Pupdate - Long Weekend ends soon

Hey everyone -- just thought I'd post a quick update. As you all noticed, I took this weekend as a long weekend. We have three new fosters (two cats and a dog) that arrived within the last week and we're a bit overwhelmed right now with that PLUS the family commitments of "the season". Finding time to blog in the last few days has been nearly impossible since my extra time has been filled with

Training Rant - Holidays are Stressful!

This is going to be a short post ... I hope. I just wanted to post a reminder that though we may love our dogs, there is a possibility that your Aunt (etc.) who is coming to visit doesn't or perhaps she likes your dog but your dog doesn't like her. It is a fact of life. Please remember that the holidays are a very stressful time for your dog.



You have changed your routine and redecorated the

You Can Help - Spare Shelter Dogs From the Winter Chill

Here's a neat idea that was posted on a blog "Help Spare Shelter Dogs From The Winter Chill"... taking old sweaters and making them into dog sweaters. This particular group of people decided to make these dog sweaters for all the dogs at their local shelter being held in outdoor runs! Pretty neat, eh?

NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!This was something the shelter had not thought of doing ...

Featured Rescue - Coco the Rottweiler

I've known many Rottweilers and I laugh to myself when people tell me they are afraid of them. Most I've met are big teddy bears once you get to know them. Unfortunately, they are generally aloof and often display body language that make people uncomfortable.



Since we had a Rottweiler in the video yesterday, I thought I'd feature one today for our rescue. This is Coco. She is 8 months old, is

News Reel - A Dogs Unending Loyalty

Here is a great video for the holidays. It is an older news story, but is quite inspiring. Note - it has a happy ending. Check it out! You do have to wait for the advertisement to finish before the video starts.




Watch CBS News Videos Online

Featured Rescue - Sampson the Affenpinscher

Today's featured rescue is inspired by the recent Guess The Breed post. Sampson is an 8 month old Affenpinscher. He was removed from a puppy mill (DDF IN ... not sure of the circumstances on that one). He's a cute little guy, don't you think?The rescue Sampson is staying with does have a specific limit on where they will adopt to (which is unfortunate). Their cachement area is "OHIO, KENTUCKY,

Shelter Pets - Nobody Knows

I found this video when I was flipping through YouTube. I watched it. I would like you to watch it and tell me what you think.















Why do I do this? Why do I watch these videos with sad footage or pictures?? WHY? Why do I keep telling you all to "read this" or "watch that"? I tell you to sit through the whole thing ... why??






I cried when I read His Name Is Sam and when I watched

Guess The Breed #14

I just came back from a visit to the pound to see a dog that is in one of those "it gets fostered or PTS" situations. I hate those types of calls ... as you all know, I've been taking some time with my latest addition and wanted to get her settled before bringing in any new Canids. I'll keep you posted ...



It's been so long since I posted a Guess The Breed, I thought we were due. I love these

Featured Rescue Followups November

I'm so glad that the video yesterday worked properly! It's so exciting ... and a little funny. I'm a computer technician and up until yesterday didn't even know how to embed a video into a blog ... but I can fix your computer in 10 seconds flat! Ok, maybe it takes a bit longer, but you get my gist.



My posts "Guess The Breed" have fallen by the wayside. I apologise for those who really enjoy

The Shelter Pet Project PSA

Well I've never Embedded a video into my blog before so here's hoping this works ... I would like to share with you all a YouTube video from The Shelter Pet Project. I hope you all enjoy it. I did.




Take some time over this upcoming Howliday Season and volunteer with your local shelter or rescue. They need help, and at this time of year, their normal volunteers may be too busy with family

A Shelter Dog's Christmas Poem

I haven't seen many festive posts out there ... not sure why. Last year the blogs were brimming with them. I didn't post this last year, but I have decided to post it this year. Why? I don't know. Maybe because there are so many blogs that aren't posting these this year. Please note that I don't mean to choose one Religion over another (since it does say "Christmas"), but that I want to ensure

Featured Rescue - Juliet the German Shepherd Dog

Today's Featured Rescue is Juliet. She is a German Shepherd Dog. She is estimated to be 10 - 12 months old, is very shy and has not had good experiences with other dogs (her time at the shelter was not very good).
Juliet is located in Fairport, NY with BrightStar German Shepherd Rescue. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14509763

Holiday Guest Blogger Special

Ok, so I would like to put out an offer to all bloggers out there. I am looking for "Guest Bloggers" who will write a review on gifts they have given their dogs (toys, bones, treats, beds, jackets, etc). I want to know what you bought, if you thought it was worth what you paid for it, and if your dog used it / enjoyed it (or not).



If you write this, I will publish it here on my blog. I would

News Reel - Pets Don't Make Good Christmas Gifts

News flash!

Pets don’t make good Christmas gifts: SPCA

Thursday, December 10th, 2009 10:00 am By Holly MiyasakiWhile giving a pet as a gift for Christmas seems like a win-win situation, it’s actually not and is frowned upon by the SPCA.


“We need forever homes, not weekend homes for the animals,” says Jim Inglis, the Kelowna SPCA’s branch manager.



“What happens is that people start

CL - Note to the Dogs

I thought this was so cute! It has been too dour around here lately so I thought I'd do a few light-hearted posts. Some of the things below aren't precisely the way I treat my dogs, but I am able to find humour in this all the same. I hope you can enjoy it for what it is.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------





Note to the dogs

Dear Dogs of Mine,

Featured Rescue - Otis the Bassett Hound

This is Otis. He is 7 years young and looking for a new home he can live in forever. He is reportedly gentle, friendly and well behaved. He walks well on leash and is eager to please.


Otis was an owner surrender as his previous owner moved somewhere that they don't take pets. She tried to get her parents to take Otis, but they were not able to keep him either. Otis is currently being kept in

Poisonous Foods for Dogs

I thought I should publish a short list of poisonous foods that you should not feed your dog. During the Holiday Season, which is fast approaching, you might want to ensure your guests don't feed your dog and kill it with kindness. Please take some time to check it out. If you know of a food that was missed in the list and would like to add to it, please leave a comment.



Alcoholic beverages ~

News Reel - THS

Today's bit of advice ... Beware the snake in the grass. To the left is a picture of one of our dogs taken while we were out gallivanting through the fields. Can you see the snake?






Here's a closer picture (to the right) in case you can't make it out ... It is a bit more clear and should be easier to see. Please take a few minutes to check out the latest news results from the ongoing

Entrecard Top Droppers

The following are the top Entrecard droppers from the last 31 days. I will be writing a post in the next week or so that includes the most frequent Commenters.




Dropper
The Way I See It
AsTheCrackerheadCrumbles
CAP News
Music Asia
The One Minute Guide
Funky Town Disco Music
All about Babies and Kids
BetterSpines
Robot Armageddon
Photojournalist !

CL - Letters to a Dog

I read this and couldn't help but post it. It's another gem I saw on CL and thought I'd share.



PLEASE if you get a dog for your children, let them experience the entire process. Teach them that they are responsible for a life. Teach them commitment. Let them experience an incredible bond. They may be too young to understand, but you are not. Our shelters are too full and a lot of these animals

Featured Rescue - Chester the Labrador Retriever

Today's featured rescue is a Labrador Retriever mix, but I really like the look of the guy so had to post him. Chester is estimated to be 2 years old. He does require some obedience training per the ad ... don't they all??


http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14588353
If you're looking for a Labrador Retriever, I encourage you to go visit your local shelter or rescue and adopt

Training - Expectations and Moon Cycles

Do you ever have days where you just want to roll over and go back to sleep? I don't mean the days where it's hard to get up, but rather the days that you can't shake that feeling all day long. Today is just such a day for me. I will have to keep my head low at work ... usually days like this are days where I really shouldn't talk to people. I run out of tact and shoot from the hip. I completely

Featured Rescue - Gator the Yellow Labrador Retriever

I have found that there are more Labrador Retriever dogs out there looking for homes than any other breed. Good Grief! There are over 20,000 Labradors looking for homes right now on Petfinder. (And people think I'm cruel when I suggest an abortive spay for an "oops, we didn't know she could get pregnant")



Today's featured rescue is Gator. He is 3 years old and reportedly quite gentle. His

Lost a good friend this weekend

I had planned some great posts for yesterday and today, but I couldn't bring myself to write them. One of our good friends lost their dog suddenly this weekend. It was very hard. No one really knows what happened. She was doing well that morning, then her body began to shut down. She died on Saturday November 28, 2009 at 11:40 pm.


She was his Chosen One. She was a favourite with the

Featured Rescue - Barney the Bichon Frise

Today's featured rescue is Barney the Bichon Frise. He is 3 years old and located in Mentor, OH.


Barney has a fair amount of energy (what Bichon doesn't?) and needs daily exercise to keep him happy (again, what dog doesn't?). From the sounds of it, Barney will need a bit of work, but I'm sure he will turn out to be a great addition to the right home.

News Reel - Charges at THS

Well this is about time. I'm sorry but the Toronto Humane Society has been doing some awful things and getting away with it for far too long. I won't get into a rant ... though you know I have TONS to say! Its. Just. Wrong. I did blog about the investigation when it began so if you want to read the original news stories published by the Globe and Mail, feel free to check it out.



For the full

Featured Rescue Followups October

For those of my readers in the US ... Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your Turkey Day is great, your meal moist, your company pleasant and your long weekend wonderful!!





In the meantime, here are the Featured Rescue Followups for October. We have a fair amount of Featured Rescues that have found forever homes. Whenever a listing is removed I assume the dog has been adopted. I understand this is

Featured Rescue - Ms. Angela Sweethe the Chihuahua

There are 9,989 Chihuahua dogs listed for adoption on Petfinder.com. That's a lot of dogs! They range from all ages - puppies to seniors. The personalities of the dogs listed are just as varied as their ages.
This gal is named Ms. Angela Sweethe. I wonder if they adopt more dogs out by naming them in this fashion? If anyone ever finds a study done on dog names and how it affects rates of

Dogs Deserve Freedom - The Shelter Pet Project

"According to The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, of the eight million pets that enter animal shelters and rescue groups every year, approximately three million of these healthy and treatable pets are euthanized due to a lack of adoption."



Good Grief. It's heartbreaking when you see the actual number of animals that go in and out of shelters and rescue groups each year .

News Reel - Coyote fears grow

Ok - so I'm way behind in reading the news. I don't often find time to check out the papers but today I made some. I have come to the conclusion that sometimes you just have to make the time because it's never going to fall in your lap. There will never be enough time to do everything so pick the things you do want to do and do them! Anyway, here's the article I stumbled upon this morning. It is

Post Exchange - Happy Tails Books Update

As you know by my previous post about Happy Tails Books, this is a publishing project that was designed partially as a fundraiser for dog rescues. Kyla reports that with a little boost over the holidays they are aiming to donate $4000 to the 34 rescue groups who contributed to the success of the books.


