Blame Socialism. Ban Socialism.

Dog-fighting is becoming more common in Britain as youths use the animals to assert their status on housing estates... "The ownership of "status symbol" dogs by teenagers on inner-city estates -- low income neighborhoods that usually feature state housing schemes -- which are used for anti-social behavior or dog-fighting, is rising at an alarming rate," the RSPCA said. It added the use of dogs as weapons or as status symbols had become a "real problem". Youths were using the dogs to replace knives or guns to defend their territory.

Socialism harms people. Socialism is a plague on humanity. Socialism harms dogs.


My solutions?

• Make people responsible for taking care of themselves. The social safety net in these welfare states finances irresponsible living.
• Get rid of the public housing.
• Why don't these youths go looking for work? Because they are locked out of the workforce because of socialist employment policies and because it is easier for their parents to get money on the dole instead of working.
• Enforce truancy laws. These kids should be in school.
• Enforce laws that don't allow bums to be bums. Unemployment is always massively high in socialist countries, so these people have to find other ways to find importance in their lives and ways to make a buck.
• Legalize gun ownership. Criminals don't go flashing around their weapons when citizens are armed and ready to protect themselves and their neighborhoods.

I have said all along that dog fighting is a people problem, not a dog breed problem. At some point, the public is going to realize that. We didn't have these kinds of problems 50 years ago. Ask yourselves why that was. What is causing people to do these types of things?

More dog laws aren't going to stop people from doing these kinds of things. You have to get at the root of why people act in anti-social ways, and what you need to do in order to turn that around. When you go to school and have to work, you don't have time or the energy to do all these horrible things. I contend the most dangerous thing on the planet is a young man without a wife, education, and a job. We need to focus on things that encourage people to want to raise a family and be a contributing member of society. You don't do this by coddling them. Heck, you will even wreck a dog by coddling it. The best thing you can do for a kid is to put them in a stable home, keep them in school, and make sure they can find a job. Socialist policies do just the opposite. Note that the highest rates of unwed mothers is in our modern socialist countries, and in neighborhoods where socialist policies reign. And the highest unemployment and highest crime rates are in neighborhoods where socialist policies reign.

Just so you know, Barack Obama is a socialist. And he supports animal rights. What do you think that is going to mean for your right to own a dog if he is elected President?

This country and world needs moral leaders. Because of this, I have a variety of problems with Barack Obama's candidacy. Here we have an extremely charismatic, likable personality, with a reprehensible set of values. As a dog blogger, I'm particularly worried about what a pro-animal rights President would do. Right down the line, on every issue, Barack Obama is a hard core socialist. That is quite alarming. Add to that a group of radical followers, and we have the potential for a very damaging Presidency. I've been fighting against radical, anti-dog legislation and policies for a long time. I can't, in good conscience, see how any animal lover could vote for a Presidential candidate that was pro-animal rights. I don't care how likable this guy is, national animal rights legislation would be a disaster. And his support of animal rights just further fits within the radical picture that is developing of this guy. I wonder why no one has followed up with him on this issue. What kind of legislation would he pursue as President that would affect my dog? What kinds of judges would he appoint? And would an Obama Presidency almost kill all our efforts at preserving our rights to own and train our dogs, and take them in public places?

Our Declaration of Independence states what I believe was the founding principle of our country:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I can't support any candidate that doesn't believe in this. Socialists don't believe in this. They believe men aren't created equal, they don't believe in a Creator, they don't believe in a right to life, liberty, or your pursuit of happiness.

Here's how Barack Obama thinks:

“We can't drive our SUVs and, you know, eat as much as we want and keep our homes on, you know, 72 degrees at all times, whether we're living in the desert or we're living in the tundra, and then just expect every other country is going to say OK, you know, you guys go ahead keep on using 25 percent of the world's energy, even though you only account for 3 percent of the population, and we'll be fine. Don't worry about us.”

The implication is that we need laws to regulate what people eat, what they spend, where they live, and to conform with what other people think we should be doing. That's socialism. That's dangerous. It's not freedom. And it enables many evils in our lives.

And I don't know how anyone rational could vote for someone that was a socialist. I want leaders that are morally principled, not smooth talkers. I've tried and tried to find ways to like this very questionable candidate. But, everywhere I look, I see the mess that this guy is. His values are all wrong, wrapped up in a handsome and likable package.

I'm not giving up my freedom, and I'm not giving up my right to own a dog.

Neglect? Negligence? Or A Crime?

A mom who went grocery shopping while leaving her 7-week-old baby in a hot car with windows rolled up for 45 minutes was booked Saturday night on one count of child abuse, Phoenix police said. "The mother didn't seem concerned at all," said Erik Estrada, a witness. "She wasn't crying." Police said they are still trying to determine why Nichols left her daughter in the car. Nichols has two other children, ages 2 and 7, officers said. Sources told CBS 5 News she has been in trouble before for child neglect.

I wonder how many of these stories we will hear again this summer... child left in hot car, dog left in hot car, child drowns in pool, etc. We are seeing too many of these stories. It is starting to look like a pattern to me. It is starting to look purposeful. It is starting to look like copycat crimes that have a 50/50 chance of the perpetrators finding a way to murder their kids or kill their pets and get away with it.

I don't know about this specific case, because everyone should be presumed to be innocent until proven guilty... but, I'm suspecting something evil in many of these cases, where it is not just simply that people are in a rush and forgetting they left a child or pet unsupervised... that this kind of thing is purposeful and criminal in nature. I'm starting to believe that in most of these cases these parents and pet owners are mentally deranged in some way, and should be locked up or permanently kept away from kids and pets.

What are your thoughts?

Honda Dog!

Honda has discovered that people actually consider their dog's comfort when deciding which vehicle to purchase... It's about time!

Honda has sniffed out another growing demographic of potential car buyers in Japan: the dog-lover. Japan's No.2 automaker is looking to win points with canine fans using a website that offers information on dog-friendly cafes and hotels, dimensions for its cars' cargo space for stashing cages, a rating system that ranks seat fabric for ease of removing dog hair, and much more.

Go to www.honda.co.jp/dog to find out more

Puggle Training Tips

Buy the dog.

Take it to the vet.

Treat it like a dog.

Hire a good trainer.

Enjoy the dog.

It isn't rocket science folks. The problem is when people get a specialty breed, don't train it, treat it like a furry little person, and then start getting mad at the dog when it isn't living up to the fantasy that they envisioned before they got the dog. That's when reality overtakes the fantasy, the owners realize they never wanted a real dog, and then they often give the dog away or abuse it because they know nothing about how to fix the behavioral problems they instilled in the dog.

Dogs That Don't Bark A Lot

Dogs That Don't Bark A Lot

How do you find a dog that doesn't bark a lot? There are few things to consider.

