed concern there were pit bulls in the neighborhood.

After cutting the dogs down, the owner said, he lay next to them for 20 minutes and cried.

Pasado's Safe Haven is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Rita Morgan, national cruelty investigator for the Monroe animal shelter, said people often have preconceived notions about pit bulls. Sometimes those fears are well-founded, but often, she said, pit bulls are well-behaved family pets.

She said Pasado's took in three pit bulls after Hurricane Katrina. All three, she said, are "sweet, gentle and very social. They've won over all our volunteers."

This is what is going to happen the more that the media prints Dog Hating stories focusing on pit bull breeds. This was totally unjustified, cruel and meant to send a message. The person who did this deserves some serious time in prison.

This is why you should fight back whenever you see Dog Haters writing articles against dogs. These relentless attacks on innocent dogs encourage this kind of vigilantism.

This is a case of Dog Hating Terrorism.

Pet Dating Services

I have been seeing the rise of so-called “pet matching services”, where dog owners can find breeding partners for their pet dogs. The latest one is a new internet “dating” service for pets. Makes me sick…

Though I am not against breeding dogs, I have seen way too many people breed dogs for sentimental reasons, instead of breeding great dogs that will be good as pets. Modern breeding is a science. You can wreck a puppy if the parents aren’t free of genetic problems. Do you realize how devastating it is for a pet owner to have to put their dog to death because of a serious health or temperament problem?

I received a letter just the other day from someone who had to put their dog down because it became vicious, most likely from a brain tumor.

If you recall, I mentioned an article, at www.DoggieNews.com concerning the Top 10 dog diseases reported by pet insurers.

How many of these novice breeders will be genetically screening for these issues? Probably none. How many know how to breed for proper temperament? Probably none.

To me, being a breeder is a highly respected hobby or profession. It represents someone special, making exceptionally good pets through scientific breeding principles. It doesn’t represent this kind of backyard breeder who knows nothing and who contributes to the misery of untold numbers of dogs and dog owners. I won't mention the names of these services here because I don't want to increase their popularity.

Retired Gwent Police Dog Doesn't Deserve Death

A police dog who saved his handler from an axe-wielding attacker has been put on death row at the end of his service, according to the handler's family.

Saxon, a five-year-old German Shepherd, protected Mike Townley, 47, many times during his time with Gwent Police.

But his licence has been withdrawn as he is now considered "unsafe". The last dog this happened to was destroyed. The Townleys want to keep Saxon as a pet.

This is a tragedy and should be fought against. An otherwise healthy dog, which has a responsible family that wants to adopt it, shouldn’t be put to death

To register your opposition to killing Saxon please e-mail the following policeauthority@gwent.pnn

How to contact Gwent Police A Division –
Newport Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Kevin Price Tel: 01633 244999 Police Headquarters Cardiff Road Newport NP9 2EH B Division –
Monmouthshire & Torfaen Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Paul Symes Tel: 01492 764711 Police Headquarters Glantorfaen Road Pontypool NP4 6YN C Division –
Caerphilly & Blaenau Gwent Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Alun Thomas Tel: 01495 223673 Police Headquarters Blackwood Road Pontllanfraith Blackwood NP2 2XA D Division –
(based at Police HQ) Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Ray Wise Tel: 01633 838111 “D” Division provides operational support to the territorial divisions through a range of specialisms thereby assisting them to realise their own objectives.

Tethering Dog Ownership?

Tie up your dog to any stationary object for more than three hours and you could go to jail if Senate Bill 1578 passes. The bill would make it an infraction or a misdemeanor to tether a dog for more than three hours a day.

This is in California... and being proposed by animal rights activists...

Have you noticed, all over the country, you see this same bill being proposed and passed? Dogs can’t be tethered longer than 3 hours a day…

Though I’m against tethering as a way of restraining an unsupervised dog, this is an organized animal rights campaign. I don’t feel good about it. Something stinks about this legislation, but I’m not sure why. I don’t know the larger agenda here, but something is afoot.

I do know that they are passing “standard of care” statutes in Europe, regulating pet owners to the point of mandating the minimum sizes of dog houses and kennels, types of food, hours of play time, etc. I think this is just another foot in the door to get these larger goals implemented.

Beware!

Sneaky Backdoor Ways Of Banning Dog Ownership

Chicago aldermen have cracked down on foie gras, public smoking, noisy street musicians and drivers yakking on cell phones.

Now they want to microchip Fido.

"Tags come off sometimes," said Patrick McNulty, director of the county's Department of Public Health, which oversees Animal Control. "If an animal is involved in a bite situation, we can identify it. But mostly, it's to return your animal to you."

