Blog da Lord Cão

Como viajar de avião com cães - parte 2

2009-12-16T22:19:00.000-03:00

Oi gente, mil desculpas pela imensa demora em postar a segunda parte dessa maratona! O blog parou no tempo e no espaço por causa desse post que eu nunca tinha disposição para escrever! Todas as vezes que eu entrava aqui para continuar o relato, lembrava do estresse que foi o processo da viagem e desistia... Mas enfim, hoje terminei mais uma parte e aí está!

ONDE LEVAR O CÃO?
A primeira coisa que precisa ser vista é onde o cachorro vai. Dependendo do peso e do tamanho ele pode ir junto com você na cabine (o que na minha opinião - e isto não é unânime - é sem sombra de dúvidas a melhor de todas as opções). O limite de peso por cão na cabine varia de empresa para empresa, no nosso caso eram 9 Kg (cão + caixa de transporte). Além do peso, é importante ver se a caixa de transporte está dentro dos limites de tamanho estabelecidos pelas companhias aéreas. Um lebrel italiano, por exemplo, pode até estar dentro do limite de peso, mas muito dificilmente caberá embaixo do assento da aeronave como manda a regra. Se o cão for pesado demais ou grande demais para ir na cabine, a segunda opção é ele ir no porão da mesma aeronave na qual você vai viajar, onde também existem limites para o tamanho máximo das caixas de transporte. A terceira e última opção é o cachorro viajar como carga desacompanhada, ou seja, ele vai no porão da aeronave mas não no mesmo voo que você.

Meus cães foram na primeira e na segunda opções (dois na cabine e um no porão), e portanto não posso comentar sobre pets viajando como carga desacompanhada. Parece-me que este terceiro procedimento é bem mais complexo (como se os outros já não fossem complexos o suficiente) e aparentemente exije a contratação de um despachante.

Por menores que sejam, dois cães não podem ir juntos na mesma caixa de transporte, a não ser que sejam filhotinhos. O peso somado de dois dos meus peludos não chega a 5 Kg e ainda assim eles tiveram de ir separados a viagem inteira. Outro detalhe: dois cães não podem viajar lado a lado na aeronave, o que para nós significava que eu e meu marido iríamos viajar longe um do outro. Mas nossa estrela é muito forte e, como sempre, as coisas se ajeitaram de forma que no final deu tudo certo. O primeiro voo estava vazio, então nós mudamos de lugar e ainda colocamos as bolsas de transporte com os cães em cima de uma das poltronas. O segundo voo estava lotado, mas conseguimos trocar de lugar com outro casal e ficamos novamente juntos. O terceiro voo também estava lotado mas ainda assim foi fácil, pois o próprio atendente no check-in já alterou os bilhetes e colocou as nossas poltronas juntas.

LIMITAÇÕES INDIVIDUAIS DAS EMPRESAS
Depois de verificar como o seu cão possivelmente deverá viajar, é preciso checar com a companhia aérea se ele efetivamente *pode* viajar daquela forma. Isto porque algumas companhias não permitem cães na cabine de forma alguma, independente do peso e do tamanho. Outras simplesmente não transportam pets, nem na cabine nem no porão. Algumas não aceitam no porão caixas de transporte acima de um determinado tamanho. E todas elas limitam o número de animais por aeronave e por pessoa, tanto na cabine quanto no porão (por exemplo, se eu estivesse viajando sozinha não poderia embarcar com meus 3 cães). Isto exije uma reserva antecipada, para que eles possam se programar quanto ao número de pets em cada voo.

Certifique-se primeiro através do site da empresa, em seguida ligue para confirmar o que você leu e se possível também pergunte pessoalmente no balcão da companhia, no aeroporto no qual você vai embarcar. É comum que o site diga uma coisa e o atendente diga outra. É comum também que um atendente diga uma coisa e outro atendente da mesma empresa diga outra coisa. Como eu já falei na parte 1, nenhuma fonte tem todas as informações e muitas vezes as pessoas que deveriam lhe orientar sabem menos do que você. Na minha experiência, isto foi válido tanto para os funcionários das companhias aéreas quanto para os do Ministério da Agricultura.

A "reserva" que você faz com a companhia aérea é uma coisa absolutamente empírica, pois nenhuma delas garante 100% o embarque do seu cachorro com antecedência, somente na hora do check-in. Isto se deve, aparentemente, a uma série de confirmações que precisam ser feitas na hora do embarque, como por exemplo a temperatura ao longo de todo o trecho voado, a condição de saúde do animal, a qualidade da caixa de transporte e por aí vai. Se a temperatura estiver muito quente ou muito fria, o cão não poderá embarcar. Se ele estiver doente ou for excessivamente agressivo, não poderá embarcar. Se a caixa de transporte não estiver dentro das normas, o cão não poderá embarcar.

Além disso, algumas companhias possuem uma série de embargos, como por exemplo o embargo de verão. Este embargo em especial significa que em vários meses do ano nenhum animal poderá voar no porão da aeronave devido ao excesso de calor. Outras empresas limitam o transporte de cães com dificuldades respiratórias, como pugs e buldogues. Fora isso há também o limite de idade, pois cães muito novos não podem viajar. Alguns criadores inexcrupulosos forjam a data de nascimento dos filhotes, para que eles embarquem antes da idade mínima recomendada. Isto é totalmente desaconselhável, pois cães muito novos podem ficar permanentemente traumatizados devido ao estresse da viagem e ao barulho dos motores. Apesar de não existir uma regra sobre a idade máxima, o bom senso pede que cães idosos não sejam submetidos a viagens de avião.

Um detalhe importante e sempre contraditório nas fontes de pesquisa é a necessidade de sedação. Pelas regras internacionais, a sedação é absolutamente desaconselhável, tendo em vista os efeitos imprevisíveis em combinação com a altitude. Infelizmente muitos veterinários e muitas companhias aéreas não estão cientes deste fato e por vezes recomendam sedativos para os cães. Muitas vezes são medicamentos leves e visam somente deixar o cachorro levemente sonolento, mas ainda assim é perigoso e viola as regras de segurança que visam o bem-estar do seu pet.

A CAIXA DE TRANSPORTE
Conseguir comprar as caixas de transporte foi um desafio à parte. Imagino que no Sudeste as caixas aprovadas para viagens internacionais devem ser encontradas em toda parte, facilmente, assim como é aqui nos Estados Unidos. Aqui a gente encontra as caixas de uma das melhores marcas, a Petmate, disponíveis nas prateleiras do supermercado, por menos de um terço do preço que se paga no Brasil. Estando no Recife eu não tinha esta facilidade, pois as caixas de transporte disponíveis para vender nas pet shops não são aprovadas para transporte aéreo internacional. Sei que algumas pessoas não se preocupam com isso e usam qualquer caixa, mas eu não queria falhas de segurança para os meus cães e também não queria correr o risco deles serem proibidos de embarcar porque as caixas não estavam dentro das normas.

Algumas empresas alugam as caixas, mas novamente o serviço só está disponível no Sudeste e mesmo assim você precisa voltar para o ponto de partida para devolver as caixas. Restava-me então como única opção comprar pela internet. Existem caixas de transporte de várias marcas cujos fabricantes afirmam que são homologadas para transporte aéreo. Elas podem ser compradas em sites como os da BitCão, da PetSuperMarket, da PetCenterMarginal ou da Cobasi. Entretanto eu vi no site da United Airlines os modelos das travas para caixas de transporte que são aceitas para viagens por esta companhia, e de acordo com as fotos do site, somente eram aceitáveis as caixas da Petmate, com fixação através de parafusos e porcas.

A linha Vari-Kennel da Petmate é mundialmente reconhecida pela qualidade do material, então eu sabia que com uma caixa dessas eu não teria problemas. Mas de todas as muitas lojas virtuais que eu conheço, somente a Cobasi vendia as caixas da Petmate. E a Cobasi na época não entregava no Nordeste (acho que agora já entrega). Outro estresse: como fazer para comprar a caixa? Perguntei a Deus e ao mundo, até que a minha veterinária indicou a Mon Ami Pet World. O site deles é ruim e cheio de falhas, e os produtos são superfaturados, mas era a minha única opção. Finalmente consegui comprar com eles a caixa de transporte para a minha cocker, depois de passar pelo dilema de qual tamanho escolher. Pesquisei em várias fontes o tamanho adequado para um cocker spaniel, porém como sempre as referências eram contraditórias e a maioria das fontes usava como base o cocker americano, menor e mais leve do que o cocker inglês.

É importante observar que existem regras para escolher a caixa de transporte adequada, e isso inclui o tamanho do seu cachorro e o peso dele, além do material de que é feita a caixa e do seu sistema de travas, como comentei mais acima. Se por acaso o seu peludo ficar no meio do caminho entre um tamanho e outro de caixa de transporte, prefira o tamanho maior. Obviamente, as regras para a escolha da caixa também não são unânimes, mas por segurança eu preferi seguir o que determinam as regras internacionais. Apesar de meus cães já terem suas respectivas caixas de transporte para viagens de carro, nenhuma delas era homologada para viagens aéreas (principalmente internacionais), então eu tive de comprar novas (e essas coisas não são baratas!).

Para os cães que viajam na cabine, os limites de tamanho das caixas de transporte são simplesmente impossíveis de cumprir. Eu sinceramente desconheço um cão que caiba confortavelmente numa caixa de transporte com tamanho suficiente para entrar embaixo da poltrona da aeronave, como é exigido. Dois dos meus peludos são bem pequenos, pesando cerca de 2,5 Kg cada, e ainda assim a menor caixa de transporte rígida que existe no mercado é grande demais para os limites das companhias aéreas. A solução é usar bolsas de transporte próprias para pets, mas é importante escolher um modelo dentro das normas, com fundo rígido e telas nas laterais. A bolsa é flexível e pode se adaptar ao confinamento da área embaixo da poltrona da aeronave, mas o cão lá dentro terá de ficar deitado, porque sentado ele não vai caber. As bolsas de transporte são mais leves do que as caixas e mais fáceis de carregar para cima e para baixo dentro dos aeroportos, coisa de grande valia na maratona que é conseguir embarcar com cães no Brasil. Comprei as minhas na PetSuperMarket.

A natureza naturalmente limpa da grande maioria dos cães adultos (filhotes são um caso à parte, hehe) faz com que eles evitem de todas as formas sujar o local onde estão pisando, mas se estiverem muito apertados, eles farão as necessidades mesmo num espaço confinado. Além do mais, sempre há o risco de vômitos. Portanto, por precaução, as companhias aéreas exigem que o fundo, tanto das caixas quanto das bolsas de transporte, seja coberto com material absorvente. Eu optei por usar tapetes higiênicos e levei alguns extras dentro da minha bolsa. No final não foi necessário, porque nenhum dos meus 3 cães sujou a sua área, mas eu sempre sigo a linha do "better safe than sorry".

As bolsas de transporte contam como um volume de bagagem de mão, então se você for como eu e a maioria dos mortais e só tiver direito a levar uma única bagagem de mão, saiba que ela será o seu peludo e que além disso você só poderá levar uma bolsa feminina à tiracolo *ou* uma pasta de laptop (além de casaco, guarda-chuva, bengala, essas coisas). A caixa de transporte despachada no porão conta como um volume de bagagem também. Apesar disso, tanto para os cães que viajam na cabine quanto para os que vão no porão, existe uma tarifa extra a ser paga, além do custo da sua própria passagem. Algumas companhias cobram pelo peso do cão mais a caixa, outras cobram um valor fixo por animal. Em ambos os casos, os valores não são baratos.

Como viajar de avião com cães - parte 1

2009-07-05T03:19:00.028-03:00

Como eu já disse antes, viajar de avião com cães no Brasil é uma verdadeira maratona de paciência. A minha batalha pessoal deve ter demorado mais do que a média porque eu tinha de transportar 3 peludos, sendo 2 na cabine e um no porão da aeronave. O procedimento todo levou meeeeeeses de pesquisa e preparativos, de frustrações e desespero, mas no final deu tudo certo e estamos os 5 - eu, meu marido, a cocker, a pinscher e o chihuahua - felizes e bem instalados aqui nos EUA.

Perdoem-me mas eu não tenho paciência para relatar toooooooodos os inúúúúúúmeros problemas que tive ao longo do caminho. Acho menos desgastante e mais prático simplesmente postar a solução que deu certo para nós, com comentários aqui e acolá. Espero que isto possa ajudar outros donos a ter uma viagem (relativamente) tranquila. Minha experiência foi absurdamente cansativa mas bem sucedida, e eu realmente espero não precisar repetir a dose. No meu caso eu não tinha opção senão trazer os cães comigo (porque eu me mudei para os EUA), mas se alguém vai viajar de férias ou não vai passar muito tempo no destino, meu conselho é pensar 1.000 vezes antes de levar o cachorro junto.

No nosso caso os principais problemas eram: estar no Nordeste (e não no Sudeste) - onde há uma limitação muito grande de informações e de opções de viagens para os EUA - e viajar com 3 cães ao mesmo tempo. No meio do processo nós tentamos contratar duas agências de viagens diferentes, pensando que para eles seria mais fácil e mais rápido testar todas as possibilidades de roteiros e de companhias aéreas. Mas no final a falta de conhecimento e/ou a falta de interesse falou mais alto e as soluções por eles apresentadas eram totalmente insatisfatórias. Exemplos: deixar um dos cachorros no Brasil ou fazer um roteiro que nos obrigava a ficar de molho num dos aeroportos por 8 horas seguidas.

Para que ficasse a contento, eu mesma tive de checar as opções disponíveis diretamente com as companhias aéreas, verificando os respectivos sites, ligando para cada uma, analisando as restrições individuais, indo no aeroporto, fazendo e cancelando reservas, enfim, um trabalho árduo, cansativo, irritante e estressante. Num mar infindável de atendentes grosseiros, impacientes e desinformados, eu encontrei apenas duas ilhas de competência: duas atendentes abençoadas que checaram todas as possibilidades com eficiência, simpatia e empatia. Com a ajuda delas eu testei inúmeros roteiros, mas apenas um daria certo: passar 30 horas para chegar no destino, enfrentando 3 voos diferentes. Então eu tentei detalhar todo o roteiro para a agência de viagens apenas emitir os bilhetes. Ainda assim não valia a pena, pois comprar através da agência ficava muuuuuuuito mais caro. Nós resolvemos fechar diretamente com as respectivas companhias aéreas (A TAM e a United Airlines) e no final eu sabia mais sobre as regras para embarque de cães do que todos eles juntos.