Dogs that are more likely to bark will have one or more of the following traits:

a. Breeds. Most of the guarding and herding breeds are barkers. They were bred to be territorial and bark to warn off strangers. Herding breeds were also bred to bark to move herds of animals. Scent hounds were bred to bark and bay. Terriers were created to bark. Mastiffs were bred to bark. Most retrievers will bark. Pointers will bark. Almost all the little breeds bark... a lot. Spaniels bark. Setters bark. Bulldogs will bark. Nordic / spitz breeds will bark. In other words, dogs BARK!
b. Fearful: A fearful dog is much more likely to bark than a dog that isn't fearful. If you get a shy dog, then your dog is more likely to bark than if you had gotten a friendly dog.
c. High Drive: Dogs that have high desires for certain stimuli can more easily break out into barking when they are blocked from obtaining something they want, or when their particular drives are being stimulated. Thus, a dog that has a high desire to play fetch is more likely to bark than one that doesn't fetch. For example, a dog that likes to fetch will tend to bark if they can't get at the toy they have lost under the couch. Dogs that are more sociable are more likely to bark when you enter the door and they are seeking your greeting and attention and play. They will get excited about interacting with people. Dogs that have high prey drive, always on the hunt, are more likely to bark, whether they are baying hounds or barking terriers. Working dogs that want something to do are more likely to bark than couch potatoes. Dogs that are status seekers are also more likely to be barkers.
d. Talkative: Some dogs are just more noisy than other dogs. If you've ever owned a dog that tends to "talk", then you know what I mean.
e. "Reactive": Dogs that have very low thresholds for being stimulated, and who have very little ability to inhibit their behaviors, are more likely to bark. This is the type of dog that might be used as a "hearing ear" dog, for example. They will bark at the smallest sounds, and never can be taught to not bark. They never get used to, or habituate, to normal sounds in their environment. They often have exaggerated temperament traits, too, making them more difficult to own as pets.

If you are so concerned about getting a dog that barks, then maybe you shouldn't get a dog at all. Most dogs bark, and in some circumstances are more likely to bark than in others. It really isn't fair to put a dog in an environment that they will get in trouble for being themselves, and the only way to manage them is to crush them with harsh training methods. It also isn't right for us to medicate them, or use vocal surgery, or social isolation, or to enforce ridiculously strict anti-barking legislation to make them quiet. It isn't right to make a dog have a miserable life so you can have a peaceful one.

So, what are your options if you still want a dog that doesn't bark much? Look for a lazy, friendly, couch potato dog. Otherwise, rule out most dogs, regardless of the breed. Or, it just isn't the right time to get a dog.

Dog Bite Question

Q: Should I discipline my dog if it bites someone?

A: NO. It won't work, and you might just cause your dog to bite you, too. You will not prevent a future bite, either. Dog training, and behavior modification, is more complicated than this kind of simple, emotional reaction. You need to hire a good dog trainer.

Cosmetic Surgery For Pets?

DOGS having liposuction? Pups with testicle implants? How about porcelain veneers for your canine companion? It may sound barking mad, but cosmetic surgery for dogs is a very real and lucrative business.

Ridiculous. This is part and parcel of what is happening when we start to imagine animals as little furry people

Why can't a dog be a dog? What's wrong with that? And why would you let your dog become Miss Piggy?

Take The Keys!

A teen who stole a car from a grocery store parking lot also took a pet pug that was in the vehicle. Police said a 30-year-old Fond du Lac woman left the dog in her car when she went in the store about 11 p.m. Thursday, and she also left the keys inside and a window rolled down. When she returned the car was gone.

I have no problem with leaving dogs in cars when the weather is appropriately safe and the dog is safe from escaping... but... TAKE THE KEYS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE DOG ALONE!

Do people leave keys in their cars as a regular habit anymore?

In the old days, I remember being able to go and play with my best friend, Rusty, several houses away. I was 5 years old. Mom was out of sight. The neighborhood was safe. And that's the way we used to do things. Young adults today can't even imagine what it was like for me back then.

There was a Leave It To Beaver / Andy Griffith type of world back then for a lot of people. Nowadays, it is about bicycle helmets, not letting kids play with toy guns, not taking sugary snacks to school, no hugging your best friend, never letting your kids out of your sight, and on and on. Dogs have gotten the shaft, too. Leashes all the time, ridiculous barking laws, breed bans, height and weight restrictions in apartments, and on and on.

There was a better way back then, and a lot of people lived that way. Some didn't have it so easy, especially blacks and other minorities.

We just have to figure out how to get back to that place, but next time including everyone... and their dogs.

Stuff I Don't Understand

An assessment was ordered on Friday to determine if a man who admitted to repeatedly sexually abusing an eight-year-old girl and videotaping himself having sex with his dog should be declared a long-term offender or dangerous offender.

Why?

What causes people to be this way?

And is there any other choice but to lock someone up like this for the rest of their lives?

How Goofy Are You?

Want to know how goofy people are?

I received a recent inquiry from someone wanting to know if their dog was vicious. Their dog bit them after they hit their dog. Duh. It's an ANIMAL. It's not going to let you just hurt it and take it.

Then I get the people coming to my blog trying to find pit fighting dogs. Unfortunately, my blog doesn't encourage barbarism, and I hope they get a good slap upside the head when they find out I hate dog fighting, and think those that do it are morons.

Or the people who are too cheap to go to the vet, so they are surfing the internet for answers instead. Some stuff you need a doctor. Got it? You can't wait. You can't treat it yourself. Your dog is suffering or dying. Get to the vet NOW!

Or the lazy, but well meaning, people that believe all the hype some dog trainers tell them, without getting references to check out the claims. There are abusive trainers out there. I know of a couple of liars and nutcases that I wish would just go out of business today. There are so-called trainers out there that will fry dogs with electric collars. But, it's not my job to go after them. Let the law do it. Let the media do it. Let them hang themselves. I know this: what comes around, goes around. I have a number of past customers who have told me stories that I won't print here about trainers that charged them huge fees and got nothing meaningful in return. I know of one customer who spent $3,000 to have her dogs house trained. The trainer came for 2 hours and left them with a pamphet. It didn't work. Check out what I charge to house train your dog. Any trainer that claims they can give a complete and permanent solution to any and every dog problem, and train any dog to do anything, without you doing anything, is a liar. And any person who hires such a liar will come to regret what happens to their dog. Why, there are guys out there that will claim they can protection train any dog. Sorry, if it was that easy, then the police wouldn't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to obtain specially bred dogs.

And on and on.

Common sense isn't so common, I guess.

Dogs Do Prevent Crime

A family dog is being hailed a hero after it stopped an intruder from breaking into their Madison Heights home while two teenagers were home alone. Her dog ran to the intruder and cornered him behind the back door, preventing him from leaving.

There are legitimate reasons for a dog to attack. We should remember that when enacting laws. And we should ignore the dog haters who would ban dogs from our communities, parks, neighborhoods, apartment complexes, and so forth. And we should remember that when passing barking laws. Those barking dogs drive criminals away. I'd rather have some false alarms, hearing some neighborhood dogs bark from time to time, than have my home broken into, or a family member harmed, by some nutcase.

Slippery Slope

Another council has been caught using surveillance laws designed to combat organised criminals - this time to catch dog owners whose pets foul the grass. One MP accused the council of playing at "Dick Tracy" detectives. Brian Binley, Conservative MP for Northampton South, condemned his local borough council for employing the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa), which is intended for use "in the interests of national security", saying "some semblance of sanity" needed to be restored.