Other new provisions include new licensing categories for grooming facilities, guard dog services and pet day-care facilities. Also included is a new ordinance that sets guidelines for tethering dogs, including setting a time limit of three hours and mandating access to food, water and shelter.

This is a sneaky effort by the city of Chicago to go after your dogs.

This won’t make people more responsible over their dogs, prevent dog bites, or do anything. It is just a way to track dog ownership and make more revenue for government to waste. It is just more government intrusion into our lives, to make it more difficult to own a dog, and to cut into the dog business.

This is all driven by animal rights activists. They are incrementally using the law to ban dog ownership.

Two Pit Fighting Dogs Die In Pontiac, Michigan

Fifteen people were arrested for dog fighting after police were called to a Summit Street garage early Monday.

Someone called police after seeing people sneaking into a garage at a home on the 100 block of Summit Street about 3:45 a.m., said Sgt. William Ware of the Pontiac (Michigan) Police Department.

"After the officers got there, the dogs would not stop fighting," Ware said.

The practice of dog fighting is prevalent in the city even though it is illegal. It is part of an underground culture and is notoriously difficult to track.

There are very few arrests or prosecutions for dog fighting because fights typically take place in the early morning hours in pits set up in basements, garages or abandoned houses.

In the practice, dogs fight until one dies or is so severely injured it cannot continue.

Ware said gambling is involved in many of the fights.

So, do you want to be involved in this kind of thing? Two dogs died, 15 people were arrested and will probably go to jail. What’s the point? Why be involved in this kind of butchery? A dog is a pet, worker, and protector. Why make a dog fight for its life for no reason other than to gamble for money and to see animals tear each other up? It is sick. You are sick, if you support this kind of barbarity.

Police Mistakes Cause Death Of Dog

A preliminary autopsy has revealed that a New Brunswick police dog died from strangulation over the weekend while out hunting for a man.

Hrain was on the hunt for the man, trying to sniff him out of the woods but then he got loose. It was while on the prowl without his handler, leash flailing behind him, that Hrain ran into trouble.

Here's the way I see what happened. This is both a serious handler error and a training failure. The dog went on attack without first being released from the leash. So, the dog could be strangled once it found the suspect. Also, the dog didn’t come back. I’m sure the handler called the dog back, but it didn’t return. This is a training failure.

So, you want a protection dog? Do you have any idea of how to deploy the dog? Do you have any idea of how to prevent accidents like this? Do you have any idea of how to train and control such a dog? No. I'm sure you don't. And if you don't, you could not only cause the death of your dog, you could be killed by the criminal, too.

PETA Butts In Where It Isn't Needed... Again

The People for the Efficient Termination of Animals (PETA) is complaining that George W. Bush is breaking the law by not forcing our military to accomodate people's pets in the evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.

While I seriously mourn for pets left behind after natural disasters and wars, sometimes there aren’t any good options and you just have to flee. Note after the Katrina Hurricane, volunteers are STILL trying to find homes for all the dogs. Some people never came back for their dogs, some who wanted their dogs have been reunited, and some will never see their pets again.

I think we do need provisions to allow people to evacuate with their pets in an emergency… however… these decisions have to be made in context with the saving of human lives. I would not want to see a single child, woman or man sacrificed for the life of any of these pets. I believe that the Red Cross, or similar organization, should be set up to evacuate pets. Fundraising could be done in advance for such emergencies, volunteers lined up, rules adopted, procedures put into operation, and pets reunited with their owners.

There is a full blown war going on in Lebanon. War is hell. Those that started and wanted this war are really to blame for the condition of pets being left behind, not President George W. Bush. In a war, pet volunteers would risk being kidnapped, tortured, beheaded, or murdered by the terrorists. Who is going to volunteer to do pet rescue work in a war zone, when you are also deemed to be the enemy? Do you really think that the Islamo-nazis care one bit about your pets or volunteers? In Iran, they have banned people from taking their dogs for walks in public, deeming such activities as being un-Islamic. Those pets are a sign of you being an infidel to these fanatics. You and your pets would just be target practice.

Have you watched the chemical weapons tests performed on pet dogs? I saw pictures in the media after we invaded Afghanistan of dogs who had been used for such horrifying experiments by Al-Qaeda.

We are in a fight about Western values vs. fanaticism. They banned dogs in Communist China during the Cultural Revolution because they represented a sign of wealth, and to squeeze more assets from the public to enrich their empire. The Islamo-nazis ban dogs because they believe dogs are unclean and represent an affront to their religion (even though dogs were NOT banned by Mohammed and are permitted by Islam... in fact they are mentioned and condoned for use in hunting in accepted Muslim texts).