Um fator que altera bastante o procedimento para embarque de pets é se a viagem será nacional ou internacional. Outra consideração importantíssima é o país de destino no caso de viagens internacionais. As regras são muito mais rigorosas para viagens internacionais e ainda por cima mudam muito dependendo do país de destino. É preciso checar com antecedência quais os documentos necessários, pois alguns destinos, como a Europa, exigem documentos que demandam muito tempo para ficarem prontos. Minha sorte foi estar viajando para os EUA, cujas regras são beeeem light se comparadas às de outros países.

Aí surgiu o primeiro de todos os problemas: onde ler sobre as regras de cada país? Precisa deixar de quarentena? Precisa colocar microchip? Precisa fazer o teste de anticorpos? Eu saí pingando de fonte em fonte, de indicação em indicação, mas ninguém sabia informar nada concreto, completo e que não deixasse dúvidas. Nem os veterinários que eu consultei, nem o escritório do Ministério da Agricultura que fica no aeroporto, nem o Consulado Americano da minha cidade, nem a Anvisa. Liguei para todos eles. Os sites das companhias aéreas também não ajudaram muito neste aspecto, e menos ainda o atendimento pelo telefone. O site da Doc-Dog, empresa especializada no transporte aéreo de animais, tem uma compilação muito boa, listando as regras para vários destinos. Mas pelo menos uma coisa está errada neste site: eles dizem que para viajar para os EUA é preciso microchip, o que não é verdade. Confirmei antes com o Ministério da Agricultura e nenhum dos meus três cães precisou ser microchipado.

Aqui eu gostaria de abrir um parêntese super importante: eu pesquisei muuuuuuuuuito, consultei vááááááááááárias fontes e *n-ã-o* vou saber citar precisamente onde consegui cada informação. Eu só sei que agora tenho um banco de dados na minha cabeça que vou tentar descrever com o máximo de detalhes possível aqui no blog, mas eu aconselho fortemente que os interessados no assunto também pesquisem pelo menos nas fontes listadas abaixo. Todas me ajudaram de uma forma ou de outra, lembrando que a minha pesquisa foi 100% focada em viagens para os EUA. Checar e complementar as informações de uma fonte com as de outra é uma garantia extra de que você não vai esquecer de providenciar nada. *Ne-nhu-ma* fonte tem todas as informações (o que é um absurdo) e é preciso ler trocentas páginas para achar de grão em grão os dados necessários. As principais fontes que eu indico são:

- Sites das companhias aéreas, mesmo aquelas que você não vai usar (United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, TAM, TAP, Lufthansa, Air France, etc.)
- Sites dos Departamentos de Agricultura do Brasil e dos EUA
- Site da Associação de Transporte Aéreo Internacional (IATA)
- Sites independentes mas confiáveis (Doc-Dog, Dog Times, Cachorro Paraguaio, etc.)
- Sites de fabricantes de caixas/bolsas de transporte (Petmate, Chalesco, etc.)
- Conversar com pessoas que já viajaram com pets

O site da Doc-Dog é muito bom, bem completo e me ajudou enormemente, porém o atendimento deles deixou muito a desejar. Num determinado momento no meio do processo, quando bateu o desespero pois eu não conseguia uma solução para embarcar a cocker comigo, eu pensei em contratar os serviços de uma empresa especializada no ramo. As minhas pesquisas em busca de referências quase sempre apontaram para a Doc-Dog. Liguei para eles mais de uma vez, deixei recados e passei e-mails, mas estou até hoje aguardando que eles me enviem um orçamento. Não recebi deles uma única resposta sequer, apesar de todos os contatos que fiz. No final das contas a cocker veio no mesmo avião que eu e não foi preciso terceirizar o serviço com ninguém, o que foi ótimo pois eu pude acompanhar pessoalmente o embarque dela em cada um dos três voos (Recife/São Paulo, São Paulo/Chicago e Chicago/Omaha).

No próximo post começa o passo-a-passo desta loooooonga jornada.

UPDATE 1: Hoje, 20/07/09, recebi um e-mail bastante atencioso do pessoal da Doc-Dog. Vejam abaixo.

Olá, Sandra. Boa tarde!

Lemos em seu blog e ficamos felizes em saber que deu tudo certo em sua viagem.

Fiquei muito surpreso ao ver que não tinha sido respondida por nós e resolvi averiguar a situação. Verifiquei o problema: os e-mails que respondemos foram enviados a outra Sandra. Por isso você acabou ficando sem resposta. Realmente um grande erro de nossa parte.

Pedimos desculpas se faltamos em um momento que precisava de nossos serviços. Mas realmente o problema foi um erro operacional, como pode ver abaixo. O e-mail de outra Sandra deve ter sido preenchido automaticamente.

Tomaremos precauções para que isso não aconteça novamente. Obrigado por avisar. De qualquer forma, ficamos felizes em saber que deu tudo certo com a Kayla e que ela está bem junto de você aí nos EUA.

Nossa resposta que acabou não chegando até você está aí abaixo do e-mail.

Atenciosamente,

Luis Fernando Oliveira
DOC-DOG - Preparação de Animais para Viagens Internacionais
Tel: (11) 3013-2648 / 8506-4850 skype: luis.imperator
www.doc-dog.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Doc-Dog (docdog@doc-dog.com)
Date: 2009/6/19
Subject: Re: Sobre a viagem de Kayla
To: Sandra (xxxxx@globo.com)

Olá, Sandra. Boa tarde!

Finalmente, consegui os valores para o frete aéreo até Omaha.

Baseando-me numa caixa Gulliver nº4, o valor dos fretes aéreos são de:
Recife - São Paulo (pela Gol): R$490
São Paulo - Omaha (pela Continental): US$1065
Emissão de documentação, pernoite em hotelzinho para animais, taxi-dog do aeroporto ao hotel e do hotel ao aeroporto: R$550

Em caso de dúvida, ficaremos felizes em esclarecer!

Atenciosamente,

Luis Fernando Oliveira
DOC-DOG - Preparação de Animais para Viagens Internacionais
Tel: (11) 3013-2648 / 8506-4850 skype: luis.imperator
www.doc-dog.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Doc-Dog (docdog@doc-dog.com)
Date: 2009/6/5

Olá, Sandra. Boa noite!

Infelizmente não consegui as informações de frete para o aeroporto de Omaha, NE ainda hoje. Terei as informações na segunda-feira.

Em caso de dúvida, ficaremos felizes em esclarecer!

Atenciosamente,

Luis Fernando Oliveira
DOC-DOG - Preparação de Animais para Viagens Internacionais
Tel: (11) 3013-2648 / 8506-4850 skype: luis.imperator
www.doc-dog.com

UPDATE 2: Vide abaixo link com a lei que informa que a GTA (Guia de Trânsito Animal) não é mais obrigatória para o transporte de cães e gatos. O tópico que fala isso é o Art. 3º.

Legislação Guia de Trânsito Animal

É um cachorro ou um cão?

2009-07-02T16:13:00.000-03:00

A primeira vez que ouvi o português de Portugal para valer foi quando vim pela primeira vez para cá. Antes, no Brasil, tinha ouvido na TV ou mesmo de portugueses que estavam vivendo algum tempo fora e que já tinham mudado um pouco o jeito de falar. Mas nada se compara a à experiência do dia-a-dia.

Não é difícil. [Eu tive o prazer de dar uma passadinha rápida em Portugal e não entendia quase nada que os portugueses falavam. Eles falam rápido e o sotaque é super forte!] Com um pouquinho de tempo acostumamos os ouvidos e se perdemos uma ou outra palavra por conta do sotaque, acabamos entendendo pelo contexto da conversa. Já houve ocasiões, no entanto, em que não consegui entender uma só palavra, principalmente se o interlocutor era uma pessoa idosa e do norte do país.

As diferenças entre o português de Portugal e do Brasil são tão evidentes que é muito comum encontrar pessoas que dizem que a Língua que falamos é o “brasileiro”. Sério! [Pelo menos lá ninguém acha que falamos espanhol, como acontece aqui nos EUA]

Nas primeiras vezes imaginei que fosse algum tipo de segregação ou até ignorância. Depois descobri que é apenas uma forma de referir-se às diferenças óbvias.

No dia-a-dia, enquanto aprende-se novas palavras, acontecem situações inusitadas e engraçadas [além de constrangedoras, como aconteceu comigo]. Algumas a gente memoriza bem rápido, pela própria necessidade da utilização, como nos meios de transporte. Não demora e sabemos que ônibus é autocarro, trem é comboio, bonde é eléctrico e que a faixa de pedestres é passadeira.

Outras palavras, no entanto, são as mesmas. Apenas o seu uso é que é diferente. Por exemplo, um dia estava passeando com o Ollie, meu cachorro, quando uma senhora muito educada fez-lhe um carinho e perguntou-me:

“É um cachorro ou um cão?”

Eu fiquei confuso, claro. Afinal, não estaria ela falando do mesmo bicho?

A senhora, percebendo meu sotaque e minha cara de interrogação, ajudou-me. Ela perguntou a idade do Ollie. Quando eu disse que ele ainda não tinha completado um ano, esclareceu a dúvida. Tratava-se ainda de um cachorro. Somente quando fosse adulto poderia ser chamado de cão. [Isso é muito legal, haha!]

Vivendo e aprendendo.

É possível aprender muito ao ler jornais ou ver TV. Mas é nas ruas e conversando com as pessoas que aparecem todos os dias novas palavras. Por exemplo: a malta (a turma), fixe (legal, chocante), puto (menino, criança), rés-do-chão (andar térreo), saloio (grosseiro, velhaco), berma (acostamento) foram palavras que aprendi ouvindo e utilizando. E há muitas outras.

Essas situações engraçadas e curiosas são uma grande oportunidade não só para aprender, mas também para ajudar a perceber o quanto a nossa Língua Portuguesa é rica. Só acho uma pena que no Brasil o contato com o português de Portugal seja ainda pequeno se comparado com o quanto o “brasileiro” é falado por aqui.

Fonte

Movies Falsely Claim ‘No Animals Were Harmed’

2009-07-01T17:36:00.000-03:00

The American public and much of the international community look for the “No Animals Were Harmed”(R) end-credit disclaimer at the end of theatrical films. It is their assurance that the animal actors used in those productions were not killed or injured in any way, and that their well-being and safety were assured by the trusted, credible and historic American Humane Association. However, some recent movies are misleading the public.

The movies falsely using the AHA are creating a significant breach of trust with audiences by inserting unauthorized “No Animals Were Harmed” end credits that have not been granted by American Humane, and whose productions were not monitored on-set by American Humane and its international cadre of highly trained Certified Animal Safety Representatives(TM).

“American Humane sets standards of care for animals in entertainment, upholds our Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media, and records objective reports from the set attesting to the treatment of the animals,” said Karen Rosa, American Humane’s vice president in charge of its Film & TV Unit. “Films that meet these standards are eligible to carry the end credit, and this misuse of American Humane’s registered trademark is an affront to those producers who legitimately and conscientiously meet those standards.”

American Humane’s Film & TV Unit, based in the Los Angeles area, exposed these recent films as using deceptive and unauthorized end credits:

– "Adam" by Olympus Pictures, Deer Path Productions, Serenade Films, Vox3 Films.
– "District 9" by WingNut Films Limited, Key Creatives and LLC/QED Intl.
– "Easy Virtue" by Ealing Studios, Fragile Films, Endgame Ent., Odyssey Ent.
– "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" by Number 9 Films.
– "Shrink" by Ignite Entertainment, Ignite Productions, Ithaka Entertainment and Trigger Street Productions.

In each instance, American Humane has sent the production entities, studios and/or distributors a cease-and-desist letter demanding that the unauthorized end-credit disclaimers be removed immediately from the theatrical version, the DVD version and any other versions they are releasing. Some studios and producers have indicated they will remove the illegitimate credit, while others are making excuses or taking no action and, thus, are potentially compounding possible infringement of American Humane’s protected trademark. This furthers the willful deception of the public as to the veracity of the safety and well-being of the animals used in those films.

“We encourage filmmakers to work with American Humane, and for distributors to verify the legitimacy of the ‘No Animals Were Harmed’(R) credit, before approving and finalizing any film prints for theatrical release or DVD distribution,” Rosa noted. “Viewers, too, should always look for the ‘No Animals Were Harmed’(R) end credit, and they can check our Web site, www.americanhumane.org/film to see what rating we assigned to films, based on their use of animals, and to find out how the animal action was achieved on films that we monitored.”

Fonte

The greatest dog breeds you think you know

2009-07-01T16:30:00.000-03:00

When it comes to choosing the right dog, it's not reality that bites. It's the seemingly endless list of myths and misconceptions that result in too many people bringing a dog into their family that's exactly the wrong one for them while passing up a dog who might have been a perfect match.

Take two of the dog world's least-known treasures, rescued pit bulls and retired racing greyhounds. Far more of these dogs are available for adoption than ever find homes.

Pit bulls and pit bull mixes are the most common dogs killed in many shelters because no one will adopt them. As for greyhounds, there is a vast network of rescue organizations trying to help them find homes, but there are always more dogs than adopters.

Sadly, far too many of these dogs are rejected or never considered at all, not because they're actually the wrong dog for a particular home, but because the potential adopter doesn't actually see the dog sitting in front of him. Instead, he sees the idea of the dog he has in his head.

Pit bulls

There's no more maligned type of dog than the vast and diverse group of dogs known, rightly or wrongly, as "pit bulls." I say "type of dog" rather than breed because the pit bull is not a single breed of dog, but a group of breeds and mixed breeds favored by dog fighters for their toughness, scrappiness, muscular bodies and willingness to fight with other dogs.

And I say "wrongly" because recent research suggests that many of the dogs in shelters that are identified as pit bulls or pit bull mixes don't actually carry the DNA of any of the breeds normally classified as pit bulls.

Instead, a Labrador retriever or boxer ancestor blessed the dog with a short coat and boxy head, and the next thing you know, some fetch-crazy goofball without a drop of dog-aggression in his stocky body is left without a home, labeled as a pit bull.

But it's not just ersatz pit bulls that are the victims of prejudice. The real thing is just as frequently misjudged and stereotyped.

Just ask Donna Reynolds, co-founder of the legendary organization Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls (BAD RAP).

"All you have to do to get an idea of how many types of pit bulls exist in people's minds is to walk down the street with one," said Reynolds. "Some people rush over to say hello. Others cross the street. These dogs evoke strong reactions and controversy just by wagging their tails."