I think this is a pretty neat idea, so I said I would post their PSA. See below.



Are you

Featured Rescue - Sam the Schnauzer

Today's Featured Rescue is inspired by my posts from the last two days.



His name is Sam.




Sam is an adult dog who hasn't had the easiest go yet, but the rescue where he is being kept is trying their best to find him a comfortable home. Sam, or Sammy as he has come to be known in rescue, will need a bit of training and some behavioural work from the sounds of it, but don't let that deter

His Name is Sam ... Part 2

And now ... the conclusion you have all been waiting for to His Name Is Sam!




-----------------------------------------------------------------------



"His Name Is Sam" Part 2


I read the sign on the door. "Euthanasia Area." "Do you want to see one?" he asked. Before I could decline, he interjected, "You really should. You can't tell the whole story unless you experience the end." I

His Name is Sam ... Part 1

I ran across this and thought it holds a VERY important message. I found it while I was parusing through a forum. I have decided to publish it in two parts though because it is so long and I have to edit it as I go (I only have so much time!). It was posted in the forum in two parts and I will keep to that format here. I hope you take the time to read both.


-------------------------------------

Ontario Private Bill to Repeal BSL

I read this on the Dog Legislation Council of Canada (DLCC) website. Turn's out an MPP is putting forth a private bill to repeal the breed part out of the Dog Owner's Liability Act (DOLA). I do not agree with BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) and have blogged about both sides of the argument in the past. I feel that there are better ways to manage a DOLA and keep the general public safe however I

Guess the Breed #13

Well, this is a good week for 13, eh?? Friday the 13th ... Guess The Breed #13 ... just keeps going and going. Like bunnies.



I tried to find a picture with 13 in it, but I think there are only 9 here ... right? Did I miss any?







Anyway ... what do you think this one is? Ready? Set? GO!



As always, remember the rules ...

1. No bashing other peoples' opinions.
2. Post your opinion!
3.

Friday the 13th ... yet another excuse

Every day people blame either me or their computers for things. Such is the life of a computer technician. I've had people scream at me. Yell at me. Threaten me. Follow me to my truck. I accept this. It's my day job. Much of the time they could fix the problems themselves if they just sat down and tried. But most don't want to try. It's easier just to have someone else do it for them. It's also

Featured Rescue - Alley the Labrador Retriever

It's been a while since I posted a Labrador as a Featured Rescue so I thought I'd have one today. There are 20,532 Labradors currently looking for new homes in North America. HOLY JUMPIN'! That number does not include the dogs in municipal pounds that get euthanized after a few days. It is only the ones listed in rescues by those interested in posting on Petfinder.




This is Alley. She is 10

Best of CL - Evolution of a Pet AD

There are so many great posts lately on CL! Check out the below post. Very interesting ... I love it!! A great reminder to read through the fine print.



Evolution of a pet adDate: 2009-07-31, 3:16PM CDT


Week 1: Ad #1
Purebread Yorkie puppies for sale 6 weeks old 3 girls @ $450 2 boys @ $400!! Parents on site! Hurry these won't last!!!



Week 2: Ad #2
Purebred Yorkie puppies for rehoming -

News Reel - Police dog attack on child

This news article is a bit old ... I had originally read it when it was first published and had bookmarked it on my computer with all the good intentions of posting it to my blog. Then I forgot. Yep. That's right. I forgot. It happens. I try to remember everything, but sometimes my brain gets too full and things fall out. I'm posting it now. That means that this one didn't fall out -it was simply

Asshat Rant - Parks, Leashes and Night Walks

OK. It's been a while since I published a Rant. That's not because I haven't had much to say but mostly because I've just been too busy to formulate my frustrations into comprehensive and meaningful words. Mostly I had something revolving around my head that goes like this:





"ARGH! Dumbass. Asshat. Dog. Owners. Rehome. Baggies. Pick it up! Hypocrit. Toys. Walk. EXERCISE! Tired Dog. Good Dog.

Guess the Breed #12

I like this picture but I have no idea why. I think it is because of the stance ... I'm not really sure why I like it. Whatever the reason, I thought it would be a good one to use for today's Guess The Breed.



There are 3 of these dogs living in my area, which is how I became familiar with the breed. Can you guess rightly?



Ready? Set? GO!



Please remember the golden rules ...


1. No

CL Post - Imperfect Pet Owner Seeks Perfect Adopter

I found this on the Best of CraigsList page and thought I'd share. Yes, it's a bit negative ... but getting rid of a pet really shouldn't be a joyous occasion ... at least, I don't think it should be. This isn't really written in the tone that I normally write, but hey ... I didn't write it. I thought it was an interesting take on the pet re-homing subject. Please take a few minutes to read it.

October top droppers

To share some appreciation to my Entrecard regulars, I have been trying to remember to do a blog entry each month that lists my top droppers. Below are my top droppers for October from Entrecard.


BetterSpines
Funky Town Disco Music
CAP News
AsTheCrackerheadCrumbles
BeadedTail
Best travel pictures in the world
Traders' Hub
Sader's Pet Pix
So far, so good
The One Minute Guide

Featured Rescue Followups September

Today is a day for updates! I haven't been around for a while to do any blog posts, Entrecard drops or Adgitize clicks ... been busy with life. This weekend was my last big commitment (4 days) and I am now able to focus.


Here are the Featured Rescue Followups for September - which I realized that I didn't post back in October. While some have been adopted, many more are waiting for their

Featured Rescue - Roxy the Redbone Coonhound

Yesterday I featured the Bavarian Mountain Hound on my Guess the Breed post. Unfortunately, after a bit of searching, I was unable to come up with a rescue that actually listed any available dogs. There are rescues out there, but the ones I found don't actively advertise their available dogs on the internet (which is a good thing). Anyway, to make a long story short, I decided to feature a

Guess The Breed # 11

Alright ladies and gents ... it's been a while since I posted and for that I apologize. In light of this, I think I found a nice, difficult Guess The Breed for you all. I hope this one makes you think hard!



Can you guess the breed? I'm hoping this one makes you think!



Ready? Set? GO!



Please remember the golden rules ...

1. No bashing other peoples' opinions. (Friendly banter only.)
2.

Post Exchange - Happy Tails Books

The publisher for Happy Tails Books, Kyla Duffy, emailed me and asked if I would spread the word about a new series.




Happy Tails Books give proud owners of adopted dogs a chance to showcase them, raise awareness about dog adoption and breed characteristics, and generate funding for dog rescue through the donation of a portion of each sale. “Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspirational Stories of Adopted

Email - Until one has loved an animal

I got this in my email. I enjoyed it and thought I'd share ...-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened'

If I Didn't Have a Dog... Or Cat......I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated. All flat surfaces, clothing,

Featured Rescue - Junie B the Pit Bull Terrier

There are currently over 12,000 dogs listed as Pit Bull Terrier on Petfinder.com. Most are looking for homes. It's no secret that this is a breed that is more difficult to find homes for than others. It is a breed that has been surrounded with controversy and rumours for years. Regardless of the truth, I doubt that will change any time soon. There are many advocacy groups that try to educate the

News Reel - Pit Bull Group: Vick Declines

Every time I run across another Vick story I shake my head. There's a country song that reminds me of Mike Vick by Brad Paisley called "Celebrity" (in fact, it reminds me of a lot of "celebrities" but that's beside the point). Here are a few lines from the song:


"I'll get community service no matter which law I break
I'll make the supermarket tabloids, they'll write some awful stuff
But the

Guess the Breed #10

I found this gorgeous picture and thought I HAD to share! Isn't he lovely?




Here are your hints ... He is purebred. This is posted from a breeder's website (I will link the picture to the site after you've all had the opportunity to guess the breed). The dogs owned by this breeder have won Best Of Breed in some shows (no, I'm not telling you which shows - that would be cheating!).




Can you

Featured Rescue - Blade the Doberman Pinscher

The majority of Doberman Pinschers that I have met have been calm and laid back. I have found that even the untrained ones I have run across are pretty calm under it all; just excitable when in an environment that is different.




Today's featured rescue is Blade who is a laid back 9 year old guy. He is a courtesy post from a shelter. I Googled the phone number and it is the Hamilton/Burlington

Post Exchange - Hallowe'en Dog Stencils

This is TOO COOL!


You love dogs, right? Most of us love Hallowe'en (come on ... CANDY! You can't tell me it doesn't bring back memories of stuffed pillow-cases!)


Check this out ... Better Homes and Gardens is featuring Halloween pumpkin carving stencils, including Dog Breed stencils! Your house could be the envy of all the dog lover's on the block! While going through their slideshow, I saw

Training Rant - Jumping and Kneeing

Ok ... this is DRIVING ME CRAZY! We all know how annoying it is when a dog jumps on you; many of us are even aware of the dangers that it can present. Yes, it sucks; but it takes time to re-train a dog if they've been rewarded for behaviours.


I ran into the following problem around a week ago when I took my newest dog out in public ... the jumping is something we are working on, but we can't

Featured Rescue - Dakota the Chow Chow

In honour of Phoenix's passing I am going to feature a Chow Chow for the featured rescue today. There are currently 2,558 Chow Chows available for adoption on Petfinder.com, however I can't post them all.


This is Dakota. He is estimated to be 3.5 years old. He came in with a female Chow, but she has already been adopted. If you are interested in this guy, he is located in Bradford, PA.http://

Final Phoenix Update

Today I am posting the final update for Phoenix, the Chow. To see my previous posts about Phoenix, read them in order to get the full story's events:


News Reel - Neglected Dog Found
Monthly Followup August
Phoenix the Chow Update
Monthly Followup - September


Here is the update about Phoenix from the Humane Society of Durham Region:


October 5, 2009

On October 2, 2009 Phoenix passed

Training Rant - Plan B

In my last post I mentioned that I have started working with some of the dogs in my area. I was approached by a vet who has watched what I've done with some of the foster dogs I've had go through. He asked if I would be willing to work with some of the dogs brought in for behavioural euths.


The first question I had for him is ... why would you need me? Aren't there other trainers in the area

Monthly Followup - September

Monthly Followup

It's October! Did you know that October is American Humane's Adopt a Shelter Dog Month? Read up on it! Learn about it. Never say "I didn't know" because the ones suffering for your ignorance are both you and the dogs.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phoenix Update

From The Humane Society Of Durham Region:
"September 14, 2009

Guess the Breed #9

Yikes! I can't believe we've already had 8 Guess the Breed dogs so far! It seems so new. Anyway, this is the last picture that Calsidyrose of We Don't Rent Puppies sent me. If anyone else would like to send me some pics, feel free!