We trust public officials to maintain public order. We also pass laws for specific purposes. Laws, however, can be abused by overzealous prosecutors. Here's a good example of that. If anyone thinks that prosecutors don't have too much power, all you have to do is look at the Duke lacrosse players incident. When you abuse the law as a public official, you cause people to lose respect for authority. Do you really think that the people in North Korea respect the leaders? Or are they just intimidated by them? What comes around, goes around in this world. Elliot Spitzer comes to mind.

We pass anti-terror laws to protect us against terrorists. Do this kind of thing with the law, the public will demand the law be repealed, and then the real criminals will eventually kill someone.

All this, just to clean up some dog poop?

Reminds me of this...

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Wash Your Hands After Handling Dog Food

Contaminated dry dog food contributed to a Salmonella outbreak in 2007 that sickened at least 70 people in 19 states in 2006 and 2007, many of them babies, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.

A spate of Salmonella outbreaks in humans has been connected to handling pet treats such as pig ears or food snacks, pet vitamins, and raw-food diets. However, the CDC said the S Schwarzengrund outbreak is the first to be associated with dry pet food.

The CDC advises people to wash their hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds after handling dry pet food, treats, or supplements to avoid getting sick from contaminated pet food. It also advises keeping infants away from pet feeding areas and making sure young children don't touch or eat the items.

I didn't know that. I am definitely going to be more careful in the future.

Pet Insurance

Mike Pickard, head of pet insurance at esure, which commissioned the research, said: "Today's household pets are treated more like members of the family and this new attitude is reflected in the amount owners spend on their pet's lifestyle. "Despite this, many pets remain uninsured. Vets' fees can be very expensive and owners should bear in mind that, ultimately, their pet's health is more important than the latest dog accessories or expensive treats."

I used to be a skeptic of pet insurance, but no longer. I'm going to buy it for my next dog. I used to think that dogs were pretty healthy. Many people think that mixed bred dogs are healthier than purebred dogs. Wrong. Sorry. I've watched my customers have to spend just as much on their mutts as their prized show dogs. There is no documented study, to my knowledge, that proves that mutts are any healthier than pure breds. Thus, I'm sure this is another urban legend promoted by the animal rights wackos to destroy dog breeders.

OH, Canada! What Is Wrong With You?!

The Supreme Court of Canada on Friday ruled that random drug searches using police sniffer dogs are unlawful, citing constitutional protections from unreasonable search and seizure... a man was arrested at a Calgary bus depot in January 2002 by officers on the lookout for drug couriers after a black labrador named Chevy sniffed drugs in his luggage. A subsequent search of the man, who was approached at first because he stared suspiciously at police, found 17 ounces (482 grams) of cocaine in his bag and a small amount of heroine in his pocket. "The sniff in this case was an unreasonable search since the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) officer did not have grounds for reasonable suspicion at the time the dog was called."

Great. So, I assume, if the dog smelled bomb material instead of cocaine, and the man was at an airport instead of at the bus station, then the Canadian Supreme Court would have let the man onto the plane, let him blow himself up, and let possibly thousands of people die.

We are in a period not unlike that prior to WW II, where the people let themselves be led by pacifists in order to avoid the reality of the fact that the world was heading towards catastrophe. Leftists leaders have led nations like Canada into a moral paralysis not unlike what the world saw in the 1930's. People have forgotten history, and are therefore, doomed to repeat it. Look at the ignorant statements of Barack Obama, saying the US should talk to its enemies, in the same manner as FDR, Truman, and Kennedy did. HUH? Did FDR negotiate with Hitler? Did they sit down and have tea together to discuss how best to roast Jews in the Nazi ovens? Hmm... let's see. Nope. FDR went to war against those fanatics and sent 5 million of those arrogant, vicious, preening, goose stepping cultists to death. It was the only way. Didn't Truman drop 2 nuclear weapons on Japan because there was no way to negotiate with the fanatics in power there? Didn't Kennedy take the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile crisis? None of these three were pacifists, and none of them disarmed the Western world when facing down ruthless enemies. We are toying with the ideas of the past that led to calamity because we don't want to face the fact that this is a dangerous world.

If a police officer can identify something illegal going on in a public place using a dog, then the police officer should act. You don't have a reasonable right of privacy everywhere you go. In this case, it happened to be drugs that the dog smelled. Drugs are serious business. They KILL people. Ever read about what meth does to people's lives sometime? Or cocaine? It's not a game. It isn't like drinking a beer while you are barbecuing some hamburgers for the family picnic. And what if next time it was a bomb or a chemical weapon? Then whose civil rights are more important to everyone? The rights of the fanatic or the rights of the thousands of people the fanatic is intending on killing?

And so what if this is Canada, some might say. Let them do what they want there and we'll do what we want here. That's all fine and dandy until a group of these nutcases board planes in Canada and sets off bombs simultaneously in some other country and kills thousands of people. Don't think that is a reality? This same scenario was stopped last year, only the fanatics involved were going to come flying in from Europe into the US.

This ruling should be reversed by the Canadian legislature, and those judges should be chucked out of office, leaving with the same shame that will forever be attached to Neville Chamberlain. Good people should not sit idly by and let evil have it's way.

DMX Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charges

After a 7-month investigation, Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies arrested Earl Simmons, better known as rapper DMX, at his Cave Creek home early Friday morning on suspicion of misdemeanor animal cruelty and felony drug possession.

Deputies on Friday also confiscated marijuana that appeared to be packaged for sale, drug paraphernalia and weapons, according to a court document.

Read the article. A lot of dogs died in this case. DMX. What a stupid nickname. Now it is going to be ITLMV (In Trouble Like Michael Vick)... or something like that.

I think he's an idiot.

Dogs Are Not Playmates

“The grandmother said the teen was on the trampoline and could not get off because the dog was still trying to get him. Animal Control arrived and was able to subdue the dog,” he said.

“The teen told officers that he was playing with the dog when he decided to go inside the residence,” said Mitchell. “He ran toward the residence toward the back door when suddenly he was bitten on the leg by the dog and knocked to the ground. He had tried to get the dog off but that’s when the dog bit him on the head. He was finally able to break free but had to get on top of the trampoline where the dog couldn’t get to him.”

People just don't get the idea that dogs are not playmates. Dogs are dogs, and for some, if you treat them like playmates, you lose your authority with them and they will try to control you by force. There are ways to play with and enjoy dogs properly, and there are things that will get you in a heap of trouble with some dogs. I think the latter was going on here. Too bad the kid was bitten and too bad the dog will be put to death. That's why you should work with a dog trainer with every new dog you get. You'd be amazed at what stuff I see people do with their dogs that is unwise.

Negligence

A woman locked a dog in a bedroom until it died of starvation because she was "too knackered" to care for it.

Negligence is defined as: failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances.

Some negligence is civil, some is criminal...

Carlisle told the court: "I just couldn't hack it. I didn't have the time. I had to go to YMCA for a training course and had to get up early and sometimes I was knackered when I came back.

She was ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work, pay £250 costs and was banned for life from keeping animals.

Look, this person has got to be a total nutcase to do this kind of thing. This should have been treated as a criminal matter. We should arrest and jail people for intentionally starving helpless animals to death.

Rent A Dog?

Animal welfare organisations expressed concern about a rent-a-dog service introduced in Britain which allows busy people to own part-time pets.