So, just who is the real pit bull? Good question. "These dogs have such a wide range of personality types, from couch potato to ones who want to run around all day -- as long as it's with you -- and everything in between," she said. "People need to look at each dog as an individual, not a breed."

The "classic" or "real" American pit bull terrier is an outgoing, confident, people-loving dog that puts his heart and soul into everything he does.

"That includes climbing into your lap, digging out of an inadequately fenced yard, competing in canine agility trials or just following you around the house," Reynolds said. "Intelligence, determination, trainability and a good sense of humor are the hallmarks of the breed."

Pit bulls may be crazy about people, but that's not always the case. "They're terriers, and like all terriers, aggression towards other animals is not uncommon," she cautioned. "And like all dogs, pit bulls and their owners need training to become a good people/dog ambassador team."

The reality is that even pit bulls from known fighting backgrounds, covered in fight scars, often turn out to be complete sweethearts -- even with other dogs. One of the best-known examples of this is Hector, a squirming, face-kissing bundle of love who is a certified therapy dog today, but started out his life as a fighter at Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels.

Thousands of dogs seized from fighting rings, including many other Vick dogs as well as those from lesser-known busts, are safe, friendly, much-loved family pets today.

Of course, that's not the case with all pit bulls. Some are only good choices for the most experienced of "tough dog" owners, and others are too damaged by their early lives to be safe pets in anyone's hands.

If you're interested in adopting a pit bull, there are plenty of resources available to help you do it right. A good shelter or rescue group, such as Pit Bull Rescue Central or the "Ambassadog" program at the Oakland Humane Society, will steer potential adopters to a dog with the right traits for that home.

Unfortunately, there is one tough reality that anyone adopting a pit bull, or even a pit bull look-alike, may not want to face. Some cities, counties, apartment complexes and homeowners' associations ban or regulate pit bulls, and often they base their decisions on a dog's appearance rather than his actual breed, often even in the face of DNA testing that shows they're wrong.

"The hardest thing to cope with is discrimination based on what your dog looks like rather than his personality or behavior," Reynolds said. "You have to have a thick skin and a good backbone."

Racing greyhounds

Racing greyhounds are among the animal kingdom's greatest athletes, which is why so many people, especially if they lead sedentary lives, worry they could never give a retired racing greyhound enough exercise.

But while high-energy working dogs like the border collie or the husky go pretty much stir-crazy if deprived of extreme activity levels and mental stimulation, most track greyhounds have already done all the running they care to do, thank you very much.

Sure, they'll get up off the couch and go for a walk with you. They'll race around happily if let off-leash in a safely fenced area. They might even deign to go jogging with you, if it's not raining.

But they're just as happy to cuddle on the couch and join you in watching "Project Runway" every night. A quick turn around the block or trip to the backyard twice a day for a potty break can be plenty of exercise for a retired racer.

"People worry they'll be wild and crazy dogs that are going to be flying all over the place, and need to be taken several times a day to a big field where they can run in order to be happy," said Barbara Judson of Greyhound Friends for Life, a Bay Area organization dedicated to finding homes for retired racing greyhounds. "The reality is that they're couch potatoes."

Modest exercise needs aren't the only reason these dogs can make great pets, however "Greyhounds are very affectionate, very gentle dogs," Judson said. "They get along well with people and with other dogs, and are extremely sweet and quiet in the house. They shed very little, and need almost no grooming. They don't even have 'doggy odor.'"

Greyhounds aren't small dogs, but they're typically much calmer and quieter in the house than many small breeds of dog. Someone who wants a small dog because she lives in a small space, for instance, might find a tiny powerhouse like a Jack Russell terrier - think Eddie on "Frasier," or PBS' "Wishbone" -- appealing, only to discover this bred-to-the-bone working dog is much more likely to eat the sofa than sit on it while she unwinds after a long work day. Not so the greyhound, who is only too happy to unwind right along with her.

Greyhounds do take a little getting used to compared to more familiar pet dogs. They don't fetch, for instance.

"What they do is grab toys and fling them around and pounce on them over and over," said Judson. "When you come home, they'll dance around and act completely overjoyed to see you for a few minutes, and then go lie down on their bed and go back to sleep."

Although racing greyhounds have become more popular pets in the last few years -- there are now more of them in homes than on the track -- most people have never met one.

If you think a greyhound might be a good choice for you, take advantage of one of GFFL's "meet and greet" events, or a similar event held by one of the many greyhound adoption groups throughout the country.

Of course, Greyhounds, like all dogs, come in all kinds of personality types. Some are shy, and some are rowdy. Some are good with cats and small dogs, and many aren't. Some don't do well in a very active household, and some just decide that they'll go take a nap in the other room until things quiet down.

A good greyhound rescue group will help you make a match with a dog who is right for you and your family.

Keep in mind, this probably isn't the right breed for anyone looking for a dog to take on off-leash hikes, or who expects the dog to use an unfenced yard or potty area.

"Greyhounds have been bred for centuries to chase movement," said Judson. "They can see half a mile in the distance, and have great peripheral vision. You just can't train that instinct to chase anything that moves out of a greyhound."

Choose the dog, not the breed

The bottom line is this: Any one of the hundreds of dog breeds and mixed breeds could be a good or bad choice for you and your family.

Just be sure to ask yourself, as you wander the aisles of the local shelter or click around the Web looking for a dog, if you're choosing or rejecting a particular dog not because of who he is, but who you think he is.

Fonte

Absurdo dito por treinador é publicado no jornal

2009-07-01T15:31:00.000-03:00

Eu não costumo me pronunciar sobre as insanidades que vejo outros profissionais da área de treinamento de cães, famosos ou não, dizendo por aí. Acho uma questão de ética não falar mal do colega, sabe? Falo bem sem o menor problema, faço questão de divulgar o cidadão ou cidadã com o maior prazer do mundo se o trabalho dele/dela for bom. Mas absurdo tem limite e nesse caso não consegui me omitir. Não estou de muito bom humor hoje e essa reportagem veio parar na minha mão na hora errada. Vejam abaixo o que o treinador foi capaz de dizer para o jornal e o jornal ainda teve a capacidade de publicar aqui.

"Paciência, perseverança, firmeza, atenção e muito carinho fazem com que o adestrador [cujo nome substituí por "X"] transforme verdadeiras feras em cães dóceis e obedientes. Há 20 anos no ramo de condicionamento de animais, "X" garante que todo o cão pode ser adestrado, não importando a raça nem a idade. “Existem segredos que eu não posso revelar, mas todo o cachorro pode ser adestrado. Não precisa nem ser de raça”, disse, enquanto usava algumas ordens “de comando” a um cão que adestrava, na calçada da avenida Antônio Trajano dos Santos. Segundo ele, é errado o preconceito de que algumas raças de cães são mais violentas que outras. “Tudo depende do jeito que o animal é criado e educado”, completou."

O que é isso, meu Deus do céu? Vocês têm alguma dúvida sobre o treinamento dos seus cachorros? Podem me perguntar que eu respondo! Meu e-mail é sandra@lordcao.com.br e meu Skype é s.regia. Vocês já conhecem o site www.lordcao.com.br? Lá tem MUITA informação útil para quem quiser consultar e aprender mais sobre cães. E já conhecem esse blog aqui, onde eu republico as principais matérias sobre o mundo canino, acrescidas dos meus comentários pessoais? Tem ainda a loja www.bitcao.com.br que vende livros ótimos para quem quiser dicas de treinamento, além de produtos excelentes que ajudam a solucionar os principais problemas de comportamento dos peludos. Recomendo também os programas de TV de Cesar Millan ("O Encantador de Cães") e de Victoria Stilwell ("Ou Eu ou o Cachorro"), ambos profissionais muito competentes e que sabem do que estão falando. Quem tem de treinar o cão é o PRÓPRIO DONO, seguindo a orientação de um profissional ou sozinho se assim preferir! Que história é essa de "segredos" que não podem ser revelados? E que história é essa de que "não precisa nem ser de raça"? Por acaso os cães de raça são melhores do que os vira-latas? Por favor ME POUPE, pelo amor de Deus!

Homemade ear cleaners

2009-06-30T23:59:00.000-03:00

I used to use expensive ear cleaners, but when I acquired an adult dog who had had chronic ear infections, and came to me with prescription ear medication, my vet told me that it was best to use a simple mixture of white vinegar and water to clean my Cockers ears weekly. I use a small plastic bottle that holds a few ounces and fill it half with the white vinegar and then with water, shake vigorously, and then drop it very carefully into the ear canal--I never "squirt" it into their ears, as my dogs hate that. I then clean out the ears using cotton balls--never going too deeply. I usually do this several times in each ear at each ear cleaning session.

The prescription meds did not clear up my new dog's ear problem, but after about six months of the vinegar/water weekly cleaning, that infection finally went away, and he has never had another ear infection since. I use this simple, and very cheap, mixture to clean all of my Cocker's ears every week, and I NEVER have ear problems.

My vet told me that this simple white vinegar/water solution keeps the ear canal in an "acid" condition, which is not conducive to bacterial or yeast growth. As I currently have nine adult Cockers, this is also helpful financially, as the ear cleaners at PetCo etc. are quite expensive.

[Escrito por Lu do Suwannee Cockers em 5 de fevereiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

I've been using vinegar/water mix for cleaning ears for years. I have found it helps if you make sure the solution (either homemade or store bought) is at room temp or a little warmer. If the solution is cold, it makes it more difficult for the dog to tolerate and is one the reasons why the dogs will fight ear cleaning.

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 6 de fevereiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

The vinegar works fine with ear infections. Even to prevent an ear infection and on healthy ears. If you dog has Ear Mites (that's if the ear has a Really DARK and Dry wax), you should use Mineral Oil to clean their ears.

[Escrito por Cgbotero em 7 de fevereiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Devo cruzar meu cão ou minha cadela?

2009-06-28T19:27:00.000-03:00

Recebi da querida Fernanda Melonio o link para esse texto publicado no Guia Vegano. Achei o texto excelente, aborda vários aspectos que devem ser considerados antes da decisão de ter uma ninhada. A vida é feita de fatos e não de fantasias. A nossa fantasia de hoje não deve ser o pesadelo dos cachorros de amanhã, né?

“Todo mundo que tem uma fêmea pensa em cruzá-la ao menos uma vez [sinceramente e sem nenhuma hipocrisia, eu nunca quis cruzar as minhas, que foram castradas cedo]. Ter uma ninhada parece coisa legal mas cuidar de uma ninhada não é tão legal quanto parece. Criar cães envolve muito mais trabalho e responsabilidade do que as pessoas estão dispostas a ter. Antes de cruzar sua cadela, aqui alguns pontos importantes a considerar:

* Será que todos os filhotes encontrarão lares bons e permanentes? Estatísticas dos Estados Unidos falam que a cada hora nascem cerca de 2500 filhotes e 450 seres humanos. Portanto desde o nascimento, só um em cada quatro filhotes terá chances de encontrar um bom lar. Encontrar um lar permanente é ainda mais difícil, somente um em cada 10 cães permanecem com seus donos originais por toda a sua vida. Cinco trocarão de dono antes de completar um ano de vida. E o saldo terminará em abrigos, abandonados ou indesejados. Mesmo que seu cão seja um cão de raça caro, seus filhotes estão sujeitos às mesmas estatísticas. Milhões de cães serão sacrificados anualmente em instituições ao redor do mundo já que não há lares suficientes para abrigá-los. Há tantos animais abandonados hoje em grandes cidades, que os legisladores já pensam em coibir ou limitar drasticamente a criação de cães.

* Suas responsabilidades como criador/doador: você é pessoalmente responsável por cada filhote pelo resto de suas vidas. Sua responsabilidade não cessa no ato da venda/doação do filhote é bem aí que essa responsabilidade começa! Você é que vai ter que saber exatamente onde esses filhotes estarão daqui a seis meses, um ano ou cinco anos, e saber se os mesmos estão recebendo a atenção necessária. Você será responsável por todos os filhotes não vendidos/não doados e receber de volta aqueles que serão devolvidos após terem crescidos e seus donos não mais os quiserem. Como somente um em cada 10 filhotes ficará com seu dono original por toda a sua vida, você terá que estar preparado a receber de volta uma boa parte de sua ninhada. A hora de se preparar para isso é agora, antes de trazer novos filhotes para esse mundo, não depois.

* Você terá espaço para esses cães? Tempo para cuidar deles? Parece que ter uma só ninhada não terá grande efeito sobre a população canina em geral mas se sua cadela tiver uma só ninhada de quatro filhotes e cada filhote produzir mais quatro filhotes, em 7 anos teremos 4.000 descendentes! “Somente uma ninhada” tem sérias conseqüências! Você terá que aprender a escrever e exigir cumprimento de um contrato que exige que os donos dos filhotes castrem os mesmos. Você tem a responsabilidade perante seus filhotes e seus donos de criar cães os mais saudáveis, física e mentalmente.

* Todas as raças possuem problemas genéticos e de temperamento específicos que podem ser passados aos seus filhotes. Muitos defeitos hereditários estão “escondidos” apesar de que seu cão possa não apresentá-los, ele poderá estar programado geneticamente a transmiti-los a seus filhotes. Sem exames caros e complexos e um estudo aprofundado de pedigrees, você poderá facilmente estar produzindo filhotes que serão uma dor de cabeça para seus donos e um peso financeiro para você. Criadores sérios avaliam seus padreadores e suas matrizes para encontrar evidências de displasia, doenças oculares, de coração, de tireóide, hormonal, de pele, alergias e problemas de coagulação antes mesmo de pensar em fazer um cruzamento. Como criador você deve estar preparado para dar garantias aos novos donos que os filhotes estão livres das doenças hereditárias típicas da raça quando atingirem idade adulta. Isso pode significar o reembolso de dinheiro daqui a alguns anos ou ter que oferecer um novo filhote sem custo.

* Com a nova legislação, criadores sem experiência poderão estar reembolsando até três vezes o valor recebido hoje daqui a três anos, adicionado de despesas veterinárias, correção monetária e multa. E temperamento também está sujeito a garantias. Você poderá ser processado se o filhote que você vendeu ontem morder alguém amanhã. Você terá que estar presente para dar aos donos conselhos sobre treinamento e comportamento.