Here is GTB Dog #9. He looks like a cutie. He's a senior dog. What do you think?


Just in case anyone forgets, the golden rules are as follows:

1. Don't bash

News Reel - Cat Police

Ok, this is a bit off topic, but I enjoyed reading it so I thought I would share. I do have a cat related blog, but I don't have time to update both this one and that ... I may take up the torch again sometime, but not right now.



So without further ado, here is an OT article about cats Municipal cat police taking things a bit too fur. This creeps me out.

DogsDeserveFreedom - Economics, Dogs and Volunteering

The economic state of the world sucks. Plain and simple. Some prices have gone up, some have gone down and most people don't want to spend money because they are afraid they may not have a job in another month.


I was going to start this blog entry with some wordy paragraph, blah blah blah, but I'm not good at that stuff. There are a great many other bloggers out there who have some wonderful

Featured Rescue - Black Labrador Retriever

Well I haven't posted all weekend ... I haven't even done any Entrecard drops all weekend either! I apologize, but things have been hectic around here. Why does that seem to be the norm lately? Anyway, there was a big humane society function this weekend that kept me hopping as well as a new dog that has come to live with us (a perma-dog this time). I have a lot of topics boiling around in my

High Kill Shelters

Yep, you read that right. High Kill Shelters. They are out there. This is not new news. I'm not going to start ranting about it though; that could go on for hours!



There are many shelters out there that euthanize hundreds of animals per week. Many function as Canine or Animal Control. I know of a few High Kill Shelters in Ontario. Hamilton has one. Many of the smaller communities have one but

Guess the Breed #8

Today's Guess the Breed was again brought to us thanks to Calsidyrose, author of We Don't Rent Puppies. This little girl is around 9 months old. She is a shelter dog - can you guess her breed?? As always, here are the rules ... 1. No bashing other peoples' opinions. (Friendly banter only.)2. Post your opinion!3. Have fun!

Featured Rescue - Sherman the Bassett Hound

I ran across this guy on Petfinder and again have to wonder why rescues use such dreadful names. Statistics show that cute names adopt out faster than names like "Sherman". I asked the same question about that Border Collie named "Eubie".





This guy is 10 years old. Being a senior, he is already going to have a tough time finding a new home, let alone the fact that his eyes don't produce tears

Followup GTB

Thought I'd do my followup for the Guess the Breed that have been posted. I will do future followup on the posts themselves at the bottom, but for today I figured I'd put all the ones we've done so far in one post.


I was going to do this post yesterday but ended up spending a lot of time playing telephone tag ... someone left two 7 month old pups at a vet clinic. They were dropped off for their

Guess the Breed #7

Today's Guess the Breed is a purebred dog. I have a few other pics that are mixed breeds. I thought I should give some a challenge that is a bit more black and white.Is this one more difficult than the Briard? I hope so ... As always, remember the golden rules to playing this game ... 1. No bashing other peoples' opinions. (Friendly banter only.)
2. Post your opinion!
3. Have fun! Tomorrow I

Training Rant - Table Manners

Well we've had way too many raindrops and lollipops around here lately. This is because I’ve been stewing about some things but haven’t yet been able to put them out into well formed sentences – let alone well developed posts! I imagine you all don't want to see a post full of me sputtering unintelligibly. The amount of drafts labelled “Rant” in my blogger account is staggering. So, I figured I’d

Guess the Breed #6

Today's Guess the Breed has been brought to you by Calsidyrose, author of We Don't Rent Puppies . She generously offered some pictures of shelter dogs for us to guess at! Very nice of her, eh? If you have time, go check out her blog. It's always an interesting read.


This guy is estimated to be around one year old.
Please post your guesses in the comments section, but remember the rules!1. No

Featured Rescue - Lucinda the Boxer

It's been a while since I posted a Boxer up on the Featured Rescue. There are over 6000 Boxers available for adoption on Petfinder! Yikes. I just love the energy these dogs have!






This is Lucinda. She is about a year old and is already looking for her next home.






http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14575026

Featured Rescue Followups August

Well, we have good news for some of the dogs I've featured. While some have been adopted, many more are waiting for their forever home. I encourage everyone to spay and neuter their dogs that are not breeding material. There are too many unwanted dogs out there.
Rafe and Redman the Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Status: NOT Adopted
Featured on January 12, 2009
Follow link here to see blog entry
Rodesian

Guess the Breed #5

How was your weekend? We had play dates all weekend so we were pretty doggie-centric! Went to the dog park on Friday, then we had people come over with different dogs both Saturday and Sunday. My guys were so tired last night, they kept falling asleep wherever they lay down. A tired dog is a good dog.


Today's Guess the Breed is brought to you by mytwh - this is one of her dogs, Ziggy. She said

Dear Dog, Best Regards

I found this online and after I had finished reading it I laughed! (I say after because in the first paragraph I was somewhat cranked!) I just had to share it with you. It has nothing to do with training, but it's Sunday and I have to get moving on some chores around here. You can do some wonderful things with Photoshop nowadays. Here goes ...


---------------------------------------------------

Phoenix the Chow Update

So I'm a few days late on this ... but I figured I'd post it anyway. The Humane Society of Durham Region has posted an update about Phoenix the Chow. I have pasted their update below. Things are looking up for Phoenix. I'm happy for him. I wish him a comfortable life ... regardless of its length.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 9, 2009

CL Rant - Great Dog Part 2

After posting yesterday the rant about the "Great Dog" who needs to find a new home because of the new baby, I started thinking about an email that I received a while back. I know this isn't new and you all may have read it before, but I think of it each and every time I see an ad where someone needs to get rid of their dog or cat because of the arrival of a new baby.


I'm sorry if you've

Asshat Rant - Great Dog

I found this little gem while I was checking out the Craigslist posts this morning. I'm having some troubles with my CS4 and uploading to Blogger so I've had to copy and paste below the text from the ad. I have italicised the ad and make my comments in RED.


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for adoption:Great Dog to a Great Home

Now

Guess the Breed #4

Ok, I hope this one's not too easy for all of you! I've been looking around for the right dog to use for this GTB and I think I found one.


I have heard of this breed a few times, but there aren't any around town here that I know of. I did get to meet a few earlier in the summer ... but I won't tell you where until after you've done your guesses because it might give the answer away!

So, Guess

Tips - Vacationing with Your Dog

I hope you all have been having a great time this weekend. It's a long weekend and like many other people, we are away for a few days. I am seeing a lot of dogs in the hotel this weekend.


I wanted to post some quick, point form tips for you and your dogs to remember when vacationing with your dogs.


- Don't keep your dog on an extenda-leash when in the lobby ... it is a real pain in theass to

Post Exchange - Dogs Hate Michael Vick

Ok, I had to share this site. I originally found it when I was checking my drops inbox on Entrecard. If nothing else, Entrecard has let me to a few different neat blogs that I wouldn't have found otherwise! I just wish there was enough time in the day to read them all AND get my work done!


It's not really something I would normally pass on through this blog, but it made me laugh so much looking

Featured Rescue - Zeta the Belgian Malinois

There are 208 Belgian Malinois available today on Petfinder. This is a really neat, multipurpose breed. A friend of mine had a Malinois as one of their many junkyard dogs when we were growing up (they owned a scrapyard and always had five or six dogs). Of all their dogs, the Malinois was always the most interesting one to watch. She thought things through ... you could see her watching and

When You Get a Dog ...

Perusing through CL always gives me ideas (some aren't very nice) and makes me want to bang my head on the closest hard surface in frustration. I see dog owners getting rid of their dogs after they tire of them (or are unable to train them) all the time. Unlike most people out there, I foster some of them and you know what?


I watch those dogs go through the saddest time of their life and the

Milestone ... 300 posts

This is my 300th post!





Yikes. How crazy is that, eh? Who knew that I had so much to say? Ok, maybe my husband ... and maybe my coworkers ... and maybe the rest of my family ... and maybe everyone else around me ...





Ok. Ok. I get it. I talk a lot. I have a lot to say. Sorry. Sometimes I get so busy ranting that I go off on a tangent ... it's just because I have so much to say that it

Monthly Followup August

Monthly Followup


Is it September already? Good grief! Where did the summer go? Did it miss us? Anyway, I'll try to recap and followup this month as best I can ...



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Dog Owner Fined


Per the News Reel - Ontario Dog Owner Fined, an Ontario woman has been fined $14,000 after being found guilty of libelling a

To Whomever Gets My Dog

I got this in an email first thing this morning and I wanted to share it with you. Remember - every dog at the shelter had a home before getting there. They had a family. It's hard for them too - not just you. Sorry it's a super long one - but it's worth the read.


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They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie

DogsDeserveFreedom - Allergies Part 1

I believe Dogs Deserve Freedom, but what does that mean?


I've covered this topic a fair amount and generally my posts revolve around training. But what happens when a dog's health affects her freedom? I thought I would share our experiences with allergies and how they negatively affected our dog. For those of you with allergy-ridden dogs, this will probably sound pretty familiar.


(Disclaimer

News Reel - Dog tries in vain to save its owner

Thought I'd share this one. It was emailed to me.


Dog tries in vain to save its owner

The Golden Retriever was found trying to tug its owner out of the water. When passersby found the retriever and tried to lead him to shore, he didn't want to leave his owner.

He is currently being cared for by the Oakville Humane Society as requested by the family ...

You know, stories like this always

Featured Rescue - Lady the Greyhound

Thought I'd post a sighthound today. There are currently 2233 Greyhounds listed on Petfinder.com. Greyhounds typically have a short racing career, usually retiring by the age of five years, and since their life expectancy is between 12 to 15 years, there are almost always adult dogs looking for adoption into loving homes.

This is Lady. She was a racing dog in Ohio but has since retired. Here's

Training Tools - Harness

How often have we seen dogs wearing this sort of apparatus? A harness. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I went to the dog park this week and saw FOUR dogs wearing one of these! FOUR! And guess what?? They were all small dogs ... one puggle, one pug, one JRT/beagle mix and one beagle.

Most people I know get the harness because their dog pulls which causes it to cough. The people don't want

Guess the Breed #3

Ok folks ... cue the irritating and corny music! Time for another round of Guess the Breed!




This is a purebred dog. The picture I pulled from a breeder's website ... I'll let you know where if you guess correctly!


I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with this breed ... I hope it's a mind-boggler!




Do you know it? Guess the Breed ...