If I wouldn't let some stranger walk off with my dog, then why would I set up a business where strangers could walk off with my dog? Crazy. People don't take care of things to the same level of care that they do with things that are their own.

Kids and Dogs... Another Bite That Could Have Been Prevented

Kids and Dogs... Another Bite That Could Have Been Prevented

A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl has been bitten on the ear and head by a long-haired labrador after she took away his bone on a country property in Victoria's north.

Was this a pit bull? No. Was this a Rottweiler? No. Just an average dog in an average town doing what dogs do.

Dogs and small kids SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UNSUPERVISED. This type of situation, where the kid takes the dog's bone is a sure fire way of triggering a bite. Small kids should not be messing with a dog's bone, and parents need to be aware of this and put the bones away when the dog and child are together. Similarly, kids need to be kept away from the dog's food bowl when the dog is eating.

Yes, I know you can do all kinds of training and socializing with dogs to try and prevent this kind of thing. But, you are still messing with nature and you are taking chances that you shouldn't be taking.

Watch dogs play sometime and see what the rules of the pack are. All the training in the world won't change the fact that dogs are dogs.

Off Leash Park Hazards

A greyhound was fatally injured in a collision with another dog at the off-leash park in Sequim.

I am sure there are a lot of unreported injuries at off leash parks. Some dogs and activities bring a lot of risk to some dogs. For example, some of the large breeds have a tendency to run and smash into the sides of other dogs, which can blow out the knee joint of the dog that was hit. I know a breeder who does not let her large breed dogs play at full speed together for this very reason. With smaller dogs, say under 70 lbs, this isn't typically a problem. They are more agile and usually have quicker reflexes. You just have to watch what is going on in such a situation and get your dog out of there if you see something that looks risky.

I am not opposed to off leash parks, just so you know... It is just that they are unregulated and managed by novices who might not see the risks before it is too late.

Communism... Doncha Love It?

Outraged that his Internet posting about dogs had been banned, Chen Yuhua wrote to the mayor of Beijing. No answer. He wrote to the city council. Still no answer. When all else failed, he consulted a lawyer, studied China's civil code and marched into court with a lawsuit... it was also a sign that, beneath the ever more prosperous surface, some of China's educated elite may be growing impatient with a one-party authoritarian system in which anonymous bureaucrats decide what movies, plays, novels or social commentaries are safe enough for public consumption. Chen's posting was an attack on the Beijing municipal government's regulations barring any dog over 14 inches high and restricting each family to only one dog. These rules are unreasonable and are enforced arbitrarily, he contended in his essay. "It is so funny that people may have a 35-centimeter-high dog but may not have a 36-centimeter-high dog," he said. Criticism of government policies and nonconformist political views, however, are not taken lightly in China.

China is a great nation, and I highly respect the Chinese people. Hopefully, they will throw off the chains of Communism soon. This is how silly it gets when you try to over-regulate people. We even see this kind of garbage here in the good ol' free US of A... proposed pit bull bans, stupid anti-barking laws, and on and on. No one likes a world run by a bunch of busybodies.

Case in point...

"Subject: Barking dog

Dear Sam,

Hello. Wondering if you have any ideas for the following situation? I have a neighbor behind my house, who happens to be a deputy sheriff who do not want my dog to bark AT ALL; and has nearly gotten me a MISDEMEANOR with potential jail time, because of my barking dog. I have a 5 year old dog who is mainly an in-doors pet. I adopted her from the dog pound 4 years ago. This dog barks when the door bell rings, when hears someone comes into the yard, loud noises etc) and has a rather loud bark. --I don't believe it barks excessively or constantly, nor any of my neighbors, except for the one deputy neighbor of mine. Who called the police to my home 7 times since I moved to the neighborhood, left nasty notes at my door, and ultimately landed me in court to face a poss. misdemeanor, which I fought and got dismissed. I've tried citronella sprays, shock collars, anti-bark devices, correcting the dog immediately when it barks etc. Despite all that an my best efforts to keep her quiet, the dog still barks (though not excessively) for the above reasons... What else is there to do?? I am at a point that I am about to take the dog back to the pound. My kids are in tears every day about it, and that is not really what I'd like to do, but this neighbor has managed to harass us constantly that we live in a continued stress and worrying that the dog may bark. I've heard about a surgery where the dog's vocal cords can be removed. Is that recommended in a case such as this?? And, what is involved with doing that?? I would appreciate your advice."

I'd do what this guy did in China... Maybe it will work here. Banning barking and making it criminal is no different than banning dogs. Dogs make noise, folks. Get used to it.

The Cause?

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- A Paulden man slit his dog's throat after complaining that the dog was staring at him, then assaulted the deputies trying to arrest him, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said.

Drugs? Mental Illness? Who knows what causes people to do things like this. I wonder how many pets suffer at the hands of people who are addicted or who need professional psychiatric help.

Dogknapping!

A Yorkshire terrier snatched from the arms of its 13-year-old owner in Hawthorne remains missing four days after the theft. Hayes' daughter was walking home with two friends about 3:30 p.m. Friday in the 4200 block of 116th Street when they were approached by a woman who asked to see the dog, named Lil-Man. Ishii said it is uncommon for dogs to be stolen right from an owner's arms; pet thieves usually take dogs from backyards. However, recently there have been a string of pet thefts in the Los Angeles area, including an incident last month at a La Mirada pet store.

Most crimes like this are to support a drug habit or some kind of organized crime related to drugs, is my guess. I wrestled for a long time over whether or not to legalize illegal drugs. After seeing what it does to to people, knowing of people who have died, and how it affects society, I am solidly convinced that illegal drugs should stay illegal.

I know that people can get into desperate straights in life. I know that young people can do dumb things to try and fit in, and abuse drugs and alcohol. And I have compassion for them. Yet, once hooked, they harm themselves and others. The greater compassion is to not enable them to further injure themselves or others.

(By the way, notice that dogs are increasingly being stolen in LA, and what filth happens there eventually moves out across the rest of the country. and mostly from back yards. Don't leave your dog unsupervised in the back yard, especially if it is a purebred or pit bull!)

What About Prong And Chain Collars?

Some things in dog training don't make sense to a novice. There are a lot of things like that in life.

Dog killer gets 30 days in jail

During the trial, jurors heard testimony of how one man held down the miniature Yorkshire terrier named Gizmo while Crawford got a running start and kicked the animal high in the air.

What kind of person do you have to be to do something purposeful like this?

Freak Accidents

Firefighters said a grease fire that left $50,000 in damage to a Topeka home erupted after a dog shut a woman out of the house while fish was frying on the stove.

Sound like something that can't happen to you? I know of a similar situation that happened to someone I know earlier this year.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Enjoy yourselves!

By the way: 1.) Keep holiday foods away from dogs. Much of it can kill a dog, especially fatty things like the turkey skin; 2.) Watch escape points from the house so your dog doesn't run away; 3.) Protect your dog from guests and your guests from your dog.

Can You Tell Me How This Makes Sense?

Can You Tell Me How This Makes Sense?

Woman gets a dog (pit bull) two days ago

Dog is left in the yard and it digs up the plants

Woman hits dog

Dog bites woman

Dog is taken by animal control and the dog is going to be put to death.

Why should it be OK for someone to hit a dog and then it not be OK for the dog to defend itself from someone that isn't its pack leader?