* Você é o “suporte on-line”, 24 horas por dia, 365 dias por ano, para os novos donos, e isso pelos próximos 10 a 15 anos! Ter uma ninhada sai caro: Criar uma ninhada exige um considerável investimento de tempo e dinheiro que certamente não voltará sob forma de lucro. Depois virão os exames pré-natais, ultra-som, exames pós-parto, vacinação e vermifugação, remoção de ergot (5ª unha), alimentação adicional para a mãe, equipamento como caixa de parto, cercado, etc. Partos com complicação são mais comuns do que se imagina (especialmente se for o primeiro parto da cadela). E problemas durante o parto poderão custar a vida da cadela! Você pode calcular uma taxa de mortalidade de 25% para os recém-nascidos, mesmo fazendo tudo corretamente. E defeitos de nascimento como palatos abertos são comuns. Depois disso virão custos para anúncios para a venda dos filhotes. Mesmo criadores de cães campeões raramente obtém algum lucro na sua criação.

Antes de continuar a ler, pense bem sobre as razões que fazem você desejar criar uma ninhada. Aqui algumas das mais comuns:

* “A natureza fez com que os animais procriassem”. Não é mais a natureza que controla a carreira reprodutiva dos nossos animais de estimação, as pessoas é que o fazem. A natureza age de maneira bem diferente. No ambiente selvagem a natureza se encarrega que somente os filhotes mais fortes e espertos sobrevivam para criar novos descendentes. E a natureza só permite às cadelas ficarem férteis quando há alimento suficiente e um ambiente seguro, para garantir a sobrevivência da ninhada. Nós humanos permitimos que nossos animais procriem a qualquer tempo, tenham um futuro assegurado ou não.

* “Estamos fazendo isso pelas crianças”. Assistir ao milagre da natureza não é tudo aquilo que se diz. É um acontecimento cheio de sujeira e sangue e quase sempre acontece no meio da noite. É doloroso para a cadela e seu sofrimento pode ser mais do que você deseja que seus filhos assistam. Existem vídeos e livros que mostram às crianças o milagre do nascimento sem os custos e a responsabilidade de criar novos cães.

* “Queremos um outro cão igual a este”. Os filhotes terão 50% de chance de puxar traços do outro cão! Seu cão é único e especial. As leis de hereditariedade impedem que dois seres sejam idênticos. A maioria das qualidades que fazem sua cadela tão especial é adquirida, não herdada [não concordo com isso, mas que a chance de ter um cão igual ao seu é inexistente, isso é verdade].

* “Queremos ficar com um filhote”. É bem mais barato e mais fácil comprar ou adotar um novo filhote do que criá-lo você mesmo!

* “Todos nossos amigos querem um filhote”. Qualquer pessoa que viu sua cadela quando filhote dirá que “um dia” vai querer uma igual. Mas esse dia raramente coincide com a época em que os filhotes estão prontos para ir aos seus novos lares. Você ficará surpreso de quantas pessoas subitamente não tem tempo disponível para um filhote no momento ou não estão dispostas a pagar o preço que você está cobrando. Não conte com promessas vagas! Encontrar lares adequados para os filhotes é mais difícil que parece. Nem todo mundo deve ou pode ter um cão e é quase impossível saber a diferença entre um bom e um mau dono. Você terá que ter uma grande capacidade de julgamento de caráter e estar disposto a investir tempo considerável para conhecer melhor as pessoas às quais você planeja vender/doar um filhote. Será que eles tem a experiência para criar e treinar um filhote?

* “Ela precisa ter uma relação sexual”… Ou …”Ele precisa abaixar o facho”. Não nos dois casos. O sexo dos animais é controlado por hormônios. Não existe amor, emoção ou pensamento envolvido. Uma fêmea somente “pensa” em sexo quando está no cio e ela esquece isso assim que o cio passa. E os machos somente pensam em sexo ao estarem próximos de uma fêmea no cio. Deixar o macho cruzar não vai “abaixar o facho” vai sim fazê-lo ficar pior. Ficará mais territorial e agressivo perante outros cães, poderá voltar a sujar dentro de casa e poderá ficar incontrolável caso haja uma fêmea no cio próximo à sua casa. O macho que nunca cruzou desconhece e não sente falta de cruzar. “Abaixar o facho”, seja de um macho ou de uma fêmea, é questão de maturidade e treinamento e não de cruza. Não existe fundamento na sabedoria popular que cães devem cruzar ao menos uma vez antes de serem castrados. Se algum veterinário der esse conselho, tenha certeza que ele está atrasado no tempo. Pesquisas demonstram que castrar cães ainda filhotes não causa nenhum efeito negativo. Castrar uma fêmea antes do primeiro cio pode prevenir alguns tipos de câncer e infecções urinárias sérias. E castrar um macho não tira sua masculinidade. Muito pelo contrário, esse macho se tornará um animal mais fácil de ser treinado e possibilitará que ele canalize sua energia para atividades mais construtivas.

* “Queremos recuperar o investimento em nosso cão”. Como dito acima, será muito difícil obter algum lucro na criação. Criar uma ninhada certamente resultará em prejuízo. Você provavelmente comprou um cão para ter um companheiro e ter prazer. Mesmo tendo pago R$500,00 isso é um investimento de somente R$50,00 por ano, se o mesmo viver 10 anos, ou seja, menos de R$1,00 por semana. Será que o companheirismo e amor que ele retorna não valem mais do que isso?

Aprendendo a criar com responsabilidade: Se você assim mesmo acha que possui razões excepcionalmente boas para usar seu cão para criação e para toda a responsabilidade que isso envolve, seu trabalho está somente começando.

Procriar cães hoje em dia é assunto sério. Antes de seguir adiante, visite o Centro de Zoonoses mais próximo à sua casa e veja o que acontece com cães que foram criados por pessoas que pensavam que seria “divertido” ter uma ninhada.

O “milagre da morte” pela eutanásia é tão educador quanto o “milagre da vida”. Se você assim mesmo decidir criar cães, esteja ao menos consciente das conseqüências. Valerá a pena? Na maioria dos casos, a resposta é não. A decisão de NÃO cruzar seu animal de estimação é uma das decisões mais inteligentes, educadas e profundas que você pode fazer. Pense nisso e releia todo esse texto. E só depois decida.”

Fonte

Cena de filme

2009-06-28T16:32:00.000-03:00

Sabe quando você vê um cachorro ENORME correndo em câmera lenta nos filmes? Pois foi exatamente isso que aconteceu ontem conosco, durante o passeio com os peludos. Um ENORME dogue alemão preto se soltou e veio correndo em nossa direção. Mas o que eu vi foi a cena em câmera lenta, aquele bichão com as pernas maiores do que as minhas, correndo com as orelhas balançando para lá e para cá e a bocona aberta com meio metro de língua do lado de fora. Em câmera lenta. Repito, eu vi em câmera lenta. E tive tempo para falar para o meu marido não se mexer e de dar uma olhada na posição que estavam meus três cães. Segurei a cocker pela coleira e aguardei o impacto. Sim, porque eu tinha certeza que aquele tanque de guerra iria esbarrar com toda a força na gente e derrubar todo mundo no chão!

Mas não foi bem isso que aconteceu, apesar dele ter atravessado a rua com toda a velocidade que aquelas pernonas permitem. Ele veio pra cima da gente com tudo mesmo, mas quando chegou perto ele parou e começou a meter aquele focinho ENORME nos meus cachorros. A cabeça desse dogue alemão era maior que dois dos meus peludos juntos! E esses entraram em pânico com o tamanho daquele cachorro. Imagino que a cabeçada do dogue tentando cheirá-los não deve ter sido muito delicada. Tivemos de colocar os dois pequenos no colo, para eles não serem arrastados pelo filhote de cavalo que estava só tentando fazer amizade. A cocker eu deixei no chão mesmo, mas fiquei segurando pela coleira o tempo todo, porque ela não estava nada feliz com aquele cachorro cheirando ela sem pedir permissão.

E aí a gente seguiu andando assim, meio esquisito, eu abaixada segurando a cocker pela coleira, meu marido com os dois cachorros pequenos no braço, e o dogue cheirando todo mundo sem parar (ele não tinha dificuldade nenhuma em cheirar os pequenos mesmo no braço do meu marido, não precisava nem esticar o pescoço nem nada). A gente foi se distanciando da casa de onde o cachorro tinha saído e ele nada de parar de cheirar a gente. Então eu comecei a ficar preocupada por ele. Percebi que ele não tinha coleira nem medalha de identificação. De alguma forma conseguiu se soltar e estava achando a liberdade muito divertida. Ele voava como uma flecha para lá e para cá, marcando os arbustos com xixi e voltando para cheirar a gente. Mesmo correndo muito rápido, e cruzando nosso caminho a toda velocidade (tão perto que dava para sentir o vento atrás dele), em nenhum momento ele esbarrou nem pulou na gente.

Mas a cada passo ele se distanciava mais e mais da casa dele. Daqui a pouco ele viu outro cão do outro lado da rua, um labrador, e atravessou correndo para conhecer o outro amiguinho. Quando eu digo correndo eu não estou sendo específica o suficiente. Em 3 passadas ele cruzou a rua. Por sorte aqui é uma cidade muito tranquila e durante todo o tempo que eu acompanhei o bichão solto, só passou um único carro. E ainda assim passou devagar. Mas eu tenho pena é do carro se batesse nele, tenho certeza que ia estragar bastante o carro, não o cão. O carro pareceu de brinquedo perto do peludo (exageros à parte, lógico, deus-me-livre que um carro batesse nele!!!). E lá ia aquele lindo dogue alemão (eu adoro essa raça), feliz da vida, pulando e correndo todo serelepe, sem se dar conta de que se afastava mais e mais da segurança da casa dele.

Até que finalmente o dono percebeu, saiu correndo da casa e veio falar com a gente, dizendo que o cachorro era inofensivo (ele já ia loooonge, já tinha cansado de cheirar a gente e o labrador do outro lado da rua, se não fosse inofensivo e a gente dependesse do dono para nos proteger, estávamos fritos). E lá se foi o dono correndo a largas passadas atrás do cachorro. O dono pareceu um playmobil quando chegou perto do bicho e eu queria mesmo ver como ele ia levar aquele dogue de volta, porque como eu falei o peludo estava sem coleira. A cada passo que o dono dava para se aproximar dele, ele dava meio passo e se afastava 2 metros. No final eles saíram da nossa vista e nós não pudemos acompanhar o desfecho da empreitada, o que foi uma pena. Colocamos os pequenos no chão e continuamos o passeio, rindo da nossa aventura!

Mimos que podem estragar a saúde do seu cão

2009-06-27T23:39:00.001-03:00

De tanto ver e ler que vida de cachorro hoje inclui moda, estilo, culinária e salões de beleza, procurei um personal dog stylist (é assim mesmo o nome no Brasil) para entender se os cães estão perdendo sua dignidade de animais. E se tornando fashion-victims (é assim em português...). Não é mistério que os cães hoje convivem com tinturas, escovas e hidratação de chocolate, chapinha, cortes Chanel, cílios postiços, piercings, pompons, joias, tatuagens e toda sorte de frescuras e breguices, até mesmo o bindi indiano, a bijuteria no meio da testa popularizada pela novela Caminho das Índias.

Muitos desses mimos divulgados pela mídia podem fazer mal à saúde física de seu animal doméstico, ou melhor, “pet” (é assim que se fala no Brasil). Além disso, esses cachorros travestidos de humanos podem adquirir traumas e desenvolver atitudes anti-sociais. E acabam no divã. Ou melhor, no psicólogo canino. De tanto serem mimados, tornam-se cães malas e neuróticos – que latem para todos, fazem xixi em casa ou na cama do dono, e arrancam os próprios pelos para chamar a atenção.

Minha surpresa foi topar com um jovem dog-stylist extremamente sério, João Alt, de 26 anos, que é contra todos os exageros, e prefere mesmo não ser chamado pela expressão em inglês. Quase tudo, neste mercado, é em inglês. Dog care (cuidados). Dog walk (levar o cão para passear). Baby dog (cercadinho nos shoppings para o dono ir ao cinema descansado). E por aí vai.

João é um tratador particular de cães. Ele zela pela beleza do cachorro, por sua saúde e tranquilidade, enfim, por seu bem-estar. Na foto acima, está um cão tratado por João Alt - sem frescuras nem modismos ou crueldades.

Sua história é de amor genuíno por cachorros. Aos 12 anos, mudou-se com a família de Rondônia para Belém do Pará. O pai lhe deu um cão Yorkshire para ajudá-lo na adaptação em outro estado. O nome era Cawae (cauái – que quer dizer bonito em japonês). João começou a pesquisar e aprender tudo sobre cães. Ia a exposições, virou mascote dos grandes colecionadores, conheceu várias raças e passou a entender sobre estrutura, cor do pelo, e como deixar um cachorro impecável, valorizando o que ele tem de melhor.

Fugiu de casa para o Rio aos 16 anos. Trabalhava com exposições e em pet-shops. Dava banhos, fazia tosas. Mas tinha problemas com os dois tipos de trabalho. Nas exposições, logo descobriu que o QI (quem indica) era muito importante para garantir o primeiro prêmio – juízes também eram criadores, uns eram parentes, outros amigos, havia muito tráfico de influência... Nada muito diferente do Congresso.

Nas pet-shops, faltava tempo para um tratamento personalizado, mais cuidadoso. Em meia hora, diz João, é impossível dar um banho meticuloso. Ele se sentia frustrado, queria mais. Foi para a Argentina, ficou trabalhando em canis durante meses, comprou livros ingleses, fez cursos de educação animal, aprimorou seu conhecimento.

“Cães são muito sensíveis e eu queria dar atenção exclusiva a eles. Por isso, comecei há oito anos a atender a domicílio e ser meu próprio patrão”.

Mora em Ipanema, zona sul e nobre do Rio de Janeiro, tem 30 clientes cachorros fixos, alguns de um dono só. Às vezes, vai de skate até o Leblon, vizinho a Ipanema, onde alguns clientes moram. Um deles é o secretário de Saúde do Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cortes.

“A demanda do mercado só aumenta. Mesmo em crise, não para de crescer porque o amor do cão é o único que você pode comprar mas é verdadeiro. E as pessoas querem retribuir dando conforto”.

Volta e meia aparece algum dono pedindo a João “decorações” no cachorro que lhe parecem nocivas ou estapafúrdias. Ele precisa de toda a diplomacia do mundo para explicar (sem dizer que é ridículo) que não vai pintar um cachorro de azul e rosa.

“Eu amo cachorros, mas na natureza deles. Cães não têm de ser humanizados. Agora colam cílios, colam brinco, furam orelha. Colas quentes podem provocar dermatite. Não passo perfume, porque afeta o faro. Hoje, há uns perfumes doces horrorosos para passar no cachorro e que deixam um cheiro muito ruim no dia seguinte”.