This kind of campaign by the animal rights wackos is just another illustration of how dangerous they are to all of us. Their policies play directly into the hands of those who would turn us all into little Neville Chamberlains.

A war against dog ownership, wherever it occurs, is a war against mankind and nature.

Liposuction For Dogs?

Patch is believed to be the first dog in Australia to have undergone liposuction, an increasingly popular operation for overweight humans.

His problem was not obesity, but fatty tumours. One, on his left hind leg, was so large it was threatening to cripple him within months. "To see him degenerate was tearing at my heartstrings," Ms Williams said.

Amazing. Though you have to figure that this isn't a cure, just a treatment. Hopefully this dog is doing well and lives a long and happy life. With modern technology, we are on the verge of saving dogs that really should be put down. I have seen dogs that were too old and too sick to have treatments, but the owners did it anyway. The dogs still died and the treatments were painful and highly stressful for the dog, not to mention extremely costly. You have to use your judgment in these cases, and decide what is best for your dog, even if it means euthanasia, not what will make you avoid the pain of losing your pet.

QUIZ

What are the Top 10 Reasons Why Dogs Go to the Vet?

Go to www.DoggieNews.com to find out!

Are You Allergic To A Specific Dog Or Breed?

Many dogs are given away AFTER the owners find out they are allergic to their dogs. I recommend finding out if you are allergic to a particular dog BEFORE you bring it home to be your pet.

First, discuss your allergy with your doctor and only proceed with an evaluation with their advice and permission. One way to perform a test is to bring 3 or 4 bath towels with you when you first visit the breeder, shelter or rescue organization. Lay the towels around the dog or dogs you are interested in, and have the dogs lay around them for about an hour. You could even rub the dogs down with the towels. Put the towels into plastic bags and bring them home. At night, open the bag and take out the first towel. Roll up the first towel and place it at the head of your bed, above your pillow. Go to bed, then see how you feel the next day. After 2 days, bring out the second towel and repeat this test for 2 days. Repeat this with the third towel for another 2 days. If you have multiple family members, cut the towels into wide strips and make rolls for each person's bedroom pillow.

I figure if you are going to show an allergic reaction, this will provoke it. If you are SEVERELY ALLERGIC, you should NOT do this. People who are severely allergic to anything should be working with a qualified doctor, because a severe allergic reaction could be lethal.

You should NOT do this with children without the approval and direction of your family doctor!!! I'm NOT a doctor. Again... allergies can kill some people. But, if you got the dog, and left it in the room of your kid without first testing your kid's allergic reaction to the dog, then you could wake up to a dead child anyway... so I figure it is best to do a controlled test in cooperation with your doctor.

There is NOT a good excuse for not testing for allergic reactions BEFORE you get a dog.

Criminal Neglect

Faibish's son, Nicholas, was killed June 3, 2005, after his mother left him at home alone with the two pit bulls, Rex and Ella, while she went with her daughter on a school picnic. Ella was in heat, prompting Rex to behave in a more aggressive manner, according to both the prosecution and the defense.

Faibish instructed her son, who was diagnosed with receptive and expressive speech impairments and had refused to attend school that day, to stay in the basement, where she had left snacks and a television. She told police she had given him a shovel to prop the door closed and keep the pit bulls away.

When Faibish returned almost three hours later, she found her son dead in an upstairs bedroom, and her efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Because the boy died, she faces a felony child endangerment charges with a special enhancement, and if convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.

If this story is accurate, I would also have recommended this mother be charged with criminal neglect. First, if the story told here is true (and I never completely believe any story in the media… I’ve seen too many distortions over the years), then I figure a.) the mother clearly knew the kid wasn’t mentally competent to be left alone; b.) she didn’t trust the kid alone with the dogs, especially because the dog had bitten the kid earlier in the day; and c.) something made her concerned enough about the dogs for her to use a shovel to keep the dogs away from the boy. This really isn’t a pit bull story, this is about leaving a handicapped kid with unstable dogs… it is about criminal neglect of a child... did you read about the living conditions in the home? Also, who knows what went on with these dogs prior to this incident. It is very unusual, in my experience, for any dog to attack a family member without prior abuse, neglect, or bad training. Further, WHY WOULD YOU BE BREEDING DOGS THAT WEREN'T GOOD WITH KIDS? The female dog was in heat and left with a male... so, this makes me suspicious these dogs were going to be used for breeding purposes, don't you think? Remember what I always say about checking out breeders before you get a dog... you could end up with some kind of a freak dog. Read between the lines of this story... and I'm guessing a lot was going wrong here.