Kids And Dogs

Kids And Dogs

Follow me and see where I'm going... The first story is about a dog who attacked and killed a kid in Phoenix:

A family is grieving after learning their pet dog is responsible for mauling their four-year-old loved one to death. Sheriff's deputies say initially the dog nipped and grabbed at Tori's arm when she and her sister were alone in the backyard. The two girls were in the presence of three other dogs, including a pair of terriers that were staying at the home temporarily. When Rachelle went to get help from the nanny inside the home, the dog started grabbing a Tori's throat. A close family friend, Dani During, said she believes the dog got jealous of the two terriers that had been staying at the house.

During said that the dog seemed friendly and would jump on and lick visitors to the home. The family adopted the dog about a year ago. During contends the bulldog may have become jealous when he attacked because Tori was playing with other dogs the family was keeping temporarily.

Then here is the second story:

Police are still looking into what exactly happened in a Waukegan apartment early Sunday morning when a dachshund chewed off the genitals of a 4-month-old boy. The father of the boy told police he was visiting his girlfriend with his son when the infant fell asleep on a couch. The girlfriend had placed blankets around the child and the two went into another room to sleep. Police said the girlfriend’s dachshund may have smelled urine in the child’s diaper and began to chew away at the diaper. The dog continued to destroy the diaper until he mutilated and ingested the child’s genitals. The girlfriend awoke to the child screaming and immediately called 911.


First thing I notice, as a dog trainer, is that in both situations THE KIDS WERE LEFT ALONE WITH THE DOGS! Kids and dogs SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UNSUPERVISED WITH A DOG, EVER! I don't believe a child under 12 years old should be left alone with a dog. The whole social situation changes when the adults leave the area, and behaviors that would be inhibited by the presence of the adults are no longer restrained. The behavior of the kids changes when the adults aren't present, and they will do things they shouldn't do. The behavior of the dogs changes when the adults aren't present, too, and they will do things that they shouldn't do.

Second, I am especially concerned about the set up of the first story. In this situation, there were new dogs introduced into the home. That can, and probably did, set up a competitive situation. That is one reason why we don't let strangers enter into the daycare area at Paws To Play doggie daycare without our direct supervision. Even friendly dogs can do bad things when ignorant people do dumb things with them.

There is a way to enter a pack of dogs. First, you need to walk in calmly, allow the dogs to properly greet you, and then and only THEN should you consider giving any affection. Most people do it the other way around, and that can set up either a dog fight or someone being bitten. This little girl was apparently playing with the two terriers. Most people don't know how to read dog behavior in a situation like this, and don't realize that a fight is about to break out. Kids have a tendency to nurture dogs that are being picked on by bigger dogs, or to gravitate towards the vulnerable looking dog. Kids MUST be supervised, because you have to know how to approach and interact with dogs that have not formed a pack. This is also why you should never let your kid go unsupervised into a friend's backyard when dogs are present or into a leash free dog park.

I notice that in the first story, "the dog seemed friendly and would jump on and lick visitors to the home." Dogs that are jumping up on guests on greetings are more likely to engage in a dog fight when a competitive situation arises. Many people interpret jumping up and licking guests to be a friendly behavior set. Not always. It can be rude and often can be a clue something about the dog's status in the home. I recently entered the home of a potential customer, the dogs started jumping up on me, a bit too hard, the owner was telling me how friendly they were, I was starting to say how rude they were (and was about to tell him to separate the dogs), when a dog fight broke out. The jumping up on me wasn't friendly at all. I think it very possible that this kind of competitive situation happened with this little girl who was mauled to death. Spoiled dogs often are the rudest of dogs. I have written about them before. Spoiled dogs don't have proper leadership, and that can lead to a situation such as this. Spoiled kids can also trigger such an attack. I've offended a number of customers when I told them to modify how their kids interact with the dog. I lost a potentially good customer the other day for that very reason. Let's just hope that something tragic like this never happens in their family.

Third, if you read the stories, you'll find that the kid that was mauled to death was playing on a swing set. I have evaluated a handful of dogs that were overly stimulated by kids on swing sets, and would bite at them as they were swinging or when they got off the swing. I think swing sets stimulate a dog much the same way as swinging a rag around can stimulate some dogs. It frustrates them and frustration can lead to aggression. If you watch a protection dog trainer run around a dog, back and forth, to try and stimulate the dog to bite, then you'll see what I mean. I think that swing sets can do the same around some dogs.

Who knows? There could be alternate reasons why these horrible things happened to these kids. News reporting can oftentimes leave out important story details since reporters aren't dog behaviorists or trainers. They just tell the story that was told to them. But, I think my take on the story is probably the best explanation of what happened given what we know at this juncture. And now that the dogs are dead, and we aren't there to set up an evaluation, we will never know.

I will say this: If you get a dog, and you don't train it, enforce proper manners, supervise the dog when it is loose, and contain the dog when it can't be supervised, then you are asking for trouble. This is more than just getting some treats and going through a couple of classes at your local pet store. And if you have a kid: never leave the kid unsupervised with a dog, and teach the kids how to act around a dog. Don't let your kid be unmannerly around a dog, or you could be very sorry one day.

Puggles: I Told You So!

The appeal of the puggle is evident at first glance: A puggle puppy inherits a slightly less smushed-in face than its pug progenitor, framed by the floppy ears of the beagle parent. It is cuteness defined. But the puggle's downfall is not its appearance. It is its energy level. While pugs have been bred for centuries for companionship, they have a reputation for clownish stubbornness. This gets taken to NASCAR levels with the infusion of beagle blood. An unapologetic hunting dog, the beagle gives voice when he is excited, or frustrated, or bored, or basically just breathing. He laughs at your obedience-class enrollment forms, preferring instead to dig up the dahlia bed or bark nonstop. As a result, while a puggle is a delight to look at, he is a challenge to live with. The word that recurs in conversation with rescuers is "hyper."

Scroll through this blog and find the articles I have written on the Puggle, and then read the comments. Now, as I predicted, Puggles are starting to fill up the animal shelters. As I predicted, they would be hard to house train. As I predicted, they are a lot like a Beagle... on steroids. It has a long way to go before it should be considered a breed. And you have a lot of homework to do before you breed or buy one. If you already have a Puggle, hire a good professional and get to work. You still can have a great dog, but this is not a dog for novice or lazy dog owners.

Shopping Mall To Allow Dogs!

Gilbert's new open-air mall, the SanTan Village regional shopping center, allow shoppers to take their dogs shopping.

This is good stuff. Many dogs are suitable for such environments. My recommendations: making sure you require parent's permission before you let a kid pet your dog, that you don't use a retractable leash, that your dog is obedience trained and well mannered, that you pick up your dog's poop and mop up any pee accidents, don't let weirdos pet your dog, don't leave your dog unattended, don't let your dog be a nuisance for others, and don't take a dog that isn't good with everybody and every animal.

More Dog Meat Stories...

WINDHOEK, Namibia — Sixty-eight villagers in northern Namibia were hospitalized last week after eating a dog that had been killed by disease, the local daily The Namibian reported Wednesday. The paper said the dog's owner had killed it after it contracted an unknown skin disease and ordered it to be burned. Instead, the inhabitants of Oikokola village insisted on eating the meat, which was also shared with people from the nearby Onepandaulo village.