João Alt não usa chapinha no pelo do cachorro e só recorre a um secador profissional. “Há pessoas que usam um soprador, que é um aspirador ao contrário. Seca antes de escovar e quebra o pelo do cachorro, sem deixá-lo viçoso. Com um simples secador profissional, a gente não corre o risco de queimar a pele do cão ou de traumatizá-lo. O banho já pode ser estressante para o cachorro. Por isso, todo o manuseio, o corte dos pelos embaixo das patas para que não deslizem, tudo isso deve ser delicado. Eu os coloco no colo para os cortes de maior detalhe. No fim, todos esses adereços hoje na moda não são uma questão de status, como se diz, mas uma maneira de o dono chamar a atenção”.

Para ver mais absurdos como cílios postiços e piercings, clique aqui.

Fonte 1 e Fonte 2

What the Hell is an American Staffordshire Terrier?

2009-06-27T00:00:00.000-03:00

If there was ever a stranger group than young bulldog afficionado's, I have not met them. They are a truely odd bunch of people that lurk at the periphery of the working terrier world.

On the one hand, you have the dog fighters and wanna-be dog fighters. These numbskulls range from preening fakes and short-tooled fools to sick sadists. Any way you cut it, they are a sad case with even sadder dogs.

Then you have a few romantics -- those with rich fantasy lives who imagine their cherry-eyed genetic wrecks with undershot jaws are descended from the iron-tough catch dogs of the 18th Century. They glory in leading around over-large dogs with massive heads, bowed legs, and dysplastic hips. Most of these dogs could not catch a cold, much less a pig running flat out in Texas Hill Country.

And then you have the Kennel Club enthusiasts, and their "American Staffordshire Terriers," "Bull Terriers," "Staffordshire Bull Terriers," and English Bulldogs.

Kennel Club owners of these dogs will tell you they have worked hard to breed all aggression and prey drive out of their charges. And no doubt many have. What a comical thing that is, of course -- a bit like an auto club bragging that their sport cars have no engines.

The only thing is .... it's not always true. "Bad breeding" and "poor socialization" are often blamed when dogs descended from pit and catch dogs attack small children, but ... could it be .... perhaps ... that a small bit of genetic code remains unbraided as well? It is certainly in the realm of possibility, is it not?

In fact, molosser breeds can make fine pets in the right hands, but many of these dogs demand much more time, energy, and commitment than their young owners realize.

A large dog in the hands of a young man with shifting interests and an unstable housing situation (i.e. most young men) is a recipie that too often leads to dead dogs at the County shelter.

There has always been a ready market for intimidating dogs, and it seems a new breed of "ancient bulldog" is created every few years. Pick up any dog magazine and there they are advertised in the back, all of them with massive bully heads: the "Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog" and the "Olde English Bulldogge" and the "American Bulldog," sandwiched between the English, Neopolitan, and Bull Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Dogue de Bordeaux, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileriro and, of course, the English Bulldog. Plocked down in between are other bully-headed prey-driven defensive breeds -- Rottweilers, Akitas, Tosas, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Thai Ridgebacks, and the like.

There have always been men with a need to display power. While the world frowns on a man cleaning an unloaded gun in a public square, it's OK for that same man to tow an enormous dog from corner to corner and park to park -- the canine equivalent of a Harley owner with straight pipes blasting through the neighborhood for the sole purpose of intimidation. If asked, the wanna-be-tough man will explain that his breed was designed to (please pick one): kill escaping slaves, hunt jaguars, fight bears and bulls in the pits, fight other dogs, or catch semi-wild pigs and cows so they can be altered or slaughtered. You are supposed to feel fear, and you are supposed to feel respect for a man in control of such a powerful animal with such an ancient history.

In fact, I generally feel a little amused.

The famed English Bulldog, for example, is mostly Chinese pug -- a show ring creation with legs so deformed it can barely walk, a jaw so undershot it cannot grab a frisbee, and with a face so bracycephalic it cannot breathe. Add to these problems a deformed intestinal system (a by-product of achondroplasia or dwarfism) which makes the dog constantly fart, and a pig tail prone to infection, and you have a dog that considers its own death a blessed relief.

Other molosser breeds are not as wrecked as the English Bulldog, to be sure, but they too are largely the product of the show ring and have little or nothing to do with honest catch dogs or hunting dogs.

A little history is useful here. In England, catch dogs began to disappear with the rise of the Enclosure Movement of the 18th Century. As the Enclosure Movement pushed people off the land and into squalid cities and towns, boredom set in and (in the absence of television, movies, video games, and real theatre), spectacles pitting dogs against bulls, pigs, bears and even monkeys were created for entertainment, much as the Romans had done centuries before.

The dogs used for pit work were different than the catch dogs used a century or two earlier. Pit dogs were quite variable in size, and the goal was to match the dog with its opponent (dog or beast) by weight or sense of threat. While catch dogs had to be fast to catch running stock, and tended to weigh 50-80 pounds (large enough to turn a bull or stop it, but not so large as to be slow), pit dogs weighed anywhere from 10 pounds, in the case of a small ratting terrier, to as much as 140 pounds or more in the case of bear-fighting dogs. Encounters were brief, and no nose at all was required.

Other than rat pits and cock fights, animal baiting spectacles were never common, and were banned altogether by 1835. Though secret underground dog fighting and badger baiting contests continued, they were rare, episodic, and genetically maladaptive. When police raided dog fights, the dogs were killed. When participants went to jail for other reasons, dogs disappeared. And in the era prior to antibiotics, "successful" fighting dogs often died from wounds inflicted in the ring.

In 1859, the first dog show was held. Breeds that had lost their original purpose -- catch dogs, cart dogs, pit dogs, and turnspit dogs -- soon found a new rationale for existence -- rosettes.

In the decades that followed, all manner of dogs were created, proclaimed, and endowed with invented romantic histories. That trend continues to this day.

Far from show ring fantasy and hard-dog poseurs, working catch dogs still exist. At a smaller level we have the whippet and the greyhound -- dogs designed to catch a rabbit or hare at speed. At a larger size we have the long-legged fox hounds favored by the French -- dogs that can run well and chop a fox on the fly. Added to their ranks are various sizes of cross-bred lurchers. And of course, you have the border collie -- a dog that will grip, if it has to, in order to impress upon a semi-wild hill sheep that it means business.

The penultimate cach dogs, of course, are those that work wild pig and cattle. Whether these dogs are found in Hawaii or Texas, the Everglades or Australia, the marshes of Spain, or the river banks of Central America, these dogs tend to be cross-bred dogs that, for a variety of reasons, tend to look suspiciously like rangey pit bulls.

Why is this?

The answer is at least partly morphological. While a small terrier or heeler may be able to move domestic cattle or pig, and may even be able to bust them out of brush, it takes a larger and heavier dog to travel great distances and still have the weight and stamina to initimidate, and even hold, large and truely wild animals in place.

Long coated dogs, and dogs with short muzzles are simply ill-equiped to handle long runs in hot weather. Wild pigs (feral, Russian or javelina) and cattle are generally found in locations that are hot most of the year -- Florida, Georgia, Texas, Australia, Southern Spain, and Hawaii.

When a dog is running 20-40 miles a day after an animal that does not want to be caught, and which may bust in several directions at once if in a group, stopping for a drink of water or a bit of rest in the shade is not an option.

Since dogs do not sweat except through the pads on their feet, the only way a dog has of moderating its temperature is to expel heat through its mouth and sinuses. A short snout, therefore, is maladaptive for honest catch work.

A short muzzle not only makes for a dog that overheats quickly, but also for a weaker bite. In the world of predators, where consistent failure means starvation, neither the wolf nor the tiger, the hyena nor the panther, has a short face with an undershot jaw.

A short bracyophalic maxilla is also poorly designed for scent work. Whether looking for wayward cattle and pigs, or hunting jaquar or mountain lion, most catch dogs have a bit of hound crossed into them, such is the desire for nose, which almost always comes attached to a decent muzzle.

The balance point on a good catch dog changes from area to area, depending on the lay of the land, the temperature, the stock being worked, and each individual dog and owner's technique. In some areas, lighter more greyhound-like dogs may be prefered, while in others greater hound influence is the norm. Dogs may be a little smaller in thick brush, and quite a bit larger in more open country.

And yet, again and again, across the planet, the result tends to be a variation on a unifying theme -- the cross-bred pit bull.

The American Pit Bull is descended from the cross-bred stock-working dogs of the 18th and 19th Century. To the extent they have been altered, it is that modern dogs are often heavier than those found working 200 or even 100 years ago -- a direct function of the fact that most pit bulls are now found on a leash. Today the breeding of pit bulls is heavily influenced by the show ring and the picture book. As a consequence heavier, more impressive-looking animals, are favored over the smaller, faster, and more utilitarian working dogs of the past.

From the beginning, the pit bull has had a stormy career in the U.S.

When it was created in 1878, the American Kennel Club refused to register pit bulls, seeing them as dogs kept by people of low breeding. The Kennel Club was interested in dignified dogs, not working dogs, and especially not dogs that acted as the canine equivalent of a barbed-wire and locust-post fence.

In frustration, pit bull owner Chauncey Bennet created his own registry -- the United Kennel Club -- in order to to register his own dog. Today, the UKC is the second largest all-breed registry in the U.S., and it remains a for-profit, privately-held operation.

When the "Little Rascal" movies of the 1930s popularized a pit bull by the name of "Petey," the American Kennel Club decided that the smell of cash money beat out sniffing social theories, and so they changed their de facto position on the pit bull, while maintaining a de jure ban on the dog.

How did they do this? Simple: they renamed the Pit Bull the "Staffordshire Terrier," and admitted it to the Kennel Club as a terrier. In 1972, the Kennel Club changed the name of the dog again, making it the "American Staffordshire Terrier," to distinguish it from the smaller and thicker-bodied dog of the U.K.

In fact the American Staffordshire Terrier is not a terrier in any way, shape or form. It is a Pit Bull, plain and simple.

Pit Bulls masquerading as American Stafforshire Terriers is how things more-or-less rested until the fantastic growth of dog shows and hobby breeders began in the 1960s and 70s. Suddenly a new interest in all manner of dogs was fostered, and many "old" breeds were invented almost over night.

For example, in 1970, John D. Johnson and Allen Scott registered their cross-bred pit bulls with the newly created for-profit "National Kennel Club". The name they invented: "American Bulldogs". Their goal, they said, was to get away from the "pit bull" name, which was already taking on negative connotations.

Johnson's line of dogs quickly grew thicker in the head and heavier too, as he realized that the "manly man" pet market favored intimidating dogs that could be paraded around the neighborhood or chained up in the back of a shop to scare kids away from petty pilfering. Never mind that heavy dogs with short faces could not go the distance with cattle and pigs -- these dogs were designed to sell, and what was selling was intimidation.

Allen Scott's dogs remained lighter and did not deviate too much from their working-class origins. Weighing in at around 80 pounds (often 40 pounds lighter than Johnson's) Scott's dogs also had longer muzzles and better bites. Scott and Johnson's dogs began to deviate from each other markedly, and in the end they ended up as distinct breeds with Scott breeding "Standard American Bulldogs" and Johnson a "bully" breed with huge heads that he evenually advertised as "Johnson Bulldogs".

Other bull breeds have followed suit, and other for-profit dog registries have followed on as well. Today, along with the AKC, the UKC, and the National Kennel Club, we have a host of other for-profit registries including the Continental Kennel Club, the American Canine Association, the American Hybrid Canine Club, the American Dog Breeders Association, the American Canine Registry, the American Purebred Association, American's Pet Registry Inc., the World Kennel Club, the Animal Research Foundation, the Universal Kennel Club International, the North American Purebred Dog Registry, the Dog Registry of America, the American Purebred Registry, the United All Breed Registry, the American Canine Association, the World Wide Kennel Club, the Federation of International Canines, and Animal Registry Unlimited -- to offer up only a partial list.

Among the newly minted molosser breeds are the Old English Bulldog, the Original English Bulldogge, Olde Bulldogge, the Campeiro Bulldog, Leavitt Bulldog, the Catahoula Bulldog, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, the Aussie Bulldog, the Victorian Bulldog, the Valley Bulldog, the Olde Boston Bulldogge, the Dorset Old Tyme Bulldog, the Ca de Bou, the Banter Bulldog, and the Johnson Bulldog, to say nothing of the Alana Espanol, Cane Corso, Bully Kutta, and the recreated "Alaunt."

No doubt there are many others.

Adding to the confusion, in 1972, the AKC recognized the smaller thick-bodied Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a separate breed from the American Staffordshire Terrier, while in 1936 the Bull Terrier (still another breed) was split into two colors (white and non-white), and in 1991 into two sizes (miniature and standard).

None of these machinations have anything to do with working dogs, of course.

In the scrub country of Texas and Australia, the water hummocks of Louisiana, Spain and Florida, and the steep green volcanic mountains of Hawaii, working pig and cattle dogs look pretty much like they always have for the last 250 years. These dogs are fast, have good scissor bites, fully developed muzzles, and straight agile legs.

In the world of honest stock-working catch dogs, no one spends too much time dreaming up fanciful histories and contrived names. Whatever the dog -- pure bred or cross -- the goal is to avoid the heavy-bodied ponderous dogs so popular among the bridge-and-tunnel set, and create a dog capable to going a full day in rough country.

No one who works their terriers to ground, or uses catch dogs to chase semi-wild stock, has any confusion about what kind of dog they need to do their respective jobs, or the differences between them.

By definition, a terrier must be small enough in the chest to go to ground in a natural earth.

By definition, a catch dog has to be fast enough to catch, and large enough to hold an animal that has escape and mayhem on its mind.

Neither dog can do the job if it looks like a "keg on legs" -- an apt description of many of the molosser breeds sold in the back of pet magazines today.

The story then is an old one. In the world of true working dogs, form follows function. In the world of rosettes and puppy peddlers, form always follows fantasy. As ironic as it sounds, the blue-blazer rosette chaser and the young wanna-be bull dog man have that much in common.

Fonte

Does the Breed Standard Require a Rape Rack?

2009-06-26T19:57:00.000-03:00

Remember when Michael Vick got busted for dog fighting, and they found "rape racks" in his basement?

What's a rape rack?

It's exactly what it sounds like -- a rack to which a female dog is bound while a male dog mounts her from behind.

In the case of Pit Bulls, the rape racks are supposedly necessary because "some females don't want to be mounted by any old male." Imagine!

Of course, a rape rack is not just used on "awkward bitches," is it?