Enough, Already!

More drivers are taking along canine and feline friends as they head out on the road, enough that auto-insurance companies are finding that pet distractions have become nearly as big a traffic hazard as cellphone conversations.

Pets that are unrestrained in cars or trucks cause crashes when they take the drivers' attention away from the road, said Pat Elliott, spokeswoman for Allstate Insurance in Phoenix.

Statistically, the numbers of serious crashes are still small, but recent studies show about 1 percent of all auto accidents are directly caused by pet distractions, about equal to the number of crashes blamed on cellphones, Elliott said.

What is the deal here? One measly percent? This country is starting to be ruled by gangs of politically correct, weasely busybodies. LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE! You just can't regulate everything, or we'll become a dictatorship over time. Enough is enough. I'm fed up with those who want to turn the US into a Nanny State!

Pack Of Pet Wolf Hybrids Kill Owner

Humane agents warned a Westmoreland County woman it was only a matter of time before the wolf hybrids she kept as pets turned on her.

Authorities are trying to determine if the pets attacked and killed Sandra L. Piovesan, whose body was found mauled in the fenced pen where the hybrids were housed on her Salem Township property.

Lee Neslar, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, said keeping wolf hybrids in packs heightens the danger because each animal is constantly vying for dominance.

"She loved those wolves just like pets. She told me she was part American Indian, and she told me it was part of her ethnic background," said Brian Gallagher, a longtime friend who has a theory about what happened.

"They were all one pack ... including Sandra, who was considered the leader of the pack. I think one of them may have wanted to take over as leader of the pack," Gallagher said.

I’m not completely against owning wolf hybrids or even wild animals. The problem is that you are dealing with a wild animal, even if it is part domesticated dog, and you had better know what you are doing. This isn’t a game. You are dealing with the raw forces of nature, and those forces can get you injured or killed.

This is why we domesticated dogs. Domestication is a good thing. Domestication makes dogs useful companions and workers. Wild animals really aren’t good pets for almost anyone. If you have a wolf, coyote, or dingo hybrid, you really should have a better reason for owning one than because you are "part American Indian".

Family Dog Saves Toddler Playing On Roof

An unlikely hero helped keep a toddler safe in Southwest Philadelphia on Sunday as the family dog stepped in when the little boy tried to play on the roof.

Never underestimate the value of a good family dog. In this case, it was a German Shepherd Dog. This dog saved the life of this kid. Amazing that insurance companies are starting to not write homeowner’s insurance policies for this breed. Just shows how wacky this world has become.

Time To Ban Greyhound Gambling

A dog racing watchdog is to hold an inquiry into claims that thousands of animals are being shot dead every year.

The National Greyhound Racing Club has condemned the "euthanising" of healthy dogs and said putting them down should be a last resort, carried out by a vet.

A Sunday Times investigation claimed builders' merchant David Smith, of Seaham, County Durham, had shot and buried 10,000 dogs over 15 years.

This slaughter of thousands of otherwise healthy and adoptable dogs is why I am opposed to greyhound racing. I have no problem with people racing their dogs as a sport. It is good exercise and a mental challenge for the dogs, and for some breeds, speed and endurance are necessary aspects for their reason for being bred. But, the gambling industry isn’t good for the dogs, and it is terrible for us as dog owners. Gambling is a primary motivating force behind pit fighting, and it is the driving force for greyhound racing. Gambling in this instance isn’t for the good of the dog or breed, it is only for the gaming interests of people. I would bet that more dogs die each year as greyhound racing throwaways, than the number of dogs that die in pit fighting. Tell me... when was the last time you saw a greyhound puppy? You won't see one. The ones that don't show promise are put to death early on, the remainder go on to race and live in cages, and when they aren't winners any more, most are put to death. That is no life for a dog.

A dog is first and foremost a pet. Dogs are needed and useful in a multitude of ways. They can be used for companionship, protection, hunting, scent detection work, service dog work, etc. All good things. But, when they just become a commodity, such as turning them into human food, or for pit fighting or professional greyhound racing, then that denigrates all dogs and dog ownership. Such activities also stir up animal rights activists, who can then use these inhumane practices to force through laws that make it more and more impossible for legitimate owners to have or breed pet or working dogs.

I think that a ban on using dogs for greyhound gambling purposes would be justified since so many normal and healthy greyhounds are killed each year for no humane reason. We already ban gambling on pit fighting, so this would also be justified for many of the same reasons.