OK, I know I'm going to make some people angry about this... but some cultures are inferior to other cultures. I think Stone Age cultures are inferior to modern day cultures. The Aztecs engaged in ritual human sacrifice. The ancient Greeks endorsed sexual relationships between boys and adult men, which we would today consider the crime of pedophilia. We put Catholic priests in prison for that kind of thing today because we have come to know that young people below the age of consent should be protected from adults. The Romans arranged public spectacles of animals fighting animals, people fighting animals, and people fighting people to the death. We are putting Michael Vick in prison for this kind of thing because we know the horrors of engaging in blood sports. Well, as far as I'm concerned, we should no longer be eating dogs. Sorry, but we don't live in the Stone Age any more. I also feel that some modern cultures are barbaric: such as Nazi Germany and today's Iran and North Korea. Time to move on folks.

Mandatory Spay / Neuter?

Palm Beach County commissioners appear ready to adopt a mandatory countywide pet sterilization policy, tapping into an emotional issue that affects thousands of pet owners and has already drawn howls from some animal lovers.

This is just ridiculous. I hate people meddling in my life, whether it be friends, family, neighbors, employers or government. Doesn't the Constitution prohibit the "taking" of property? This is taking my property, the breeding rights I own when I purchase a dog. This is one reason I oppose the changing of dog "ownership" to dog "guardianship" in the law. If the dog is your property, then you can fight this on Constitutional grounds, and probably win.

IF you have this kind of thing happening in your area, contact some of the pro-dog activist groups listed on the sidebar of this blog. Some have legal funds and attorneys ready to fight against this kind of thing.

My Take On The Ellen DeGeneres Adoption Story

Should Ellen DeGeneres have been put through the meat grinder over her placement of her adopted dog with someone else? I really don't think so.

Most rescue people I've worked with aren't so rigid in how they place the dogs. They are typically volunteers whose main purpose is to find a good home for the dogs they rescue.

I think this thing with Ellen DeGeneres is more the exception than the rule. See: How common is Ellen's 'Iggygate' scenario?

And the fact is you have a lot of options when it comes to adoption. You can get the same type of dog, same breed, from a variety of organizations. So, if you don't like working with one group, switch to another. Some are super rigid, some aren't, in their philosophy on dog adoption.

Many are afraid of being sued if the dog injures someone... that is a lot of why the rules are so tight. No one talks about that, but it is a fact. Rescue is full of armchair lawyers who see risk and lawsuits behind everything. They are so afraid of complaints that they do stupid things with the dogs, and over-regulate the adoption process. Further, many become little political kingdoms where personalities use rules and procedures to make themselves feel important, to the detriment of the dogs and the other people involved. That is why rescue groups form and fall apart every year. Money is wasted, goodwill of donors and rescue volunteers is wasted, dogs are needlessly put down because of stupid policies, and good homes are eliminated from consideration for irrational reasons.

Postscript: So, Ellen... don't get a dog without reading and abiding by the rules of the rescue organizations you go to. You blew it, and you brought some of this on yourself. A contract is a contract is a contract. To Rescue Groups: maybe it is time to organize an advisory group and adopt a model adoption contract, dog evaluation procedures, group liability insurance protections, and organizational bylaws. You could get professional lawyers to help you draft up the agreement and look at your bylaws and policies, vets and dog trainers to help with evaluation procedures, and so on. AKC... it is time to get involved in this.

Hat Tip to DoggieNews.com for staying on this story.

Dog Meat Recipes

You'd be surprised how many mentally deranged people go to this blog looking for dog meat recipes.

Look folks: YOU ARE CRAZY IF YOU THINK IT IS OK TO EAT A DOG! You are mentally disordered. You are psychologically deranged. You are neurotic. You don't need dog meat, you need medication. You need to be put in a secure facility with padded rooms and guards. Go get help. Check yourself into a mental ward. You need a check up from the neck up. You have a distorted sense of reality and society, and you are a danger to yourself and others.

Ever studied serial killers? About a third of them start out by killing pets. I don't care if you are from another country, or that eating dog meat is a part of your culture. Some cultures eat humans, too. Is that OK, too, just because it is part of their culture? If you can eat a dog, then you have serious problems.

Clinton Photo Op Pets

AS THE “first pet” of the Clinton era, Socks, the White House cat, allowed “chilly” Hillary Clinton to show a caring, maternal side as well as bringing joy to her daughter Chelsea. So where is Socks today? Once the presidency was over, there was no room for Socks any more. After years of loyal service at the White House, the black and white cat was dumped on Betty Currie, Bill Clinton’s personal secretary, who also had an embarrassing clean-up role in the saga of his relationship with the intern Monica Lewinsky.

This does not surprise me. It was reported back in the Clinton presidency that they got Buddy the Labrador Retriever to soften Bill Clinton's image. After he was out of office, they didn't need Buddy any more. So, Buddy, exiled to living at one of their homes, forgotten and unsupervised, ran into the street and was killed by a car. These people have no shame. It was well known that the Clinton presidency was run by polling numbers not principle. Whatever the numbers showed made the decisions, not principle, not affection, not even what was legal or moral. And here again, we see the same phenomenon. They are more concerned about how this cat story will affect Hillary's run for office than asking how the cat is doing. They want to "soften" Hillary's image, not ask what is good for the cat. They want her to win, they don't care about the cat. In other words, we are being fed an image, not the real person running for office. And that sickens me.

Their incompetency and corruption led to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade towers, allowed the Chinese to obtain secret missile and nuclear weapon technology ("The financial sleaze that dominated the final Clinton years is also making a comeback. After Norman Hsu, one of Clinton’s biggest campaign “bundlers”, was exposed as a fraud, it emerged last week that waiters, dishwashers and street pedlars in New York’s Chinatown have been handing over $1,000 and $2,000 sums to her campaign – some with genuine pride, others because they were ordered to do so by neighbourhood bosses."), stalled the country for years because Bill couldn't keep it in his pants, and opened the door for the Clinton's to amass more power by selling Presidential pardons at the end of their second term in office. The People's Republic of China is funneling money into the Clinton campaign again. Think on that one.

Pet owners know what this is all about: "Flanagan’s article, headed No Girlfriend of Mine, points out that Clinton wrote a crowd-pleasing book Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids’ Letters to the First Pets, in which she claimed that only with the arrival of Socks and his “toy mouse” did the White House “become a home”."

We are being used again. It is hypocrisy.

This is typical Clinton politics. Why anyone would put such people in office is beyond me.

When Dog Fleas Attack!

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Four officers investigating a burglary were attacked, not by a fleeing burglar, but a swarm of fleas in a filth-ridden vacant house. The tiny, biting attackers were so overwhelming that the South Bend patrolmen had to be decontaminated and ended up being sent home early from their shifts. Stokes said the house's tenants had recently been evicted, but returned periodically to feed a dog tied up in the backyard and allowed it to run around inside the garbage-filled house.

Fleas are bad enough. But, when they infest a place, they can be horrible. The first time I encountered fleas was in 1986. I had gotten my first dog, Kate, and had taken her to Marymoor Park's off leash area in Redmond, WA. My pup had gotten a greeting from a particularly scruffy black dog, I didn't feel good about it, so I left the area. Sure enough, when I got home, I found fleas on her. I bathed her and figured that was the end of it. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Fleas had buried themselves in my car on the way home. It took a long time to get rid of those fleas.