No, it turns out that's it's also used on dogs that are so deformed they cannot even have sex on their own.

Take a look at the picture at top where this breed-blind fellow has come up with his own version of a rape rack for British Bulldogs.

Of course he doesn't call it a "rape rack" does he?

No, the more politically correct term is "mating cradle."

And why do you need such a thing? Simple: because the British Bulldogs is a complete and utter mess. As I noted in an earlier post:

"The famed English Bull Dog ... is mostly Chinese pug -- a show ring creation with legs so deformed it can barely walk, a jaw so undershot it cannot grab a Frisbee, and with a face so bracycephalic it cannot breathe. Add to these problems a deformed intestinal system (a by-product of chondroplasia or dwarfism) which makes the dog constantly fart, and a pig tail prone to infection, and you have a dog that considers its own death a blessed relief."

But wait, there's more.

Did you know that the Bulldog is now a "Top Ten Breed" in the American Kennel Club?

True!

And for those know-nothings who claim it's only recent "exaggerations" that have led the British Bulldog to be incapable of having sex, giving birth, or actually running across a field, consider this from Rawdon Lee, an authority on bulldogs writing in 1894:

"It is known that time plays grim jokes on historical monuments.

There has probably never been a dirtier joke, however, than the one played on our national symbol, the English Bulldog.... The lunacy of breeding for extreme exaggeration, for extreme foreheads and huge skulls, for totally exaggerated low-slung front legs, for shoulders pointing outwards at almost a right angle, for Bulldogs with a front wider than that of the opposing bull. None of this used to be the case and only recently came into fashion."

So there you have it: the British Bulldog has been a basket case for more than 115 years!

And what has the Kennel Club (either American or British) done about it?

Nothing!

To which I would only ask one question .... Does the breed standard require a rape rack?

Fonte

Pug Specific Food For Your Dog’s Abnormalities

2009-06-26T19:36:00.000-03:00

Today, the pet food firm Royal Canin announces it “Continues to Pioneer the Pet Food Industry With an Exclusive Diet Just for Pugs. The firm’s press announcement goes on to explain just why Pugs need and benefit from this ’special diet’. Take a look….

Back in the pre-Christian era, Pugs were considered prized possessions of the Emperors of China and were personally guarded by soldiers. Later, their popularity spread, as they became favored by Monarchs of Europe and discerning people all over the world. This luxurious history and royal advocacy has helped the Pug remain one of the most popular dog breeds today.

Having more than 20,000 American Kennel Club (AKC) registrations per year since 2006, this little pet has commanded a lot of attention from canine enthusiasts, dog fanciers, and pet lovers in general. And now, for the first time ever, an exclusive diet customized specifically to the Pug’s unique nutritional needs is available.

With a special jaw shape, wrinkled skin, and tendency to become overweight, nutrition can play an important role in the health and longevity of a Pug’s life. Royal Canin Pug 25 is specially formulated with a unique kibble shape that is easy for them to grasp and chew, nutrients that help to limit irritation in their loose, folded skin, and a balanced protein and fat content to help them maintain a healthy body weight.

How do we find ourselves in a position where a dog breed is in need of food that it finds ‘easy to grasp and chew’?

Helps to ‘limit‘ the irritation to their loose, folded skin? Is developed to accommodate its ’special’ shaped jaw? Seriously?

This is an incredible state of affairs. But what it is, plain and simple, is a manufacturer openly catering for and marketing the advantages of a product specifically developed for disabled dogs. They call it a ’special’ shaped jaw, wow if that’s not marketing speak!

Under the marketing speak – in an imaginary product – how would this read: “We know you can’t chew, we know you struggle with your weight due to your mobility issues, we know your skin irritates you on an almost daily basis, we know your head structure is such that the simple, basic act of picking up food is different for you and we know that a variety of your physical traits makes life hard for you, so we’ve pre-mushed your food for you and specially developed it so you can perform the basic task of picking it up and chewing the stuff.”

Now, I fully appreciate that there is a degree of marketing angle applied to the wording. I mean, Pugs have survived this far without this particular product, but the reality is Royal Canin HAVE picked up on certain physical traits related to this breed and they are seeking to provide a product designed to accommodate them.

This isn’t an attack on Royal Canin, far from it. They’ve recognised some significant issues and they are seeking to capitalise on them, this is the pet product business, no complaints from me. But what this does is absolutely ring true the words spoken by RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans in Pedigree Dogs Exposed when he stated “we have begun to accept the abnormal as normal”.

It comes to something when a pet food company is developing food that is ‘easier to chew and grasp’, ‘limits the irritation to their loose, folded skin’. This is a DOG we’re talking about. A DOG. This is a marketing angle that acts as a damning indictment on what we’ve allowed to happen to certain dog breeds in the name of……….well, what, exactly?

It signifies just how recipient we are to being slapped over the head with the visible and risible fact that canine abnormalities are something we barely bat an eyelid about, in fact those self same abnormalities are even used in the marketing spiel of our pet food products now. How sad that makes me feel.

Can you imagine the reaction if a firm developed a food product exclusively marketed to the victims of Chernobyl? Think we’d notice something about that not quite sitting right with us? Think a firm as large as Mars (the owner of Royal Canin) would even dare attempt it?

A few weeks ago I wrote about how – visibly – unhealthy dogs will still be exhibited at Crufts 2010. It’s a perception problem. Some people, clearly, don’t see things the way others do. Some people are attracted to the wrinkles. Some people like the exaggerated short muzzle. I’m convinced, surely, that they don’t like the by-product of those man-made traits: overheating, difficulty in breathing, skin problems, respiratory distress and more. The same problems that seem to be the touchstone of Royal Canin’s Pug-specific dog food.

When Danny, the Pekingnese won Crufts ‘Best in Show’ he had to be sat on a bed of ice to avoid overheating. That’s not ‘normal’ – should I come up with a line of Pekignese specific cooling trays? Or what about the problems that Bulldogs have in conceiving – you know, another basic canine trait that, really, they ought to need no artificial assistance with – should I create a product to assist with that process? What should I call it? A ‘rape rack’? Oh, no need – it’s already been done (Oh yes it has).

At what point when we decided to domesticate the dog, did we decide that we’d go beyond simply shaping them to suit our particular needs and lifestyles to actively disabling them? Literally, disabling them – making them less able. If we are happy to simply allow the abnormal to go uncommented, to become ‘the norm’ then we can expect more of the same….and beyond.

It amazes me how many people will – rightly – be up in arms about the (illegal in the UK) practice of de-barking a dog (a medical procedure that takes away a dog’s physical ability to bark, a lifestyle choice for the owner) or de-clawing a cat to avoid scratches on the furniture – but we don’t bat an eyelid about the myriad of other disabilities that have been deliberately inflicted on our canine friends. We get acustomed to seeing these traits and accepting them as being OK; “Oh, that’s just Pugs. Or, that’s just the way Bulldogs/Neopolitan Mastiffs/Pekingnese/Cavalier King Charles/are – those are just their particular traits.”

Correct. They are. But WE made them that way. Not evolution. Us. It didn’t happen ‘naturally’.

Ask yourself this; which of the following two dogs would NOT require a dog food that had been specially prepared to be ‘easier for them to chew and grasp, wouldn’t irritate their loose, folded skin and doesn’t look like it would be prone to obesity by virtue of its human-inflicted physical disabilities’?

Both are Pugs. One modern, one not. Guess which is which?

Before I finish, I must stress how much affection I have for the Pug as a breed.

I’ve met a number of Pugs and have found their character and disposition to be particularly endearing to me. However, I always, always come away feeling sorry for them. Feeling sympathy for what has happened to them, physically, and for what? So they appeal to our sense of humour more? So they connect better with our ‘Disney’ gene (awww, look at the wrinkly dog, how cute!!)? How do we get away with it? Most of the Pug owners I know are PROPER dog lovers. They adore their dogs, immensely. Well, why wouldn’t they. The parents of a disabled child don’t love their offspring any less. The problem is with the traits we seem to be attracted to – if we are going to be attracted to disability and we’re prepared to stimulate the demand for disabled dogs, then disabled dogs is exactly what we’ll get. This isn’t nature at work, this is the economics of supply and demand.

I took away a lot from the BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed but what resonated most with me was Mark Evans’ claim that we HAVE accepted the abnormal as normal.

What more proof do we possibly need to verify his claim than the fact that a pet food company attempts to use the well known disabilities of a dog breed in order to shift their product?

Fonte

Not all chew toys are safe for dogs

2009-06-26T14:49:00.000-03:00

Bill Rafferty recommends “the basic big, hard toys” made for dogs.

Billy Rafferty is worried about what your dog is chewing on.

The co-author of Happy Dog: Caring for Your Dog's Body, Mind and Spirit (New American Library, $16, available Sept. 1) began his crusade to educate dog owners about safety after the death of Gabriel, a beloved Portuguese water dog who swallowed part of a toy.

When Gabriel became sick in 2005, it wasn't apparent what was wrong. A specialist finally discovered a blockage using ultrasound. After surgery, the veterinarian told Rafferty that a small piece of a toy chew bone had caused the problem. Gabriel never recovered from the procedure and died four days later.

“Dogs don't know that they can hurt themselves. They think they can swallow this, and ‘I'm going to be OK,' ” Rafferty said.

He advises dog owners to give their canine pals only toys made for dogs and not to choose something because it is cute or cheap. It pays to know a dog's personality before buying a toy that could be harmful or ignored.

“You have to take into consideration how much of a chewer you dog is. If your dog loves to chew, then it's not ideal to get the little stuffed toys with the button eyes and little ears that can be chewed and possibly swallowed,” he said.

“When I buy toys now for the two dogs I have, I usually buy really hard rubber balls and the basic big, hard toys.”

Rafferty lives with Zeke, also a Portuguese water dog, and Arthur, a cocker spaniel, who have different needs.

Zeke can't be left in his crate with a towel or blanket because he shreds his bedding. Arthur is not a much of a chewer, but he likes to carry things, Rafferty said. “Arthur likes a rubber ball. He runs around the house with it and wags his tail.”

Rafferty, who acknowledges he is extremely cautious, says owners can make smart observations about their animals. If the dog is chewing something unsafe or too aggressively, take it away.

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

Many pet experts recommend that dogs have a variety of toys to fetch, chew and cuddle. Choose the toys with care to avoid cuts, choking or intestinal blockages.

• For dogs only: Make sure anything you buy is specifically for dogs. Don't let them chew string, ribbon, rubber bands, children's toys or anything else that could be ingested.

• Size matters: Don't allow your dog to have a toy that it can close its mouth around because it may choke on it.

• Rawhide: Ask your veterinarian about the safety of items such as bones, hooves, pig's ears and rawhides. Hard rubber toys are safer and last longer.

• Squeakers: Some dogs must find and destroy the squeak source, possibly ingesting it.

• Softies: Soft toys are not indestructible, but some are sturdier than others. Soft toys should be machine washable.

• Hand-me-downs: Don't give your dog old shoes or handbags to play with because a chewer can ingest small pieces. Also don't give a dog toys shaped like items that you don't want it to chew because a dog won't differentiate between a toy cell phone and the real thing.

• Cleaning: Inspect for damage and wash the toys at least once a month in hot water and mild dish soap.

Fonte

Lançador de bolas canino

2009-06-26T13:58:00.000-03:00

O seu amigão é bastante ativo?! É um eterno e incansável brincalhão?! Ou então tá precisando queimar umas banhas?! Este divertido lançador de bolas de tênis é a solução ideal! O GoDogGo® é uma idéia simples, mas que evita o corre-corre, principalmente quando você está cansado, com preguiça ou mesmo para quem não pode se exercitar. Ele foi especialmente desenvolvido para divertir os cães e seus donos. Tem capacidade para lançar 15 bolinhas (6 estão inclusas na compra) e um prático controle remoto que facilita ainda mais a brincadeira. Você pode definir o tempo entre um lançamento e outro (7 ou 15 segundos) e a distância (aproximadamente entre 4,5 e 9 metros). O GoDogGo® funciona com 6 pilhas (duração de 5 horas) ou com um adaptador AC. Custa 149,95 dólares. "Lançadoramente legaus"!

Fonte

Dog Put to Sleep is Discovered Dumped in Field

2009-06-25T15:37:00.000-03:00

A family from Hucknall, Nottinghamshire are distraught after the body of their recently euthanised dog was discovered dumped in a field.

Local reports in Nottinghamshire claim that James Browns’ Border Collie, Bournville was recently put down after it developed cancerous lumps. The dog’s ashes were returned to the family – but days later Mr Brown was told the body of his pet had actually been found in a field and identified by its microchip.

Three other dogs were also discovered at the same time in nearby Derbyshire, on August 15.

“We’re really, really shocked. We’re very upset. We paid extra money to get him back and it’s not him. He was a lovely dog and he deserved better than that.” said Mr Brown.

The RSPCA have been called and police are now investigating.

Bournville and another dog [are] originated from Ambivet veterinary clinic, in Heanor, which says it is very shocked by the news.

The other two dogs have not been identified.

Usually, dogs are cremated together and their ashes are not returned, although a price can be paid of £120 to have your dog cremated alone and his ashes returned.

The business manager of Ambivet, David Stone, said the dogs’ bodies were sent to a Derbyshire pet crematorium after they were put to sleep.

He said: “Our relationship with this company was severed immediately on Tuesday afternoon and alternative arrangements were made with another operator. We feel very distressed by the whole thing. We’ve visited both the owners concerned. It’s in the hands of the local authority and we’re co-operating fully with them over this.”

Mr Brown said the discovery of 12-year-old’s Bournville’s body had been distressing for the whole family.

“My mum and step-dad went to pick up the ashes and they got them in a bag with a card stuck in saying Bournville. So, as far as they were concerned, Bournville was back with us.”

The family have two other dogs called Hamish and Elliott and they wanted to go and identify their pet’s body for peace of mind.

“It wasn’t the prettiest of sights, it was quite upsetting. His fur was all wet and matted down, and he had maggots all over him. We’re wanting to bury the dog ourselves now so we’ve got him with us. He just didn’t deserve that, he was a member of the family,” said Mr Brown.

Derbyshire Police are investigating the incident and a spokesperson from Amber Valley Borough Council said: “Staff from the council’s environmental services directorate, along with the Environment Agency are currently looking into the matter, but cannot comment until all of the facts have been established.”

The dogs are now being kept at Ambivet veterinary clinic while the matter is investigated.