Please remember the Golden Rules to these posts

Asshat Rant - Cyclist

So I'm at the dog park the other day walking with my dogs. I had met up with a friend who had brought her three and we were walking with around four stranger dogs. That brought our total of off-leash-crazy-dogs to nine. A healthy number, not too high nor is it insignificant.


So we're walking along socializing (both us and the dogs) when the dogs suddenly go all weird. Some of them start pacing

Do your homework first!

Sorry for not posting yesterday, but I got a bit busy sorting things out with our new foster and spent most of my energy trying not to throttle the owners. (Pictures to come)


Our latest foster is a 10 month old Border Collie (we took the summer off and are now addressing the ever present waiting list ... unfortunately, this guy got bumped to the top). This particular guy came into a vet clinic

Featured Rescue - Joey the Australian Shepherd

There are 3431 Australian Shepherds available on Petfinder.com today. The Aussie (as it is commonly called) is a high-energy herding breed that often finds itself in rescue.




This is Joey, a 2 year old owner surrender in Attica, MI. He is crate and house trained. The rescue is asking that he be adopted to a home without cats as Joey doesn't get along very well with them, however he does enjoy

News Reel - Followup Marcus Luttrell

Do you remember back in April I posted a News Reel about Marcus Luttrell? For those of you who don't remember or didn't read the post, please take some time to read it now. The link I had posted to the news article doesn't work anymore as MacLean's has removed it, but here's a link to a similar article that tells you what happened in more detail.

I thought I would see if I could find out what

OT - Entrecard

I wanted to post a short note about Entrecard. Entrecard is a free blogging network that helps you build traffic, get more readers, and network with other bloggers.


I'm sure many of you noticed that I installed an Entrecard widgit this week. I had been considering this for a while now, but just never seemed to have enough time to do the research required to get this set up.


I will try to

Guess the Breed #2

Welcome to Guess the Breed number two! I thought for this one, I would pick a dog that we all know and love ... Hooch. If you don't know him, go rent the movie!


I love this movie and am always surprised when I run into people who haven't seen it. I tell them they have to watch it - it's mandatory for every dog owner.


For every person who adopts a dog that I foster, I tell them to watch the

News Reel - Neglected Dog Found

Here's a sad story about a dog who has not received the medical attention required. I was going to post the picture, but thought some may not be interested in seeing this poor guy. There are pictures on the article so click on the link if you wish to see him.




Neglected dog in 'horrific condition'




This dog should have received medical attention long ago; regardless of the cause of his

Featured Rescue Followups for July

I think I'm going to have a small celebration ... Check out KOBE news for this month! Hooray!


Kobe Swims the "Rottweiler" mix
Status: ADOPTED
Featured on December 5, 2008
Follow link here to see blog entry


Rafe and Redman the Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Status: NOT Adopted
Featured on January 12, 2009
Follow link here to see blog entry


Bella the Catahoula Leopard Dog
Status: NOT Adopted
Featured

News Reel - Vick Signed

Sorry all, I'm a few days behind on reading the news I suppose. Here's an update to the Mike Vick story. He's signed on with the Eagles. A sad day for dog loving NFL fans.


Heads up, Giants! Philadelphia Eagles sign Michael Vick


I love this quote from the article: "Michael Vick does not deserve to be reinstated in professional football, but I'm glad he has been. Because I'm encouraged when

CL Rant - Pitbulls in Ontario

Oh how I love reading rants about the pit bull controversy in Ontario. I wish people would understand the breed before posting something they know nothing about (like this post). I really enjoyed reading this post on CraigsList and I hope you enjoy it too. I have copied and pasted it below for your enjoyment (just in case it gets flagged or removed).
I have posted this for your reading enjoyment.

News Reel - Carlisle approves dog park lease

Good news for residents of Carlisle, PA. Looks like they're getting an Off Leash Dog Park. I hope they remember to install some water there ...


Carlisle approves dog park lease


"Carlisle area dog park advocates now have the land they need to develop an off-leash facility in Shaffer Park."


From the sounds of it, they are going to make a separate area for small dogs. I have a bit of trouble

Featured Rescue - Neeko the American Eskimo Dog

Check out Neeko, the 9 year old American Eskimo Dog. He's got one heck of an underbite, but the rescue hasn't focused on that ... they've focused instead on his good side.



"EXCELLENT LITTLE BOY! Well, Neeko is a doll. He is tiny, fun, cuddly, outgoing, will obey, leash trained, wonderful in the car, ok with my cat, and fine with my other eskies. What more could you want? A better picture! We

News Reel - Measure Your Dog's Smarts

This link was emailed to me yesterday so I printed off the article and went home to test my dogs. You know I totally wouldn't miss this opportunity!! If nothing else, it's something fun and different to do with the dogs and I'm always looking for something neat to do with them.


Measure Your Dog's Smarts


While my Border Collie/Aussie did quite well, the results weren't as promising for my

GTB Followup - Cardigan Welsh Corgi

As I stated in my last post, I would put up some info about the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. (Not to be confused with the Pembroke Welsh Corgi "The Pembroke Corgi is a separate breed from the Cardigan Corgi, possessing a shorter body and straighter, lighter boned legs")


The links will take you to the AKC Breed Standards page for both breeds. The first picture is a Cardigan with the colourings we see

Guess the Breed #1

I thought I'd set up a new type of post for fun. I'm going to call it "guess the breed". This is one of the things I find fun when I'm out at different shelters, perusing through the internet and reading emails so I thought I'd share.


I will periodically come across a picture of a dog that I will post and you are all welcome to throw out your opinion regarding what breed you think it is! Some

CL - The Truth About Daisy

Ok, so after a week of off topic and halfassed posts (sorry all for the lack of enthusiasm on my part) I am ready to get back at it. I found this on Best Of Craigslist and wanted to share.


Why did I choose to post it? Because it is a GREAT reminder that ads are not always what they seem. Note that the OP says she has listed the dog multiple times on CL trying to rehome her with various sob

OT - Adgitize

I wanted to put up a quick post about Adgitize. For the last few months I have been advertising with Adgitize and it has helped to spread the word about my blog. The really neat thing about Adgitize is that you can earn the money you spend on advertising back (and then some). While the top earner for this past month brought in $41.50, my earnings were significantly lower than that. However, I was

Featured Rescue - Max the Alaskan Malamute

Usually I don't post Featured Rescues when the rescue hasn't bothered to put more than a few sentences up about a dog, but I couldn't resist this one.

Max is an older guy - 10 years young. He's house trained, walks well on leash and is "lovable". (I hate it when rescues put up that a dog/cat is 'lovable' because it really tells you bupkis about the animal!)

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/

Monthly Followup July

July followup

Happy August everyone! Whew! July was crazy busy for me ... I don't know about everyone else? I am looking forward to August. So far it is turning into a good month where I can catch up on some things that have been waiting.
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Top CommentersI try to give a little link love to the top commenters here on

Video - Holy Sheep

How many of you have "How much is that doggie in the window" song going through your head now? I've had it in there all night since posting the calculator. So, here's a little something to get your mind off it ...


I got this in my email and thought I'd share. I know it's been around for a while, but since I hadn't seen it, I figure that means there are others out there who probably haven't seen

OT - Free Blog Review

I signed up for a Free Blog Review at The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit. On Sunday, Dave wrote the review.


The point of this was to find out where I can make changes in my blog so I can make it better.


I will try to make some of the changes listed on the review for my blog so if you see things moving around, that is why.


If you write a blog and are interested in ways to make it better I

Dog Cost Calculator

This is an interesting thing ... a Dog Cost Calculator. Give it a go!


//Establish the customisation variables
title = "Dog Cost Calculator";
title_size = "26";
width = "450";
image_url = "http://merlin.eukhost.com/~choose/moneyImages/ddf.jpg";
currency = "$";
font = "Trebuchet MS,Verdana,Arial,Sans-serif";
title_colour = "#ffffff";
text_colour = "#ffffff";
background_colour = "#335577";

News Reel - Ontario Dog Owner Fined

Ok - check this crap out ...


Ont. dog owner fined $14,000 for online breeder bashing


Tell me how much that sucks! So this person buys a puppy from a breeder, then has to euthanize it because of the extreme case of hip dysplasia so they got a 'replacement puppy' from the breeder. The replacement puppy was diagnosed with epilepsy! The owner then posted on a website forum to watch out for this

OT - Harriet's Blog

Just thought I'd post a quick link for everyone who saw the recent comment storm. My blog was featured on another blog called I am Harriet.





This is a blog that I check out often. For the entire month of August, she is featuring all sorts of blogs. Check them out! You may find a few you want to read.

Weekend Update

I'm a bit depressed this weekend. We put our 20 year old cat to sleep yesterday. I'll be back to normal blogging a bit later this week ...

Followers - One Hundred

You know, back when I first started this blog it was simply a way for me to vent about all the things that infuriate me about dog owners but it has changed somewhere along the way. I still rant about owners and their stupidity (which I see more often than I would like)

As of this week the blog has over 100 followers. Wow!

So amazing that so many people actually read what I write. It would be

Foster / Rehoming Tips 2

If you didn't read my earlier post of tips for foster homes, please do so. There are some awesome suggestions and tips from others added in the comment section too so don't skip those!




In rethinking this whole "Foster Tip" idea, I realized that this information can be used by everyone who brings a new dog into their house - adult or puppy. Whether you keep the dog or are only a temporary home

Dog Park Adventures - Fight!

Went to the dog park again yesterday - sorry, no pictures ... we were running late. We generally go every week now. At the point where we are in training (or re-training?) our Flat-Coat, he needs all the time we can get with other dogs. We go as often as our busy schedule allows which turns into about once or twice a week (don't forget it's a 45 minute drive each way and both my husband and I

Dog Business Rant - Using Videos

Ok, so if you are going to promote your business with a video then take a minute to watch it!! I wonder if people actually go to this place for training after seeing that video? I know I sure wouldn't.


After watching this, I wanted to post a short entry about recommendations to any business owners out there so they can ensure they don't look like asshats by publishing videos like this one. Here

News Reel - NFL Reinstates Vick

Here's the latest update on our good ol' friend Michael Vick. After serving 20 months in custody after being found guilty of dogfighting, he has been released and reinstated in the NFL. To read the full article, see the below link.


NFL reinstates Vick, but stigma to dog him


Turns out there is some concern about his fitness after being in prison for so long and inactive. Fitness? After

Featured Rescue - Fala the Vizsla

There are 206 Vizslas available through PetFinder.com today. A friend of ours has a Vizsla and she's so quiet in a love-me-forever sort of way. The Vizsla is often mistaken as a Pitbull (even though it is a hound!).