I figure that the fleas you encounter at off leash parks are the military type. They've fought man wars with many other fleas, been in combat with any number of dog owners, survived all mankind's WMD's, and have a variety of medals on their chests for their doggie conquests. I dipped and sprayed Kate. I gave her white pills that were a kind of internal insecticide (an early version of insecticides like FrontLine that are absorbed into the dog's body, and supposedly kill the fleas that bite the dog). I sprayed my yard. I bombed the house with foggers I purchased from my veterinarian. I tried herbal remedies (which were pretty much worthless). And they still kept coming. It took months and repeated treatments to kill them off. Even then, they would get inside the walls, stay dormant for months, and come out if there was any humidity or wetness to re-activate their eggs. Kate became sensitized to their bites, and then, for the rest of her life, she'd get some large, ugly looking, blood red, wet sores on her tummy after she'd been bitten. Sometimes that was the first clue we had a flea somewhere. Since all this happened in the mid-1980's, I figure that maybe these were survivors of Saddam's WMD attacks against Iran. These blood suckers were nasty. They could survive anything.

And they bit me, too! Until then, I didn't realize that fleas would bite people. They gave me some pretty itchy welts that took days to go away. I later found out from real estate agents that they would sometimes encounter hungry fleas in vacant homes for sale. They'd get bitten pretty badly. Old timers know to recommend to sellers that own dogs to bomb / fog their homes if they are going to be left vacant during the sales process. Nothing like a flea infestation to kill a sale.

The nice thing about moving to Arizona is that there aren't fleas here. Wrong climate. Instead, we get ticks. Sigh. Ticks. Seems that monsoon season, from about July through August, is tick season, with the high humidity being the factor that causes them to grow and spread. Ticks aren't so bad as fleas, however they carry tick borne diseases that can kill a dog. I know someone who lost their Akita a couple of years ago to a tick borne disease. The good news is that it seems that the insecticides seem to be more effective in dealing with, and preventing, ticks. You just have to be diligent in spraying your yard and home, and treating your dog with a topical insecticide and/or dip.

Dog Training Update

AN elderly man died after his dog panicked and dragged him into the path of an oncoming express train in Melbourne's east.

While dog training can't prevent a dog from panicking, it can teach you a lot about your dog. Over time, I get to know all my dogs through training. As I push them to learn more and more, and to obey in distracting environments, I learn their strengths and limitations.

Further, there are some safety tips you can use when managing a dog. The first is how to hold the leash. NEVER wrap the leash around your hand or wrist. The loop in the leash is for your thumb. The loop helps you grip the leash and prevent it from coming out of your hand. The loop is also a "quick release", because if you have to let go, you can just by opening your hand.

When hiking, for example, I never wrap the leash around my wrist and hand. You could be walking along some cliffs or a deep ravine, your dog could slip or could jump at a squirrel, and you'd fall a long way down to your death. Same thing here. If you are near a very busy traffic location, you don't want the leash wrapped around your wrist and hand. Your dog could panic and drag you into traffic.

Now, I don't know how this man was holding his dog, what kind of leash he had, anything about the dog, nor anything about the training the dog had. But, experience tells me to question the manner in which the leash was being held.

You Mean The Clicker Training Didn't Work?

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Canary Islands - A killer whale at a marine park hit its trainer and dragged her underwater repeatedly until it finally freed the woman with a badly bruised chest and a broken arm, park officials said yesterday.

We keep hearing over and over again, from the clicker training fanatics, that clicker trainers who train sea mammals are superior trainers and know more about behavior. Well, then we shouldn't keep hearing about how sea mammals attack their trainers, right? But, we do. Why is that? If this method is so magical, then we shouldn't be seeing aggression towards anyone or any animal. Do a bit of research and you'll see that these types of incidents have happened before, and in some cases, the animals were aggressive in their attacks. Also notice that the trainers were never able to command the animals to stop attacking, they instead had to wait until the attack was over. Same with the zoo animals being clicker trained.

And, notice in the story that the killer whale only let go when it wanted to let go. Why couldn't the trainer just command the animal to stop? Because there are limitations to clicker training, and it isn't the panacea we are all being sold. That's true in the dolphin / killer whale / sea urchin world, it is true in the zoo world, and it's true in the dog world, too.

Can We Assume... ?

Although the use of Tasers by law enforcement officials has been linked to some highly publicized deaths nationwide, the devices are safe and cause a low occurrence of serious injuries, according to a nationwide study. In the full review of nearly 1,000 cases, 99.7 percent of people subjected to a Taser had mild injuries, such as scrapes and bruises, or no injuries at all, the study found. Only three subjects (0.3 percent) suffered injuries severe enough to need hospitalization.

So, you use a shock device strong enough to bring a man to his knees, and the device is "safe". The injuries sustained are not a direct use of the Taser, but injuries that are concurrent and incidental to the use of the device. In other words, the Taser might bring the man to his knees, but the bruises he got were from falling on his knees, not from the stimulation of the device. If that is the case, and that is what this study seems to indicate, then can't we assume that a properly used electric collar on a dog, or an electric hidden fencing system, is also safe for use? In other words, can't we assume proper use of an electric collar or other such electrical device won't cause a medical problem for a dog?

I have three levels for determining whether a training method or technique is humane. I think the first level of determining whether something is abusive is determining whether there is a reasonable likelihood the method would cause injury or health problem or disease, needing medical care to the dog or family. If injury is known to be the result, then the method shouldn't be used.

Second, and more subjective, is whether it is psychologically harmful. I feel that the methods we use should tend to make the dog and handler work according to the ideals of what an obedience trained dog should look like in competition. I would say that any method that would not tend to cause a dog, in the long run, to perform according to the obedience rules of AKC or Schutzhund should be ruled out. Those rules generally state that the dog should perform precisely and willingly, and the handler should not have to be harsh with the dog. Our focus on the ideal performance of a dog should dictate the methods we use. You can’t get this kind of ideal performance by abusing a dog in training. According to the AKC obedience regulations: “This “perfect picture” must comply with these Regulations and shall combine the utmost in willingness, enjoyment and precision on the part of the dog with naturalness, gentleness and smoothness on the part of the handler. Speed alone does not necessarily indicate willingness and enjoyment. Lack of willingness and enjoyment on the part of the dog must be penalized, as must lack of precision in the dog’s performance. Roughness in handling, military precision or harsh commands by the handler must also be penalized.”

Should a dog be locked in a cage 24 hours of every day as a method of preventing dog bites? Would this tend to make the dog behave according to this ideal picture? No, it wouldn't. Should a dog be so confined by electronic devices in the home and yard that the dog lives in a maze? No. Should a dog be subjected to 24 hours of non-stop training? (I know I’m putting out crazy examples, but you get the idea). No. We should eliminate methods that are psychologically harmful. Methods that wouldn't tend to cause the dog to obey according to the picture given by the AKC should be avoided or eliminated from your training toolbox.