A Derbyshire police spokeswoman said: “Police are investigating allegations of fraud after dogs that were thought to have been cremated were found dead in a field. The police have liaised with the RSPCA, Amber Valley Environmental Health and the Environment Agency during the investigation. Enquiries are continuing into the allegations. Officers can confirm that no reports of burglaries at any local pet crematoria have been received by police.”

Jennifer Buxton, the owner of Peak Pet Cremations said the company has been closed down since.

“All I know is there was a theft from our premises which obviously included some bagged scrap metal and some deceased pets were taken at the same time.”

When further questioned by a local newspaper, she said the theft was not reported to the police because at the time they did not know any animals had been taken.

She said she had been away at the time and could not explain why Mr Brown’s family had been sent ashes that could not have been their dog.

Fonte

Os grandes mitos caninos

2009-06-24T19:35:00.000-03:00

Ah, agosto, mês do folclore, que é uma das coisas mais injustiçadas que existem. Muita gente boa entende "folclore" não como sinônimo de sabedoria & tradição popular e sim de besteirol & boataria. Mas é fato que não faltam mitos, noções erradas e até lendas urbanas sobre tudo que é assunto - inclusive cães. Vamos lembrar aqui alguns dos mitos sobre a cinofilia mais, digamos, acreditáveis e por isso muito comuns, do tipo "eu acredito porque foi minha avó quem me contou" ou "sei que é verdade porque vi na televisão ou na Internet".

É verdade que quem mora num mundo como este e vê o que se vê tende a acreditar em tudo mesmo. Mas nem comentaremos aqui histórias realmente inacreditáveis, como aquela de que os Dobermans são potencialmente perigosos porque seus cérebros não param de crescer ou a outra segundo a qual um cão que morder algum outro bicho e engolir sangue poderá se tornar violento. O que lembraremos aqui são mitos até que acreditáveis, meias-verdades e quase-fatos, separados por assuntos, para organizar ainda mais a bagunça: a saúde do cão, sua alimentação, sua socialização e seu adestramento & treinamento.

Saúde

"Focinho quente é sinal de doença."

A temperatura dos focinhos costuma subir durante o sono do cão, daí ele acordar de nariz quente, o que é normal. Só haverá problema se, além de quente, o focinho do bicho estiver seco e o cão mostrar grandes alterações de comportamento.

"Cães não precisam ser vermifugados quando não saem à rua."

Como se vermes tocassem campainha ou pagassem pedágio... Mesmo no recesso do lar os caninos podem contrair micróbios trazidos por mosquitos. Prudência, canja de galinha (cuidado com os ossinhos! Mais sobre isso daqui a pouco) e vermifugação não fazem mal ao canino são ou doente.

"Cães avisam quando estão doentes."

Na verdade, eles conseguem esconder as doenças, para não se mostrarem vulneráveis ao "inimigo", e os sintomas só costumam aparecer quando a doença ou incômodo estiverem bem avançados, dando então a impressão de que o bicho está chamando a atenção para o problema.

"Cães só enxergam em preto e branco."

Eles apenas vêem menos cores que o ser humano, pois seus olhos têm menor quantidade de celulas cônicas, que permitem distinguir as cores.

"Cadelas devem ter ninhada antes de serem esterilizadas."

Do ponto de vista de saúde e bem-estar do bicho, castração (para machos) e esterilização (para fêmeas) são benéficas, diminuindo o risco de tumores em mama, testículos e próstata e de infecções urinárias.

"Vira-latas são mais saudáveis que cães de raças puras."

Não é bem isso. Vira-latas costumam estar menos sujeitos a enfermidades ou problemas comuns a certas raças, mas nem por isso são invulneráveis ou mais imunes a doenças que outros cães.

Alimentação

"Cães comem pedras, papéis e colchões atrás de nutrientes para complemento alimentar."

Na verdade, cães gostam de mordiscar tudo o que aparece para se divertirem, ter o que fazer e chamar atenção, embora possam se beneficiar da eventual presença de proteínas e outros nutrientes do que comerem.

"Ossos são sempre bons para o cão."

Não faltam histórias em quadrinhos e desenhos animados em que o melhor tesouro do cão é seu osso. Na vida real, tudo bem o bicho roer ossões grandes, de preferência com tutano, já que muitos cães gostam de ficar mordiscando coisas e todos precisam se alimentar. Mas nada de ossos pequenos - basta lembrar da atenção que devemos dar a crianças humanas que não devem ser deixadas com "partes pequenas que podem ser engolidas". Ossos cozidos também são problema, pois podem se romper e formar rebarbas perigosas. (Vai ver que foi esta a inspiração daquela marchinha aparentemente nonsense gravada por Silvio Santos nos anos 1970, que dizia "Socorro, socorro/Ai, ai, eu morro/Chegou a vez do osso morder cachorro".) Sem falar que o cão tem tanta necessidadade de higiene bucal quanto o ser humano. Para o cão se divertir sem riscos, ossos de borracha e náilon são ideais.

"Se você mexer na comida do cão enquanto ele estiver comendo, ele te morde."

Se o cão ataca quem mexe, acidentalmente ou não, na comida dele, inclusive os donos, sejam adultos ou crianças pequenas, o problema está na socialização - ou falta dela [na verdade o problema é dominância, falta de limites e falta de treinamento]. Sempre comparo cães a crianças pequenas, e me lembrei daqueles pais sempre ocupados e pouco presentes, que "têm uma ligeira ideia de umas pessoas pequenininhas que andam pela casa". Do mesmo modo, não basta encher a gamela de comida, dizer "oi" e "tchau" e pronto. O cão tem que entender que, mais que donos, você e seus filhos são amigos dele [o cão tem de entender que os humanos são os líderes isso sim], não inimigos que querem roubar-lhe a comida [o líder humano tem sim o direito de "roubar" a comida quando bem quiser e entender]. Ele precisa até ficar contente quando os donos, sejam de que idade forem, vêm mexer em seu prato, porque sabe que vai ganhar carinho ou um petisco. O ideal é começar a alimentar o peludo dando-lhe comida na palma da mão, e depois, a cada vez que lhe servir comida (servir mesmo, não simplesmente jogá-la como aqueles restaurantes que fazem por merecer que tanta gente reclame nos jornais), mexa na gamela, começando por uma mexidinha e, com o tempo, enfiando a mão na comida mesmo. Daí que, se alguém chutar sem querer o prato ou uma criança bulir na comida, ele não se sentirá ameaçado.

Socialização

"Cães e gatos são inimigos."

Isso virou até símile, "brigar como cão e gato". Na verdade, depende do temperamento de cada cão e gato; o que não falta são gatos que não se dão bem nem com outros gatos e cães que vivem às turras até com outros cães. Depende também da socialização: também não faltam caninos e felinos que só faltam se dar as patas e sair pelo mundo cantando "Amigos Para Siempre". Um bom exemplo é o do jornalista e produtor cultural André "Pomba" Cagni, "pai" de duas cadelas e uma gata, respectivamente a Cocker Penélope Demônio (nascida em 2003), a Schnauser Tetéia Mocréia (já uma senhora de dez anos) e uma Siamesa que, embora chegada mais tarde (nasceu em 2007), tem o nome mais longo, Pitbull Triplex 666 From Hell. (Sim, falaremos em outra oportunidade sobre os nomes dados a nossos animais de estimação.) "Quando a gata chegou, ela tinha acabado de desmamar e já foi mamando na Penélope", lembra Cagni. "Apesar de castrada, Penélope estava com gravidez psicológica e ainda tinha leite. E hoje as três interagem e brincam o dia todo."

"Cães precisam de quintal."

É claro que ninguém gosta de viver sufocado e confinado em "apertamento". Mas pode reparar: dê a seus cães um quintal do tamanho de um campo de futebol, e a maior parte do tempo eles vão ficar à porta esperando a hora de entrar em casa. No fundo, muita gente quer um quintal não para o cão ter seu próprio espaço e se divertir, mas sim para ele ficar lá fora e deixar o dono em paz. Como não dizia aquela canção: cachorro não quer só comida, cachorro quer comida, diversão e fazer arte, cachorro quer saída para qualquer parte (desde que com saquinho e coleira, claro) - e diversão é solução pro cão. Mais que ficarem confinados em casa e quintal, cães querem brincar, correr, se exercitar e se divertir na companhia dos donos. Afinal de contas, seres caninos são como humanos: ambos são bichos de matilha e, embora nem sempre pareça, gostam de vida social, inclusive com "cães" esquisitos que andam em duas patas e falam uma língua complicada e incompreensível.

"Cães só abanam a cauda quando estão felizes."

Tem até a piada do cara que manda cortar bem rente a cauda de seu cão porque "minha sogra vem nos visitar e não quero nenhuma manifestação de alegria nesta casa" [isso é piada em parte, pois é possível que algumas raças como os rotts tinham seus rabos cortados bem curtos exatamente para não demonstrar alegria]. Mas o cão abana a cauda devido a diversos estados de excitação, ansiedade ou mesmo agressividade. De modo geral, cauda abanando erguida a 90 graus significa que o bicho está agressivo; a cauda baixa mostra que o cão está agressivo porém desconfiado e na defensiva [pode ser também submissão]; e a cauda praticamente na horizontal é convite para brincar. Convém lembrar que a linguagem corporal dos cães, embora mais simples que nossa linguagem falada, não é tão simples quanto parece; o cão pode querer dizer uma porção de coisas não só pela cauda, mas também pelas orelhas, olhar, posição da cabeça e outros detalhes. Na dúvida, antes de se aproximar de um cão estranho, converse com o dono! [Muitos donos dizem que seus cães são anjos sem serem, então é mais confiável deixar o cachorro se aproximar de você e não o contrário]

"A mandíbula de um Pitbull se prende quando ele morde."

No máximo, a mordida de um Pitbull é mais forte que a maioria dos outros cães, mas esta história de mandíbula com "fechadura" é mais um produto da injusta má reputação do Pitbull como besta-fera das piores (bem que os produtores do filme Flashdance fizeram o que podiam para desmenti-la quando alçaram o famoso Grunt ao estrelato).

Adestramento e treinamento

"Cães farejadores de drogas são viciados nelas para as detectarem."

O treinamento de caninos policiais para reconhecimento de determinadas substâncias é essencialmente o mesmo dado a seres humanos, policiais ou não, que aprendem a detectar a presença ou consumo de drogas por indícios como cheiros ou mudanças de comportamento; ninguém precisa se transformar em ávido consumidor. (Por sinal, os melhores traficantes costumam ser caretões.) O treinamento do cão para rastrear drogas é fazê-lo associar o aroma delas a alguma coisa boa, como um brinquedo, afago ou petisco, premiando-o quando tem êxito na busca.

"Cão macho é melhor para ser guarda que a fêmea."

Muitos pensam assim devido ao macho ser mais agressivo [isso está errado, depende da raça]. Mas o que define um bom guarda, canino ou humano, não é a agressividade e sim a verdadeira coragem; não confundir com aquela "coragem" que nasce do susto e do medo - ou, como cantava o arretado Gordurinha, "estupidez não é valentia". E valentia muitas fêmeas têm de sobra. Obviamente, alguns caninos, machos ou fêmeas, têm temperamento mais adequado à guarda que outros. Outro detalhe: muitos cães machos de guarda podem ser tapeados se o terreno vigiado for "invadido" por uma Mata Hari peluda no cio ou mesmo um pedaço de tecido com o mesmo aroma; a tendência será o instinto de reprodução uivar mais alto e o bonitão abandonar a guarda, indo atrás da fêmea ou de seu cheiro [por isso é útil castrar o cão de guarda para ele não se distrair com o sexo oposto]. E a adestradora Maíce Costa Carvalho lembra um detalhe interessante: "As fêmeas costumam guardar as pessoas; os machos guardam o território. Tal diferença provavelmente se dá devido à sua vida selvagem, onde os machos cuidam do território, e as fêmeas dos filhotes e membros mais fracos da matilha."

"Os melhores cães de guarda são os mais agressivos."

Acabamos de ver que agressividade só não é nada suficiente [e nem eficiente]; o canino precisa ser socializado [MUITO] e adestrado [em obediência] para distinguir amigos de inimigos e não sair atacando e mordendo quem não deve.

"Gatos são mais espertos que cães."

Depende do que se considera "esperteza". O gato pode ser mais auto-suficiente, mas o cão é muito melhor (ou pelo menos demonstra mais disposição) para aprender comandos.

"Cão deve ser treinado por um profissional."

Equivale a dizer que crianças devem ser criadas por babás e não por pai e mãe. Não falamos há pouco em pais e mães presentes? Pois bem, se você deixar outra pessoa educar seu cão, é a ela que ele vai acabar obedecendo! [Por isso o treinamento pode ser orientado por um profissional, mas o dono é quem deve trabalhar o cão desde o princípio]

"Se o cão fizer cocô onde não deve, esfregar seu focinho nas fezes o ensinará a não fazer isso nesse local."

O resultado será que o canino adquirirá a habilidade de fazer cocô no local proibido logo que você virar as costas.

"Não se pode ensinar truques novos a cão velho."

Não bastassem preconceitos como o sexismo e o racismo, temos o "idadismo", desta vez aplicado aos cães com a desculpa de esta noção ter se tornado um provérbio "aplicável" a todos. Bem, uma característica interessante do folclore - folclore no melhor sentido, o de sabedoria popular - é de que quase todo provérbio tem seu oposto. No caso, trata-se do velho (no bom sentido) e bom "nunca é tarde para aprender". Bastam exercícios físicos e mentais e boa alimentação para se manter a boa forma em qualquer idade, inclusive para assimilar coisas novas. (Apenas dois exemplos são o ator, dançarino e cantor Fred Astaire, ainda disposto a aprender a andar e dançar de skate aos 78 anos de idade, e a fotógrafa alemã Leni Riefenstahl, que começou a tirar fotos subaquáticas aos 72 anos.) É claro que, tal como os humanos, o cão mais idoso pode apresentar uma ranhetice ou outra e já ser bastante metódico e sistemático, mas nem por isso vai deixar de aprender novidades com um pouco de esforço e paciência do dono e/ou treinador - sem falar que muitas vezes o canino muda de dono já com certa idade precisa conciliar o que já sabia com o que precisa assimilar.

E aí está uma boa coletânea comentada de noções que um dia se tornarão tão folclóricas - no sentido de curiosas - e obsoletas quanto as de que manga com leite faz mal, dormir sobre o lado esquerdo faz mal ao coração e uma meia velha enrolada no pescoço cura soluços. Realmente, é preciso ouvir tudo e acreditar em metade... inclusive quando são nossos amigos caninos que dizem.