This is Fala. She is 2 years old and she is a special needs case. Fala has an autoimmune disorder called Myasthenia Gravis which is treated with daily oral medication. She sounds

Tips to Foster Homes - Number 1

There was a great request on yesterday's posting ...


mytwh said...
BTW, I'm starting work with a local rescue to foster dogs. Any advise for a new fosterer??? Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks!


What a good idea for a blog topic! I have SO many tips I could pass on and I get so busy ranting and raving that I forget these little things. Thank you mytwh for asking. I'll have to ensure I

Training Rant - Loose Leash Walking

This is one of the things that drives me crazy! So many people out there can't be bothered to teach their dog not to pull on a leash (or maybe they don't know how). ARGH!!


Yesterday, I saw a lady with someone I could only assume was her 10 year old daughter walking a young yellow lab (dog looked about 1.5-2 yrs). They were walking along a very busy road. The daughter had ahold of the 6 ft leash

News Reel - Heat killed K-9 unit dog left in car

This was an interesting article. What do you do when the people enforcing the laws are the ones breaking them?


Heat killed K-9 unit dog left in car


Leaving dogs in cars when it is warm outside is just dumb. This police officer was in New Orleans, it was 88 degrees out on May 27th. He left the dog in an SUV. This is the third death in the same K9 unit within a short timeframe (one had

News Reel - Dogs Read Gestures Like Toddlers

I found this video on the Discovery Channel website and I laughed. It was added July 13, 2009


http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/news-dogs-read-gestures-like-toddlers.html


Researchers have completed a study that proves that dogs understand gestures (pointing) like two year old toddlers (not three year olds though - they proved that too).


I laughed because I often tell people that their dog is

Featured Rescue - Riggo the American Bulldog

This is a crossposting for someone who pulled a dog out of the local shelter. She does not wish to keep the dog, but he had overstayed his welcome and was scheduled to be put to sleep (PTS).


Riggo is an American Bulldog. He's UTD on shots, HW negative, housetrained and shows no signs of aggression. He does need some basic training like the crate, heel and stay but he's a good boy so far. Seems

Featured Rescue - Parker the German Shorthaired Pointer

The breed standard for the German Shorthaired Pointer recommends an active family for this breed, but I've always found them to be fairly laid back dogs. They do require a fair amount of exercise, but what dog doesn't?

This is Parker. He's already been vaccinated and neutered and he's ready to go to his new/last home! The rescue estimates him to be somewhere between 6 and 8 years old - another

Featured Rescue Followups for June

It's been another month. Here's the follow up for all the featured rescues I've published. Check out the original post if you're interested in seeing the pics. There were actually a fair number of dogs that had been adopted on last month's list.


Kobe Swims the "Rottweiler" mix
Status: NOT adopted
Featured on December 5, 2008
Follow link here to see blog entry


Rafe and Redman the Rhodesian

New Poll - Trainers

For those of you who haven't read it yet or haven't answered, I added a new poll to the blog. I'm really curious to see the results of this one! It will only take a moment of your time so please read it and mark your answer.

Please don't answer the question more than once or it messes up the numbers. If you want to add something to your answer or comment about it, please leave a comment in this

News Reel - Dog fighting raids

Thought I'd pass this one on. I know it's just a drop in a larger pool, but it's a start. They have to keep fighting the good fight and this is a darn good start.


Informants helped agents infiltrate dogfights


Raids in 6 states show dogfighting is widespread

More than 400 dogs seized in multistate raid on dogfighting rings


If you have any information about people dogfighting in your area,

Temper Tantrum

Each time I go to spend some time on this blog lately, something has come up and I haven't been able to. Always one excuse after another lately. The latest excuse? I have spent the last two days bathing my dog and it is my own darn fault (you know how hard it is for me to admit that?!) I think I'm more angry with myself than anything else.


I spent last weekend and a few days last week away to

Training Rant - Importance of Bonding

I was discussing dog training with a friend of mine last night and I shuddered when I heard the same thing come out of her mouth as I hear from everyone else ... "To teach the dog what Good Girl means, you have to click and treat so you associate it" What?! I almost spat out my coffee in surprise to hear it come out of her mouth (of all people)



My dogs (permadogs and fosters both) know what

News Reel - Black Dog Memorial Fund

Ok, so I read this and I got all tingly! Yikes. Thought it was important that I share it. It's written in chronological order from bottom to top. It took me a minute to realize that.

SPCA creates Black Dog Memorial Fund

There is a video on the link if you want to see him. Here's a recap ...

For 2 decades the "king of the strays" wandered the streets of Richmond. He avoided all manners of traps

Featured Rescue - Scooter the Dachshund

I always wonder at how many Dachshund's there are available for adoption through rescue. Petfinder alone has 4,079 listed today. Certain breeds are always flooding the doors of rescue organizations.

Today's featured rescue is Scooter. I wonder how many people choose the dog they want to adopt based on the name?? It's how I came across this guy to feature; cute name. Let that be a lesson to all

News Reel - Does your dog really feel guilt?

A new study was done to test whether or not dogs actually feel guilt. You know the "uh oh I did something bad" look that many of us get when we come home? Check out this article from the Toronto Star this week


Does your dog really feel guilt?


It's a really interesting article. I'm sure each and every dog owner sees this look at one point or another. You know, even after this study was

Monthly Followup June

June followup Happy July everyone! To Canada, I hope you had a great day on July 1st - Happy Canada Day (also commonly known by some of my co-workers as "Eh-Day"). To USA tomorrow, I hope your July 4th is great - Happy Independence Day.July seems to be a pretty big month for holidays; July 2nd is National Literacy Day; July 7th is Chocolate Day; July 19th is Hot Dog Day (seriously, who comes up

Dog Park Adventures

So I've been going to the dog park a LOT lately. Every day this week in fact. I decided to start going because I wanted a change in pace for my dogs and I wanted to see how people in the community interact with their dogs. Somewhere different and fun to work on some stuff. This way, the dogs also get an hour or more of playing off leash with other dogs and I work on some of our off leash stuff

News Reel - Dog Park to Reduce Crime?

Here's an interesting one ...

Dog park plan has bark, and bite

Dog park advocates are trying to encourage support for the dog park by suggesting that it will reduce crime. Basically, they are looking for the dog park people to be like CrimeStoppers. Check out the below snippets from the article below:

City police, who have long urged dog owners to keep a lookout for crime on their daily walks,

Training Rant - Guarantees

You know, it never ceases to amaze me that people would get sucked in to a trainer because the trainer gives them a "guarantee". I laughed when I read this ad ... it has a lot of words but says nothing.

100% satisfaction guarantee ... every time I see this I laugh.

Why do trainers feel the need to advertise that they have a guarantee?? Shouldn't the results of your training speak volumes for

Featured Rescue - Sam the Chow

I will try this weekend to catch up on all the comments that have been left in the last few weeks. Quite frankly, I'm swamped right now. We're still cleaning up this darn virus ... this is the end of week two now.


This is Sam. He's a chow, 5 years young. Although he is currently listed under Mature Dog Adoptions, he is actually a crosspost from a shelter. It doesn't list which one - I do wish

Rant - Carrying your dog

Have you ever been somewhere with your dog(s) and noticed someone walking their little dog towards you? Your dogs could be perfect angels, but the person takes one look at them and stoops to pick up the dog so they don't have to walk by your guys. Then proceeds to walk by without even looking at you.

I feel so sorry for that poor dog. Not only are you preventing your dog from a potentially

Hiatus

Thanks to a problem with our internet connection plus virus problems at work, I have been forced to neglect my blog for the last few days. For everyone who stops by - I apologize.

I will hopefully be back on track tomorrow ... I've been keeping it all bottled up for days now!

Featured Rescue - Winston the Boston Terrier

I haven't had a Boston Terrier featured yet on this blog so I thought today was the day! Meet Winston. He seems to have a lot going for him ... unfortunately the rescue is limiting the adoption area to a radius of 65 miles of Sharpsville, PA. This eliminates so many potential adopters ... Don't they want to find him the right home? What if that home is 70 miles away??


I normally wouldn't post

News Reel - Rabies Outbreak in China

This is an interesting one ... again I haven't heard anything of this so feel like I am living in a bubble here!


NW China campaign against dogs highlights legal loophole in animal welfare


Turns out that there has been a big rabies outbreak in China and "city government ordered that all dogs in rabies-infected villages be killed. More than 34,000 dogs were killed as of June 11, according to

Featured Rescue Followups May

Well, here's the Featured Rescue Followups for April and all those who weren't adopted from previous months. I'm not posting the pictures again this month. Check out the original post if you're interested in seeing the pics.

Kobe Swims the "Rottweiler" mix
Status: NOT adopted
Featured on December 5, 2008
Follow link here to see blog entry

Tahne the Cocker Spaniel
Status: Adopted - WooHoo!

Training Rant - House"breaking"

This has been driving me crazy for a while. Why do people use the term house- "Breaking"?? I always make sure I use the term "Housetraining" and I correct anyone I hear who uses "Housebreaking".


Do you Potty-Break your child? No. You Potty Train them.


It is the same. You House TRAIN your dog. You are not breaking him (at least, I would hope your methods aren't such that you could use the word

Featured Rescue - Deuce the Boxer

Today there are 6,229 Boxers listed on Petfinder.com. I find many people don't understand this playful breed and again I would recommend to anyone getting a dog to PLEASE research the breed before bringing one home!


Deuce is our Featured Rescue for today. He's a young'un at 8 months. He's neutered and up to date with vaccinations. Apparently he already knows some basic commands.

http://

CL Rant - Farm dog

Ok, here's a good one. Sorry to do two CL Rants in a row but I couldn't resist. I'm going to copy and paste the ad below and then insert my comments in RED.
--------------------------------------------------beautiful dog looking for farm or big backyardhi there (Greetings, Asshat)
we are looking to adopt out our beautiful dog (I'm sorry to hear that you have decided you don't want him any more ..

CL Rant - Beware the Creepers

I clicked on this ad on CraigsList and shuddered. I would hope it's someone's idea of a practical joke and not really an actual ad. I don't put much past people these days though.

How creepy is this? Reminds me of Pet Cemetary ... wouldn't you just like to take this guy home?
I would like to add one more thing to that Pet Posting Guidelines list:
* If you want someone to take your dog, make

News Reel - Dog alerts family about intruder sitting in daughter's bedroom

Let's chalk one up for rescues today! How awesome is this ... Check out the following news story:

Dog alerts family about intruder sitting in daughter's bedroom

Apparently the dog was adopted only a few months earlier from Aussie Rescue of Minnesota. In my opinion, it is great when stories like this are printed in the paper. My hope is that it would encourage people to get rescue dogs (

Post Exchange - Sport Company

Many people out there are sports people. Me? I'm not really one for sitting and watching a game that will take a few hours when I could just watch a few highlights or read the results in the paper. For those who are looking for summarized sport news, this blog may be the right choice for you. This blog contains summaries of all kind of sports in the world. The last entry is about Formula One

Post Exchange - Outdoor Gear

I know I already did a post exchange with this site, but this one was too fun to not post. Check out these 5.11 Tactical Pants!