Should we then ban gambling on dog sled racing? I’m not sure. At this point, I’m not opposed to dog sled racing because I don’t believe that dogs are being bred and slaughtered en masse for the sport, and I believe that it could be said that such dogs are being tested to produce better sled dogs in the future that could provide use and companionship to humans. In addition, my research indicates sled dogs then go to live as pets at someone's home, not living in cages all year round. Greyhounds are never companions when they are still race dogs. They go from race to race in cages, and there isn’t much else in life for them. If the gambling aspect of greyhound racing was eliminated, then I would support greyhound racing events. But, the appalling number of dogs that are put down each year, and the fact that almost all live their entire lives in cages, because of gambling, makes me believe professional greyhound racing should be banned.

“My dog is too friendly with strangers. What can I do to make him into a guard dog? I want my dog to protect me.”

I figured it was about time to write an article about this topic.

The Risks Of Buying A Dog At A Pet Store

A day after she paid $900 for two Yorkshire terrier pups at a Utica pet shop, one went into seizures. The pup, named Jasper, spent the next four days attached to IVs at a vet's office and died in Moodie's arms within two hours of coming home

More than 3,500 puppies arrived at metro Detroit pet shops from out-of-state breeders and dealers in 2005, and more than 80% of those came from breeders and dealers that have been flagged by the USDA for violations.

How many times do people need to be told? ONLY BUY DOGS FROM REPUTABLE BREEDERS, OR ADOPT DOGS FROM REPUTABLE RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS!

Throw-Away Dogs

"Peanut," as the 1- to 2-year-old female (pit bull) is now known, was found zipped inside a baseball-equipment bag and thrown into the garbage…

I have seen article after article detailing this kind of crime over the past year. This business of “throwing away” pit bulls seems to be a trend. Why, I don’t know. But it is quite alarming.

Another Reason To Train Your Dog

When Tom Norman died last month, his five dogs weren’t just left without an owner. They were orphaned.

Nina, Opal, Otis, Skeet and Roseanne Roseannadanna, all Boxers, were like children to Norman, who never had any of his own, said long-time friend Nancy Stephens.

"These were his kids," Stephens said.

The dogs, all purebreds, are available for adoption through Morgan County’s Sav-A-Stray Foundation, where Stephens hopes the dogs she’s helped raise will find new families.

Here is a great example of why to look for a dog through a responsible rescue organization. You can get a great dog. Not all dogs in rescue were abused or have problems. Sometimes, the dog ends up in unfortunate circumstances and needs a new home.

By the way, this is also why I advocate obedience training for every dog. It is going to be much easier for a dog to find a new home if it is well behaved. You aren’t doing your dog any favor by not training it thoroughly. What if something happened to you? Would someone want your dog? Or would it be so unruly that the shelter or rescue organization would be forced to put your dog to death? Something to think about.

Dog Dies In Hot Car

Cary police have charged a woman with leaving a dog inside a 122-degree car.

I just don't get these kinds of stories. How can you leave a baby or a dog in a car and not know what is going on and what is happening? You see these types of stories every year. I always know what is going on with my dog at all times. I make sure I know. If I had a kid, I'd make sure I knew what was going on with that kid. Life isn't so busy you can't be a responsible parent or dog owner. There just isn't any good excuse in most of these cases.

Another Biased Pit Bull Hating Story

Personally, I don't blame the dog. Like pedophiles, they simply can't resist attacking what they see as weak, defenceless, easy or vulnerable. It's just the way they are -- bred that way by people who've done the breed a disservice.

Here is another pit bull hating story. This story isn't about science, it is about dog hating. Anyone can find, or make up, a bad story about anyone or anything. Doesn't make it true. Doesn't make the opinion worth listening to. And it certainly doesn't mean it should be the basis for making public policy and laws.

I don't see anywhere in this story where the author demonstrates an expertise in dog behavior. Just another cheap shot article from some columnist.

Man Pleads Guilty

A Rochester man today pleaded guilty to killing a dog by throwing it out a sixth-floor window of a Syracuse apartment building.

What kind of wacko would do this kind of thing? Usually substance abuse, most likely alcohol, was involved. In my experience, it usually is part of the abuse equation.

Stupid Breeding

A dog matchmaking event will be held in the city this month, giving lonely-heart hounds a shot at puppy love - and owners the opportunity to find the best breeding match for their pets, Shanghai Daily reported.

Hosted by www.gougou520.com , which calls itself China's first professional online pet matchmaking company, the event will gather 100 dog owners in Hongqiao area to find their pooch the perfect partner.

This is absolutely ridiculous and the worst possible way to breed dogs. Breeding is an art and a science, and it takes a whole lot more than this to produce healthy and well adjusted pups. This is not a sentimental game, folks. Foolish breeding wrecks dogs.