Third, is a quality of life evaluation, which is even more subjective. Let's assume we are talking health instead of behavior. If a dog is miserable because of a debilitating disease, and there is no way of alleviating the dog's misery, I have no problem recommending euthanasia. It is in pain all the time. So, let's consider a behavioral situation that is so bad that the dog that just can’t be a dog without implementing a specified training method, and would have to live in a cage all the time to be safe in the home. Then, I’d try the method if that is the only solution left. On the other hand, if the training method is so harsh that it makes the dog scream, run and hide under a bed, never wanting to come out again, then I’d start asking other trainers for advice or not take the case, and refer them to someone else who I might feel could address the problem better. And if all that failed, and the dog's continued existence is going to be flat out miserable, then I'd consider recommending euthanasia.

Electric training devices, such as electric collars and hidden fencing systems aren't inhumane, provided they are used by people who know how to properly use them. On the other hand, they aren't the only training tool you should try. Traditional training incorporates a myriad of methods, both positive and correctional, for addressing a variety of training and behavioral situations.

One last piece of advice. Hire a professional before you consider using an electric training device. Have someone show you the proper, humane way to use them.

Dog Attacks

I have been observing dog attack trends for quite a while, and have come up with a theory.

I believe a number of dog attacks within the home, on children, is the result of spoiling the home dogs. When you "spoil" a dog, you are raising the status of the dog relative to the humans in the home, and that can result in aggression.

Spoiling means to overindulge, give excessive and unwarranted praise, and to coddle. Often one or the other, or both, parents put no rules or limits on the dog's behavior. The initial result is a more insecure dog. The dog isn't made to deal with life as a normal dog, so they never adapt to the normal stresses of life. Later, those normal stresses, when not monitored by the owners, cause the dog to be more likely to bite out of fear or defensive aggression. Further, you see the dog starting to become overattached to one spouse, and then interpose itself between family members, oftentimes growling when the spouse or child comes to hug or approach the other spouse, and you see the dog starting to growl when you pet the dog when the dog doesn't want petting. The dog is also allowed to become overly territorial, because the dog isn't made to leave guests and strangers alone. Further, rough housing with the dog is permitted, allowing the dog to play bite the people in the home, giving the dog permission to put its teeth on family members, reducing the dog's inhibition to bite later on. Lastly, there is resistance in the family, among one or more of the adults to training, supervising, containing, and managing the dog. Oftentimes, one family member coddles the dog and won't correct the dog for misbehavior.

Further, there is the training issue. I have seen more and more bite cases as a result of people trying to implement "purely positive" training methods on their dogs. Dogs need positives in the training. Absolutely! I use treats, toys, games, petting, praise and all kinds of affection with all the dogs I work with. On the other hand, there are also rules, enforcement of rules, expectations regarding manners, consistency regarding the training and rules, and corrections when necessary. I don't let the dogs get spoiled because they must be mannerly, and thus, the dogs are less likely to bite. I have a very hard time explaining to some dog owners that their pampering approach is the cause of the dog being so fearful and being so dangerous.

What About Prong And Chain Collars?

There are a number of popular myths, from people who don’t know the first thing concerning training a dog, about metal collars, such as prong and chain collars. Let’s just get into a bit of that right now.

Puppy Mills

Many of you don't know what a puppy mill is. Click on this article and read it through. This is why you should do your homework before buying a dog. If you don't know how to buy a dog from a breeder, or how to adopt a dog from a shelter, I have an article at my web page describing what to look for. See www.SamTheDogTrainer.com

Man Drags Pit Bull To Death Behind S.U.V.

An Indiana man angry that his pit bull had killed his Chihuahua dragged the pit bull to death behind an S.U.V., police said.

No, this isn't another story about O. J. Simpson... but it wouldn't surprise me if it was.

PUGGLE UPDATE

I have been hearing reports of a number of aggressive Puggles (Pug / Beagle mix). This is what I warned everyone about. Puggles are much like Beagles, and you need to work with a good dog trainer at the start when you get one. Spoiling will make a Puggle into a biter. Spoiling means you don't treat the dog like a dog, you don't train it, lead it, or manage it. You give inappropriate attention to bratty behaviors, and you give the dog the impression that it can discipline people and other animals, and that it can do whatever it wants. Rough treatment will also cause a Puggle to be a biter. They are going to be a bit tougher to house train. Novice dog owners use rough methods in their house training, and a Puggle is going to fight back eventually to these types of tactics. C'mon, folks. That is why you should get professional help in house training. Another reason your Puggle might be attacking people or other animals is a lack of socialization. Your dog can't be well adjusted if your dog is isolated from social interaction. Dogs are social animals, and isolation perverts their emotional growth.

Let’s Talk About Electric Collars

Are you considering getting an electric collar, or hiring a trainer that uses electric collars in their training program? Well, this is the article for you.

City To Ban Dog Barking

MOUNT DORA, FL - The city may put a leash on frequent dog-barking. Under a proposed change in Mount Dora's noise ordinance, dogs won't be able to just keep barking and barking, creating a disturbance in a neighborhood. Mount Dora already prohibits dogs from barking for five minutes at a time. But under the revised ordinance, even if dogs bark for less than five minutes, their owners can be cited by the city if the dog barks for three periods in 24 hours.

What a bunch of wackos. I have written about dog haters before. This law effectively bans dog ownership. Almost all dogs vocalize every day in some manner, often by barking. So, those of you who fight against breed specific legislation should get on this one as well, because instead of a specific breed ban, this is a general breed ban.

I think you should let your opinions be known to these city officials. The city web page can be found by clicking HERE. City Council - All Council members may be reached through the City Manager's office at City Hall at (352) 735-7126. To e-mail all of the Council members at one time, please click here. To e-mail a single Council member, please click on the appropriate name below.

James Yatsuk, Mayor

Melissa DeMarco, At-Large

James Homich, At-Large

Stewart Holley, District 1

Robert Thielhelm, Sr., District 2

Judy Smathers, District 3

Michael Tedder, District 4

Give them a piece of your mind. And if you have suggestions on a better law, then send that their way, too. And if you are a visitor to this town, then maybe you should take your business elsewhere.

Microchips Cause Cancer? I'd Like A Bit More Information

A series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had "induced" malignant tumors in some lab mice and rats. "The transponders were the cause of the tumors," said Keith Johnson, a retired toxicologic pathologist, explaining in a phone interview the findings of a 1996 study he led at the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich. "We stand by our implantable products which have been approved by the FDA and/or other U.S. regulatory authorities," Scott Silverman, VeriChip Corp. chairman and chief executive officer, said in a written response to AP questions. The company was "not aware of any studies that have resulted in malignant tumors in laboratory rats, mice and certainly not dogs or cats," but he added that millions of domestic pets have been implanted with microchips, without reports of significant problems.

• A 1998 study in Ridgefield, Conn., of 177 mice reported cancer incidence to be slightly higher than 10 percent
• A 2006 study in France detected tumors in 4.1 percent of 1,260 microchipped mice.
• In 1997, a study in Germany found cancers in 1 percent of 4,279 chipped mice. The tumors "are clearly due to the implanted microchips"

This is quite alarming. Saying you are "not aware of any studies" isn't the same thing as saying that they don't increase the risk of cancer. I think there is enough circumstantial evidence to warrant some concern. Time for a study on pets to determine the actual risk, eh?