Now, at first glance, these pants look just like normal dress pants but keep in mind that these are the sorts of pants that APS officers would have to wear (as well as Canine Control). These people are meeting dogs that may not be very friendly. They need some tough

Featured Rescue - Buster the Beagle

Today there are 7,700 Beagles listed on Petfinder.com.

The beagle I chose to feature today is named Buster and is located in Alpena, MI. There isn't much info listed about him other than that his is house-trained and friendly. He is currently living with a foster home.

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13441756

Post Exchange - Pest Control

It's the time of year that people start working outside in their gardens and on their lawns. At my house, the apricot tree started blooming just this morning! The days are getting warmer and longer and the gardens are starting to flower.

I begin to wonder at this time of year what people do with their pests? How do you deal with them? Do you use resolutions like a pest control company that

Blogroll CleanUp June

After some deliberation I have decided to change my blogroll somewhat. I will only be keeping blogs on there that have a link to this blog on their own blogroll.

Sounds fair, right?

I will be popping by each of the blogs I'm removing in the next few days and leaving a message to let them know what is going on.

Sorry for not spending time with a full post for today but I want to do some

News Reel - Dog Lit On Fire

Ok, if you don't feel comfortable reading this article, I don't blame you. I choked when I got about half way through and honestly didn't make it to the end.

The 2 year old pitbull nicknamed both Phoenix and Miss Mercy was found by a police officer in Southern Baltimore engulfed in flames. She had been set on fire while people stood around and watched but did nothing to help her. She was

Best of CL - Pet Posting Guidelines

Well folks, someone has finally managed to get their "Pet Posting Guidelines" up on the Best of CraigsList. Check it out here or below.

I thought I would repost it here. Please note I did NOT write this, but I think the message is important, so I am copying and pasting it here for your enjoyment.

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Pet Posting

Training Rant - Special Needs

I was out walking my troublemaker this week (the one posted in my picture) working on a bit of socialization and environment changes. While we were out, we ran across a situation that I think most owners don't think to train for. I wanted to post about it because I think it's something we should all prepare for. It takes less than a second for your dog to bite someone and it is your

Featured Rescue - Ingrid the Chihuahua

It's been so long since I posted a Chihuahua as the Featured Rescue, so I thought today was as good a time as any. Anyone want to stab a guess as to why there are so many listed on Petfinder.com? (Currently 7,842 listed) The amount of Chihuahuas listed on Petfinder has not changed much since I first started checking numbers last year but the next 12 months or so will tell.


I was really worried

Post Exchange - West Falen Horses, Trailers and More

I received this opportunity for a post exchange today and thought I'd post about it right away. I was so pleased to get an opportunity that was animal related! West Falen Horses, Trailers and More is, as I'm sure you've guessed by the title ... a blog about Horses, Trailers and News.

If you take a look at the following two posts about animal welfare and horses, you will note that there are

OSPCA investigates THS

I don't know how many people know what is going on with this but I thought I'd blog about it real quick today. It's politics and I wasn't going to publish anything about it, but when I realized that the Toronto Humane Society has been suspended as an affiliate ... well, I just had to post! There have been many rumours about THS in recent years and I'm glad that the OSPCA is going to investigate

Post Exchange - Wireless Fence

There are many different "pet containment" systems out there. I have blogged in the past about teaching your pet to stay on property and while it does take time to teach them this lesson, it is worthwhile. This opportunity came up and I thought I'd take it; wireless fencing.

For many people who don't have the inclination (or don't understand how) to train their dogs to stay on property and

Post Exchange - Termites

If you have ever had to deal with termites then you know how dreadful it is. Definitely not something you want to have to deal with ... ever!


For those of you who don't know what termites are, they are an insect that lives in colonies (like ants and bees). They can live in different places such as Nests or Mounds made using a combination of soil, mud, chewed wood/cellulose, saliva, and feces.

Rant - The Goode Family Dog

Ok so I actually had time last Wednesday night to watch a new tv program! (Shocker!) I was working late on a computer ... clicking "next" while removing viruses ... so I had some time to sit and watch the tube. Unfortunately, my dogs were bored by it all but they need down-time too some days (well, that's what I told them, anyway).


I watched a new show that I would like to share with you all.

Montly Followup May

May followupHappy June!
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Comments
Comments are growing each month. Wonderful! I am going to begin posting the 5 people who have commented the most. I do appreciate everyone's comments but I can't post every person!

GoLightly
Author of GoLightly - Fiction and GoLightly Fiction, BeginningToEnd

mytwh

Herding Instinct Test

Here's a bit of personal news ... the potential adopter (PA) of my foster dog (FD) wanted to take her to a Herding Instinct Test. I thought that was a great idea since the FD has spent the last month or so trying to figure out how to herd my ducks.

Unfortunately, when the PA called ahead to see if there was space, all the spots were filled (pre-registered) and there was already a waiting list.

Featured Rescue - Jack A Roo the Australian Cattle Dog / Blue Heeler

Today I thought I'd feature an Australian Cattle Dog / Blue Heeler. There are currently 3,192 ACD's available on Petfinder.com.

I had a Heeler/Border Collie mix when I was growing up (have I mentioned this yet?) and she was great. We had a fair amount of problem behaviours with her (think two young children plus she didn't join the family until she was 8 months old ... plenty of bad habits

News Reel - Internet Scam

I found this one when reading some of the headlines this week and thought I'd share with you.

Internet Scam Targets People Wanting to Buy Dogs


Ok, so seriously. If you're dumb enough to buy a dog through a "secure" site on the internet, sight unseen with no guarantee ... well, I'm sorry but maybe you really should learn a lesson and lose your money.

Who's the bigger Asshat in this scenario?

New Wave Dog Training?

Check this one out. I found it while wandering through the CL postings this morning!



You too can have someone else train your dog while you're on vacation! They "train dogs to overcome a variety of issues" Doesn't that sound just dandy?



What a load of dog poo.



Good grief! Here's the problem with doing this ... I expect that 6 weeks after the dog goes home it will have totally regressed.

News Reel - Brighter Days A-Coming

I thought I'd put up some upbeat stories about animals today. They aren't all dog related - sorry for the off topic-ness (I know, it's not a word, but I'm having troubles waking up today!).

Hero horse recommended for bravery medal in Australia
(Neat story! I could close my eyes and see it play out)

Pet owners' job easier at dog wash
(Interesting idea. Don't know how the groomers in the area

Training Rant - Fear

There are so many people out there who think it is ok that their dog will cower behind them when other dogs/people approach. What's wrong with it? The dog is physically managed - beside / behind the owner ... so why is there a problem? Never mind that the dog is nowhere close to the place mentally where she should be!

I get so frustrated when people say something along those lines! I just want

Make Mondays Matter 2

I thought I'd publish another Make Mondays Matter for this week. I really like this idea from Mrs Zeee - a great way to start the week! I did some thinking and decided to tell you about something we did that lasted the entire weekend, not only Monday.

This weekend we dog-sat a friend's dog. They were going away for the weekend and needed someone to watch their four legged family member. They

Featured Rescue - Washington the Beagle

In most shelters, you will find Beagles. Why? There are many theories to this; some say that beagles are runners and unless you have a fenced yard, they will follow their nose and run away (that's crap - I've had a beagle for 14 years and she's still around - she's constantly following her nose ... ? ... before her we had a hound of undetermined breed with the same habits), some say that they are

OT - Cat Food Recall

This is a bit off topic, but I thought I'd post it anyway. There was a cat food recall earlier this week.

Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care and Nutro Max dry cat foods has announced a voluntary recall of select varieties. If you feed this food, please read the following article for more information.

Popular Pet Food Recall

I posted this entry on my other blog, Drowning In Cats, as well

Why veterinary behaviorists can't stand Cesar Millan

I stumbled across this one the other day during my 'free time' and thought I'd share it with you all. I didn't write it so don't give me credit for it.


Why veterinary behaviorists can't stand Cesar Millan


Nicely written. Check out some of the comments written in reply to the article. There are some for and against Cesar's techniques. I found it just as interesting to read some of the comments

Post Exchange - "Making Dollar Online"

I found this opportunity in my list of potential post exchanges and I thought that it would be a good one to do based on my post earlier this week about advertising. This blog is called "Making Dollar Online" and it is all about how to make money online, get the most out of search engine optimization (SEO) and basically work the system.

Don't ask me what search engine optimization (SEO) is

News Reel - Michael Vick Released

For those of you who aren't aware of what's been going on in the Michael Vick case, he was released to serve the rest of his sentence in house arrest on May 20, 2009. That was yesterday. He will still have two months to serve under house arrest, but he is no longer in prison.

Here is the news article:
Michael Vick Release Date Begins Uncertain Next Step for Vick

Personally, I think he should

Charitable Donation - Advertising

Do you remember a while back I posted about the Google Ads that I put up on the blog? I'm sure you've noticed by now that I've been experimenting with different types of advertising here. (To date, I've only made $3.81 from Google Ads and they have been running here since January - I am contemplating removing them completely)


Way back in January when I decided to start selling advertising space

LinkLove and Awards

Ok, so I'm not really sure how this whole thing works, but Jaime over at ThoughtsFurPaws gave me this award.


I'm thinking it's something like LinkLove, but am not sure.
The rules are that we must link to the friend that gave us the award - ThoughtsFurPaws - and give the award to up to 15 recently discovered blogs.
I don't know who would want to be listed, so I am simply going to grab the 15

Featured Rescue - Priscilla the Shih Tzu

Having posted about a Shih Tzu this weekend, I thought I'd post one currently in rescue! This is Priscilla~Princess. She is approx. 8 years old and a special needs case. Her vet surgically removed a mammary tumour believed to be malignant ...


Do I need to remind everyone of the various reasons it is beneficial to Spay and Neuter your pets? No ... I'd be preaching to the choir.
Anyway, if you

Post Exchange - SearchEngineRankingsSystems

Well I couldn't pass up this opportunity; it's specific to dog training! "Search Engine Rankings Systems - Train Pet Dog" was the name of the opportunity (minus the spaces).

There is always a lot of discussion when it comes to training one's pet dog. There are those who strongly believe that "This Is The Way To Train A Dog." Period. No discussion. Then there are those who believe that every dog

Post Exchange - Hummingbirds Are Coming!

For those of us in the southern parts of Canada and northern United States, we are starting to see the Hummingbirds set up house. I love to watch the hummers and for such a small bird they can be pretty aggressive!

Hummingbirds are coming so get those feeders out there if you want them to stick around!

We feed them every year and this year we have more than ever before. We have somewhere in the

Make Mondays Matter

Mrs Zeee has a challenge on her site that asks everyone to blog about how they Make Mondays Matter. Since there is such a bad rap that Mondays get, the challenge is to go out and make Monday a positive one.





A quote from Mrs Zeee's site of examples of ways you can Make Mondays Matter:


"Some examples: volunteering, helping a friend move a sofa, donating time or a few dollars to charity,

BlogRoll Cleanup May and Thanks

You might have noticed that some links have been added and some removed from my BlogRoll this weekend. That is because I have removed those blogs whose authors haven't posted for over a month or two.


There are a few exceptions to this and those are the people who I know come and comment on my blog regularly. For those who comment, I have kept your blog on my blogroll regardless of how often you

CL Asshat Rant - Studly Shih Tzu

When I run across ads like this and haven't got anything to say other than *Asshat* that's a problem. I always have something to say!


This one wants to breed their one year old Shih Tzu. There are a few things I'm going to point out ...


Why are you looking to breed this dog? What makes him "Studly"?



What are you trying to gain/prove? You are obviously looking to get something out of this

Featured Rescue Followups April

Well, here's the Featured Rescue Followups for April and all those who weren't adopted from previous months. I'm not posting the pictures again this month. Check out the original post if you're interested in seeing the pics.


Kobe Swims the "Rottweiler" mix
Status: NOT adopted
Featured on December 5, 2008
Follow link here to see blog entry


Tahne the Cocker Spaniel
Status: Home Visit - wow!

Training Rant - The New Puppy

Have you ever noticed that when people get new puppies, they let them do whatever they want? In my discussion with the person who just got a Border Collie puppy, one of the things that she said was that the breeder told her not to use the word "No" for a few weeks. (Now, I have to warn you that I have quite a lot to say about this conversation and my ranting may go on for a few days about this ..

Featured Rescue - Eubie the Border Collie

I know, I already ran a Border Collie a while back, but one of my client's secretaries just bought a Border Collie so my brain is on them. Also, there's a Border Collie close by here whose owner died and they are trying to figure out what to do with him - I'm encouraging the Estate to keep him out of the shelters ... many Border Collies I've met don't do well in shelter environments. I am hoping

News Reel - Higher Fines

Check out this article, DeRidder adopts new ordinances regarding dogs. Apparently city council has increased the fines for loose dogs and strongly encourages dog licensing. It also addresses dangerous dog legislation. Here is another article that explains specifically what these new "ordinances" are: City Council approves John Gott as Chief of Police

I would like to take a moment and applaud the

CL Rant - OT Raccoons

Well I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday. We spent some good quality time with family this weekend; flowers and cards and hugs and kisses (oh my!) for the moms as well as dinner. I was reminded again how great my sh!thead dog is with kids (the permadog that is still in basic training). He reminds me that just because a dog isn't great on one side of the trianing, doesn't mean

Post Exchange - Floods and Disaster Planning

Disaster planning is becoming a big thing in recent years, there are seminars, kits you can buy, and other ways to prepare yourself. Or perhaps it is simply that I have only just recently began paying attention to this topic? I'm not sure which it is, but I do know that every dog owner out there should have a disaster plan.

What do you do in the event of a natural disaster such as a flood?

Do

Featured Rescue - the Welsh Corgi

Today's feature is the Welsh Corgi. I wasn't a big fan of this breed until I met one owned by a friend of mine and I have since withdrawn my previous opinion. The family recently welcomed a new baby into the house and again - I'm impressed with her.

This little guy hasn't had it as easy as the Corgi I know. This is Codi. You probably noticed that he hasn't got any eyes - they were both removed

What's your Favourite Rainy-Day Game?

Well, it's supposed to rain all weekend here, so we're going to be inside more that normal here. That just means that instead of being outside from the time we are up to the time we sleep, we are in and out all day to dry off and/or change.

I always look for new and exciting games to play with the dogs for days like this. Some that my guys love are:

Hide and Seek

Treasure Hunts

Cookie Toys (

Photo Contest - American Greetings

I got an email regarding a pet photo contest and I thought I'd pass on the message

American Greetings, who sponsors ThoughtsFurPaws.com, is holding this pet photo contest.

The Furry Faceoff Challenge, also sponsored by Frontline, pits cats against dogs to see who is cuter.

The grand prize, worth $350, includes a $250 PetSmart gift card, a $50 PhotoWorks.com gift certificate, a one-year

Monthly Followup April

April followup

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Beware of the Dog

On March 2, I posted a blog entry called "Beware of the Dog". I last I told you was that I had been told to submit a letter to them in complaint before they could consider removing the toy from the shelf. I submitted my letter but never heard anything from them. I went into the

Featured Rescue - China the Weimaraner

There are 709 Weimaraners looking for homes on Petfinder.com. Though I haven't met a Weimaraner I didn't like, I have found this to be a delicate breed that often has vaccination reactions.

This is China. She's 2.5 years old and was brought to the shelter by someone who found her living conditions somewhat lacking. She does have heartworm and will require treatment.

Sorry for the small pic -

Post Exchange - Web Hosting

I have found that there are so many people out there who foster animals that don't have any record of them. I know one lady who has fostered uncountable cats and dogs over the 20 years she has been opening her home up, but she has no records of them. She has a few pictures, but that's about it.

From the discussion I had with her, I suggested that she keep a scrapbook about the animals and she

Post Exchange - Myx-It-Up

I was parusing around and stumbled on this post exchange for Myxitup and I have to say ... what an interesting blog! The first post I read was titled "Swede indicted for hacking NASA computers". Fascinating read. After reading this, I decided that I would take the exchange.

I'm sure by now you all know that I'm a "computer-tech-by-day" and an "unlicenced-volunteer-canine-rehabilitator-by-choice"

Dog Fight

Someone asked me a while back to post an entry about what to do when a dog is attacking your dog ... I'm sorry - I can't remember where it was or who it was who asked for this. I am finally getting around to posting an entry about it! Why now? You'll see at the end of my post. Sorry for this one being so long - I have been trying to keep them shorter!

Note that I did post an entry back in

Training Rant - Resource Guarding

I often hear about dogs that guard things like food, toys and people. This is what is called "Resource Guarding".
Many dog owners don't see Resource Guarding as a problem. They accept this behaviour because they love their dog and don't want to think that their dog has problems. Or they don't know how to deal with this problem.
It seems like an innocent behaviour but by allowing it to continue

Training Tools - Martingale Collar

To me, the martingale collar is an interesting training tool. It is generally made of a combination of nylon and chain.

I've heard the martingale called many things including a hybrid between the flat collar and a choke chain. Many trainers encourage people to use the martingale because of its durability as well as its flexibility.

The collar can be adjusted to the proper size for the dog's

Posted pics

Just a quick note - I posted some pictures on Drowning In Cats of the TNR cat we have currently at our house. She was too far along in her preganancy to abort the kittens (without euthanizing them as they came out), so she is living in our spare room until they are all ready for new homes. I figure that everyone loves kitten pictures - yes, even dog people - so I'd share them with you all.

While

How many is too many?

A comment has spurned this post. I couldn't help it ... I just had to. This post is burning in my brain and I have to get it out there. You know, sort of like how money burns a hole in one's pocket? Ok, so I may not end up with a hole in my head, but some days ... well, let's move on.

I have a question to ask everyone out there ... How many is Too Many? Where is the line drawn? 2 dogs? 5 dogs?

Post Exchange - Organic Pet Food

There have been a lot of posts lately about pet food so I took this opportunity since it was related. The following information is regarding an Organic Pet Food on the market called Essential2Pets Life's Abundance Holistic Natural Pet Food. That's a mouthful, eh?

Here are some of the claims the company makes ... It is made from 100% Fresh and Natural ingredients formulated by nationally renowned

Link Exchange - Remain Active

Though I try not to dwell on things that may be, I did sign up for this one, so I'll try my best to make it relevant.

One of the things that I think about is the possibility that something may happen so I may not be able to be as active as I am now. I may not be the kind of person who will run in an Ironman (truth be told, I might make it a block or two before collapsing!), but I do like to

Featured Rescue - Gala the Chinese Crested

Last Featured Rescue was a big dog (Great Pyrenees) so I thought I'd post a small dog this time 'round. This little lady is a Chinese Crested Dog. You either like these dogs, or you don't. There doesn't seem to be a middle of the road on this one ...

This is Gala. She is 9 years old and looking for a new home. The ad doesn't say why she is in rescue, but considering since her foster home is

Post Exchange - Your Car Should be Cold

The environmental experts this year are suggesting that it's going to be really hot out in the summer. I remember my first car - no heat, no AC, no floor ... lots of exhaust inside ... ah ... the "good ol' days". Not now! Now I always make sure I have air conditioning!

When I take my dogs out with me, I always make sure the AC is running properly in my vehicle. I figure that if I find it warm

Walking in the Rain

Everytime I'm out with my guys walking in the rain, all I can think of is that old Gene Kelly movie. My guys look at me all weird when I burst out the chorus to "Singin' in the Rain" ... like they're asking "what the heck did you add to your breakfast, mom?" or "what do you have to be happy about, mom? Didn't you notice that we're getting wet?"

For a bunch of dogs that absolutely love swimming

Free Feeding vs. Meal Times

This has been a long time argument between dog owners. Free Feeding or Meal Times??

Some believe that you should fill the dog's food bowl and it will eat when hungry. This is called Free Feeding. My parents do this with their dog and it works pretty well - except when other dogs come over for visits. Sometimes their dog will guard the food, sometimes she will eat it all regardless of whether it

Seminar in Toronto

I went to a seminar in Toronto this weekend. The guest speaker was Brad Pattison. For those who don't know, Brad is the tv personality who hosts the show called "At the End of My Leash". It is one of the few dog shows I enjoy watching. Have you seen it?

I just wanted to share this with you since I really enjoyed the seminar. It was fun, interactive and informative. I would highly reccommend

Featured Rescue - FiFi the Great Pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees is a big breed that is generally used for tending sheep herds. There are 1,246 GP's available for adoption on Petfinder.

This is FiFi. She was born 9/15/08 and she and her sister were an owner surrender. They were born on an Amish farm to parents who guard the sheep. The farmer turned two of the pups into rescue that didn't seem to have much of the herding/guarding

Places Your Dog Can't Resist

Yesterday's post was a bit depressing so I thought I'd bring forth some good news.

The co-founder of a new website called nextstop.com contacted me via email earlier this week. They are trying to build a repository of places to go and things to do anywhere in the world. He asked me to spread the word about a challenge they are currently running.

The challenge is for dog lovers to share the

Rescue Numbers - Update 3

On February 17, 2009 I posted the last Rescue Numbers Update. I'll try to always re-iterate that I'm not posting this to depress anyone, but I believe that people should all be aware of the sheer numbers we face out there. As long as people spay and neuter their pets as well as continue to adopt animals from shelters than we're making progress.

StormsLegacy posted a comment in the last Rescue

National Volunteer Week and Earth Day

Ok, so Earth Day was yesterday. I admit - I'm a day behind. I still thought it was important to wish all of you a "Happy Earth Day" and ask if anyone was out cleaning up garbage or planting trees??

This week also happens to be National Volunteer Week. I would like to encourage everyone to get out there and dedicate an hour to volunteering at their chosen charity. Maybe you go walk dogs for an

First CL, then Kijiji, now OLX?

I received an email a while back asking me to blog about a new online classifieds domain called OLX. If you're interested, there's a news release that tells you all about it, but I'm going to put up some of the important snips below. Under that, I will put my opinion.


100% free (forever) even in jobs and real estate
Ability to include videos and pictures in listings
A city, neighborhood and zip

Asshat Rant - Craigslist Rehomes

It's been so long since I did one of these posts ... I almost started to feel like the world was filling with more responsible owners. Guess I just haven't had time to look through Craigslist recently. Yep, the asshats are still out there.



The first ad I'd like to take a look at is a 9 month old Red Nose Pit - Free to Good Home. People, please remember when you are writing these ads that if

Aggressive Dog - Part 2 Warnings

There are many people out there who correct a dog when it growls but then don't bother to address the cause (or 'stimuli') of the growling. This was a comment on one of my earlier posts and it's so true. It's frustrating because these people are not addressing the dog's needs, only their own. The problem, as she aptly pointed out, is that when people teach the dog not to growl, many others then

Featured Rescue - Sweeney the Schnauzer

I think this is the nicest adoption posting I've read for a while. In light of what could be made out to be a disastrous situation, it actually seems more matter-of-fact.

The person who wrote it isn't pushing the "emotions" button and is actually looking on the bright side. I have found that many animal rescue people spin things negatively and it gets a bit depressing. I know why they do it -

News Reel - Higher fines for leash laws

Hey check this one out; it's from the Baltimoresun.com:

Dog owners protest higher leash law fines

I stumbled on this article and nearly fell off my chair. Turns out that city officials in Baltimore are receiving flack for raising the fines given to those who walk their dogs without leashes. It sort of goes hand in hand with the blog entry I made on March 21 regarding Seattle Off-Leash Dogs.

Training Rant - Volume Control

How many people have heard a dog's handler yelling at the dog with increasing volume? I don't know how many times I've been out with my dogs and see a handler trying to get their dog to "Sit" without success. When the dog doesn't listen the first time, they start making their voice louder and louder.

One of the many things that bothers me about dog handlers is their misunderstanding of volume. I

I've been tagged

Ok, so I'm quite a bit behind in reading blogs lately. I manage to read everyone's new posts, but don't always have time to go through the old ... the old ones are often just as entertaining as the new! So, I decided to go through two blogs per week ... I don't know if I'll actually get through them all, but I figured a target would be best!


I found a post from Barb who writes a blog called

Featured Rescue Followups - March

Well, here's the Featured Rescue Followups for March and all those that weren't adopted from previous months. I'm not posting the pictures this month because it is so difficult to make them line up properly and I don't have time to do it. Sorry. If you want to see the pics of these guys, feel free to go to their original entry.

There are many that weren't adopted this month. Shelters and rescues

Ancient Breeds

You may have noticed that on my featured rescue post for Rusty the Shar Pei, it said that the Shar Pei is "an ancient breed that is usually aloof and standoffish with strangers, but devoted to his family". I also mentioned it in the post about Cody the Akita: "Recent DNA analysis found that the Akita was among the most ancient dog breeds". I don't know if anyone caught that or not.


I did some

Post Exchange - Havaheart Deer Off

Here I go again with a post exchange ... I'm trying to be pretty picky about these things and only posting the ones I think are worth while doing. This time I'm featuring "Deer Off" which is a product made by the company Havaheart. Let me tell you a story first ...

Two years ago my sister called me up and told me she planted a garden. This was her very first garden ever and she was trying really

News Reel - Chase down suspect

This is really quite a sad story. Highly decorated US navy SEAL, Marcus Luttrell, was given a dog when he returned from Afghanistan to "help him heal". When he found his dog shot dead outside his home, he helped police capture the suspects after a high-speed chase through three counties!

Texas war hero helps chase down suspects for police after his dog is shot

Here's a quote that I particularly

Asshat Rant - Recent Experience with Breed Rescue

Please note that not all breed rescues do what I am about to tell you (at least ... I sure as hell hope they don't). I know of two breed rescues in Ontario that I would confidently send a dog to, so they at least are exempt from the "asshat" label.

Here's a bit of background:I was made aware of a dog recently that bit someone. The bite was severe - the guy had to go to hospital and get stitches

Dogs Deserve Freedom - say what?

I've had quite a few people email and ask me what I mean by the statement Dogs Deserve Freedom. I keep emailing them back and explaining to them what I mean, but I thought maybe I'd post a blog entry about it. When I first started this blog, I wrote an introduction entry that explained some of my beliefs. If you haven't read it, I encourage you to do so now.

Every day, my opinions are refined

Laughter Heals - Mutts

It's been so serious around this blog lately! So, given everything that's happened this week and considering the time of year, I thought I would share one of my favourite comic strips with you. I'm sure some of you have probably read it - it's called Mutts.

Here's one of the recent strip clips that seemed rather fitting for this week.

(I do hope the good folks at Mutts don't come and get

Training Tools - Leash

It's been a long time since I've posted a Training Tools entry. The last one was about the Prong Collar on December 6. Since it has been so long, I thought I'd remind everyone that Training Tools are just that - a means or "tool" to help you help you teach your dog how to obtain the ultimate goal ... Freedom. You need to train your dog so that you can trust exactly what it will do in any

Featured Rescue - Rusty the Shar Pei

According to the AKC, the Shar Pei "is an ancient breed that is usually aloof and standoffish with strangers, but devoted to his family". I have found that this breed is often mis-understood more often than not.
This is Rusty. He's a young male Shar Pei located in LaSalle, MI and he's looking for a new home. There are currently 1,594 Shar Peis listed for adoption on Petfinder.http://

Protect Your Dog - Poison

As we all know, the only person in this world who will help you is you, and likewise ... the only one who will help your dog is you. You are your dog's first line of defense against the world.

Have you guys all seen that commercial with the baby in a bubble because mama doesn't want her to get dirty? Unless you want your dog to live in a similar bubble, you need to provide the proper defenses to

Post Exchange - We Don't Rent Puppies

Today's post exchange is brought to you by ... Calsidyrose. Thanks Calsidyrose for exchanging posts with me!

I'm going to tell you about a blog called We Don't Rent Puppies. This is written by Calsidyrose who is a volunteer adoption coordinator for dog rescue in South Texas and Southeast Louisiana. We Don't Rent Puppies is about her experiences with rescue and other related things. I like to

Asshat Rant - Shooting the Neighbours Dog

I often hear about people shooting the neighbour's dog and I blogged about a civil case revolving around it earlier this week. Blogging about this case made me think about how often this happens in my neighbourhood.

I would like to state for the record that this happens here all the time. In my neighbourhood we see approximately one per year. I would assume it happens often in other places too.

Monthly Followup March

March followup
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Beware of the Dog
On March 2, I posted a blog entry called "Beware of the Dog". It was about a children's game that I found while wandering through the toys section in a department store that I was rather upset about. I told you all I'd let you know what happens when I approach the store (after I

News Reel - Ontario dogs poisoned

Well, I live in Ontario, so it's no surprise that I'm more aware of what is happening in the news here than in other provinces or states. Sorry. If there is a news story you know about that I should post, please feel free to let me know.

Recently there have been dog poisonings and dog owners are told to be on the lookout. I can't even begin to tell you all what I think of the people who leave

Featured Rescue - Sebastian the Shetland Sheepdog

The Shetland Sheepdog or "Sheltie" looks very much like a collie that drank some sort of shrinking juice. Being a working dog, owners or potential owners should expect them to be energetic guys. I haven't met many, but have heard they do well in events such as agility and herding. Check out the AKC breed standards page for more details about this dynamic breed.

This is Sebastian. He is 11 years

Mail Bag - Alabama man accused of dog killings

Well, I got the following in my email this week so I thought I'd pass it on. I'll usually blog about a topic if you send it to me, so feel free to do so. The more details you send as well as a blurb about why you would like me to post it, the better. (Otherwise I sit and look at the email and think ... Uh ... what 'dis, George?)

Below is a case regarding a neighbour shooting someones pet dog.

News Reel - Marketplace and 20/20

CBC Marketplace put together a great documentary regarding pet store puppies. I watched it when it was on TV and I have to say, it was pretty good. I would strongly encourage people to watch it. For those who are interested, follow this link here to see more about it.

The Marketplace Report explains some of the details about puppy mills and pet stores by telling the story of a dog named

Training Rant - The Aggressive Dog

A fellow blogger, Fred, asked "Will you be doing any posts on how you're dealing with the aggression? Very interested." as a response to my post about the latest foster dog we have. For those who didn't read the post, you can read it here.
First off, I'd like to encourage everyone reading this blog to go check out Fred's blog, One Bark at a Time. It's a great blog about everything from his

Featured Rescue - Cody the Akita

Why the Akita today? I don't know. Just in the mood, I guess. Today there are 821 Akitas available on Petfinder.

The Akita is a large breed dog that originated in Japan. According to Wikipedia: "Recent DNA analysis found that the Akita was among the most ancient dog breeds" Akitas in America are different than those in Japan as breeders have been encouraging different traits. Check out the link

Asshat Rant - Asshats Rehoming Dogs

I found this post on the Boston CL. Check it out. You too could own a senior (8 years old) beagle who is "fat and lazy"! Doesn't this ad just make you want to go out and get this dog?

"He shouldn't go to a home with kids under 5" ... I wonder why? Has he bitten someone? Or simply growled? Maybe he doesn't like kids that treat him as a play thing or a toy ...

Ok, so I'm one of the suckers who