Fonte

How to raise a balanced pit bull

2009-06-23T23:43:00.000-03:00

Hi Cesar,

I adopted a male pit bull when he was between 8 and 10 weeks old. This is my first pit bull. I have two labs at home, 7 and 10, both males.

I want to know what I need to do to make sure my pit bull never attacks my labs. Can I have any advice on how to do this? My pit is about 5 months old and is getting neutered in a few weeks. I just want to be aware of anything I can do to make sure that he does not become dog or human aggressive.

Thanks!
Ashley Gerenser from PA

Ashley,

First of all, I think it is wonderful that you have decided to neuter your dog. And five or six months is a great age to do it.

How do we keep a powerful breed humble, surrendering, submissive, and peaceful? We never reward excitement. We don't favor any one dog over another. Once you have a pack, you can't favor any particular dog. You need to favor the calm-submissive state of mind. That's what keeps a pack healthy.

When you're feeding three dogs, always choose the dog that is the most calm and submissive to receive the food first. If that happens to be the pit bull, then feed him first. But if he's too exited, he should eat last. Wait until he's achieved the state of mind that you want. That way, he understand that it's the calm-submissive state that makes him part of the group.

If you have a high energy pit bull and lower energy labradors, then make sure that you challenge the pit bull more than the other dogs. Always keep the powerful breed very, very tired. And when you're taking them on a walk together, who gets the leash first? The most calm and submissive. When you open the door, who goes out first? Obviously, the human and then the most calm and submissive. If all three of them are in a calm-submissive state, which is ideal, then you can take everyone at the same time!

If you have problems walking all three dogs together, then take them one at a time. Master the walk that way. Then add a second dog to the walk. Then once you have that down, bring the third along. Your goal is to make them a calm-submissive unit, working together.

Stay calm and assertive,

Cesar Millan

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[Essa dica é parcialmente diferente da que eu daria e é exatamente por isso que treinar cães é tão interessante. Não é uma ciência exata, cada cachorro é um indivíduo único (e portanto um desafio único) que reaje melhor a uma determinada técnica e não a outra. Gosto muuuuito do método de Cesar e acho incrivelmente interessante como todo o trabalho dele se baseia em controlar a energia do cão.]

Puppy or Dog: The Debate Continues

2009-06-23T05:49:00.000-03:00

As a dog enthusiast and trainer, I have often been asked by people to give them some guidance in regards to breed when looking for a new canine addition to the family. Time and time again, however, when being asked for advice I am asked about puppies. Why? Simply because the vast majority of people picture bringing home a cute little puppy to snuggle with and take care of, not a mature dog. So my question is: why is that? Why do people go in search of a puppy instead of the best overall addition to their family and lifestyle?

I will be the first to admit puppies have a unique draw. They are cute, playful, rambunctious, and lovable. They generally like to snuggle, and there are few things better in this world than puppy kisses or a puppy that has passed out in your lap after a long play session. The problem with puppies, though, is just that. Granted, a lot of people do actually go looking for a puppy, but that cute face and slight tilt of the head has lead to far more impulse buys than not. (Guilty as charged!) I am convinced that poorly thought out purchases are the number one reason dogs end up in shelters. Most people don’t think of the long nights that come with taking care of a small puppy, the numerous feedings, the bad habits that must be curtailed, or the expense involved in bringing a puppy home. They look at the cute face, and it’s over. Then, when the puppy gets too big, too rowdy, or just plain grown up and doesn’t have that same cute fuzziness than brought it into the home to begin with and made you look past all the annoying or destructive behaviors, it is ignored, sequestered to the back yard, re-homed on Craigslist, or taken to a shelter. But let’s even look past that. Let’s look past the impulse buys and cuteness and talk about the real issue that worries those I have had this same discussion with: Bonding.

If you were to pull the average Joe off the street and ask the simple question, “If you were to get an older dog and a puppy, feed them, water them, shelter them, play with and train them for 2 years, which do you think would be more bonded to you?”, I guarantee you the answer you would get is the puppy [which is a false assumption]. This myth is probably the number one reason there aren’t more dogs adopted out of shelters at the same rate as puppies. Think about it. [Adult] dogs are less work. You don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to take them out because they are mature enough to wait an entire night. Most dogs are also at least somewhat house broken, are usually calmer depending on the age, and less destructive because they have matured through the puppy chewing stage that comes with teething. You can also do more with the dog right away: go for runs, play fetch, go swimming. They are almost instant companions. But the misplaced fear that a dog will not bond as quickly or as strongly as a puppy has steered people away from the more mature crowd time and time again, and the loss that results for both the dog and the individual saddens me.

From personal experience alone, I can attest to adult dogs not only bonding more strongly to me than the puppies I’ve had but being an almost instant enjoyment. Of the 6 dogs I own, three were puppies when I brought them home, two were adults, and the remaining dog was already a part of my husband’s household when we met. Of these dogs, which is the most strongly bonded to me? Well, from day to day my opinion changes, but what I can tell you is the dogs I brought home as adults and the one my husband had prior to us meeting lead the pack. In fact, sometimes I think that my first dog, the one I brought home as a puppy and spent the most time with making sure that we “bonded”, is the one that could care the least about whether or not I’m around.

Take the time one day to ask anyone with a true working dog about the dog they’ve had that has bonded the strongest to them. I can tell you that more often than not, it will be a dog that was acquired later in life. It may not have been fully matured, but it will usually be one with at least several months of life if not a few years under its belt. I will say this is also true of most of the trainers I know. Why this is, I’m not exactly sure. There’s a part of me that likes to think a dog that is a bit older is grateful for the good home and attention provided to them, especially when taken from a shelter, because they have not always had the same experience whereas a puppy knows no different. But truth be told, there is no magic answer. All I know is that I have seen firsthand that a dog can and will become as bonded or more to their masters than a puppy. The true variable in the equation is the individual dog and breed, not age.

So, the next time you or a friend start looking for a new canine addition, all I ask is that you don’t disregard the older dogs that could spare you a lot of the work and bring you just as much joy. Although it may not be perfect or have the fuzziness of a puppy, it may just end up being the best dog you’ll ever have.

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Common Foods That Can Be Toxic to Pets

2009-06-20T15:44:00.000-03:00

We all love our pets. For many of us, one way we show that love is through special treats such as human food. As long as we don’t overindulge our loved ones into obesity, these little treats can be fun for both pet and parent. However, it is important to realize that dogs and cats are very different from humans in some very important ways, which can result in tragedies for the uninformed parent.

One of the newest and easily available human foods toxic to dogs, is xylitol. Xylitol is present in products from gums to sugar free cookies. When ingested in relatively small amounts, this sweetener can result in low blood sugar, seizures, liver failure and death. These symptoms can show up as quickly as 30 minutes or as long as 12 hours after ingestion, and treatment must be quick and aggressive or they can be fatal.

Grapes and raisins have been found recently to induce kidney failure in some animals. This failure can be permanent and life threatening. It does not seem to relate to the volume ingested, and not all animals seem to be equally susceptible. Although some dogs have been eating grapes for years, the safe course is to avoid grapes and raisins completely.

Due to articles such as this, many people are now aware of chocolate’s toxicity in dogs and cats. With the recent popularity of chocolates that are 60 and 70 percent cocoa, this risk has become much more serious. Dark chocolates have always been more toxic than milk chocolates, and these newer chocolates are even more so. Toxic doses of chocolate can cause abnormal heartbeats, kidney failure and death. The toxic dose is dependant on weight, so little dogs are at higher risk, but with the higher levels of cocoa in chocolate products now even bigger dogs are at risk.

Onions are tasty for our pets as well as us, but too many onions can be dangerous. High levels of onion ingestion in dogs and cats can cause life-threatening anemia.

With any toxic exposure, minutes count so knowing what to do can save a life. Most importantly, you should have the phone number of poison control, your regular veterinary and an after-hours hospital posted in your home. It is best to wait until you reach poison control before you do anything but usually you will be told to make your pet vomit to get rid of some of the toxic substance. Vomiting can be induced with a teaspoon of peroxide if you don’t have ipecac. Give the peroxide by mouth every few minutes, giving your pet a chance to relax between since many dogs and cats will refuse to vomit when held. Once vomiting occurs, or if you are unsuccessful within a few minutes, you should then seek professional help from a qualified veterinarian. Be sure to have an idea of how much of the substance your pet ingested and how long ago it happened.

For a more complete list of possible toxins in your home, visit www.townelakevets.com.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
National Hotline: 888-426-4435
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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Potty training outside during the winter

2009-06-19T20:05:00.000-03:00

[The dog] (and possibly his owners) needs to learn that he won't freeze solid if left out in the cold a "wee" (yep, pun intended) bit longer...

When [the dog] goes outdoors, whatever the weather, so should one of [the owners] (preferably wearing normal indoor weather-appropriate clothes, but no coats, hats, gloves, scarves, umbrellas, etc.). As long as they (the human) can tolerate being outdoors, so can [the dog] (and the fact is that [the dog] can tolerate inclement weather and unpleasant temperatures at least half again as long as his "uncoated" humans ever could). They may want to try a "tag team" approach, where [the dog] is put out one door where one human is standing by inside, and the other human goes out the opposite door (so that [the dog] still goes out "by himself" and is therefore not distracted from doing his duties). When the other human comes back in from the door where [the dog] cannot see that human, that human shouts to the one nearest to [the dog] and [he] is then allowed to come back indoors if he is ready to do so.

It [is also a mistake to put the dog] out for pottying too often. [He] may not [catch] on to the primary purpose of the outings because they are so frequent -- in other words, it is a sure bet that he is being put outdoors when he does not have to potty as often or even more often than when he does have to potty. If [the owners] are literally putting [the dog] out [let's say] every 45 minutes, that could be as many as 21 outings per average day -- he really needs less than half that many outings to take care of his potty needs. He should go out first thing every morning, last thing before bedtime, a few minutes after he finishes eating each meal, right after he wakes up from any nap, and right after any time that he has been playing or running around vigorously for more than a few minutes. And, the more routinely scheduled [the dogs]'s outings are, the faster and more easily his body will adapt his waste elimination needs to that regular outing schedule.

Perhaps this goes without needing to be said, but, anytime they can catch [the dog] in the act of pooping indoors, [the owners] should immediately shout a harsh, deep, voice-of-doom "NO!" at [the dog] and then pick [him] up and hurry him outdoors (mid-poop, if at all possible, so that he might finish outside). Conversely, anytime [the dog] does what he is supposed to do outdoors, he should be praised (and preferably, given a reward treat).

[Escrito por Melody Joyce em 28 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Housebreaking and puppy stuff

2009-06-19T17:38:00.000-03:00

Housebreaking is probably the biggest obstacle that you will have with your new pup and the length of time it takes really varies by the dog. First, get yourself a set of bells to hang on your "go outside" door. You will train the pup to ring the bells by luring him with a treat - when he hits the bells with his nose cheer and say "go outside" and immediately throw the door open - most dogs only take a couple days to get the point of the bells - and this will speed up the housebreaking process by giving your pup a set way of telling you he needs to go out. Here's a link to a vendor that carries the bells that I like really cheap - they're easy to hear and last forever... http://www.chicksaddlery.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SLB102

The next thing you must do is crate train. This will help with house breaking, make it easier to travel with your pup, and make him more comfortable if you must ever leave him at the vet's or a kennel. The crate should be just large enough for the pup to stand up and turn around, any larger and he may use one end for potty and the other for sleeping. There are crates available now that have "transition" panels in them, allowing you to buy a full-sized crate and use the panels to section them off as the pup grows.

Potty time needs to happen after every meal, nap and play session, and usually about every 2 hours or so in between - get on a schedule (and adjust as necessary) and this will speed things up. A pup as young as [9 weeks] can't be expected to hold it for more than 3-4 hours at this stage - so that also means getting up in the middle of the night for a few weeks. If you're lucky, you'll get one like my female, who slept through the night from the age of 10 weeks, if unlucky, you'll have one like my male who had to get up even at 5 mos old. It's important that you take the pup out for potty when he needs to go, the last thing you want is a pup that learns to potty in his crate because he had no other choice - trust me, it's a very difficult habit to break. If you're pup makes a mistake, you're not paying enough attention to his needs - and need to potty him more often.

When you do potty your pup, please use a leash - there's nothing worse than a dog that is leash shy and won't potty on leash. Take lots of yummy treats and give the pup a treat every time he goes - throw him a little party. Give a command, like "go pee", too - this will eventually let your pup know that he is out there for potty time, not play and look at the sky time. This will also come in handy as your dog grows - trust me, when you're at a hotel and it's pouring down rain, it's a very handy tool to have - when I travel with my two, I can point them at a spot, say "go pee" and get a potty within seconds usually (if they really do have to go).

Do yourself a favor and buy a gallon of a really good enzymatic cleaner - I like Nature's Miracle. If you're pup makes a mistake and you don't catch him in the act, simply take him, put him in his crate and clean up - don't let him see you cleaning up. If you catch him in the act, often a sharp "no" will stop it in mid stream, you can then scoop him up and take him outside, be sure to praise lavishly when he finishes up outside.

If you take him out and he doesn't go, put him back in his crate for about 20 mins and then try again - repeat as necessary. He doesn't get play time until after he's gone outside.

Keep playtime indoors for now - until he is mostly housebroken. You want him to associate outside with potty time, not play time, or play in a different part of the yard. Also, always potty him in the same area of the yard, the smells will remind him why he's out there.

Get yourselves enrolled in a puppy class - the best time to socialize your pup is now. The safest way to do that is in a class where you know all the pups have been inoculated and it is a controlled environment.

DO NOT allow your pup to interact or talk to strange adult dogs. Do not be fooled by what some people call "puppy license" that states that pups in a pack are allowed certain liberties that older dogs would not have. Although this theory is true, it only applies to the pup's own pack. In the "real" world, pups from other packs are considered a threat to the survival of another pack - and in most cases, adults would kill pups not from their own pack. Although our dogs are not wolves, those instincts are still ingrained in them - it is not at all unusual for an adult dog to attack or kill a puppy (especially in-tact males). So unless you know the dog, please keep your puppy away and safe. DO NOT take this pup to places that are frequented by large amounts of dogs until he has received his final shots - taking a pup to dog parks and public parks endangers his life until full immunity to diseases has been reached, and this is not until after 16 weeks.

If you go to places like PetSmart or PetCo - they are great places to socialize your dog with people, but please, leave the pup in the cart, do NOT allow him on the floor in these places, it's WAY too dangerous to your pup's health.

FYI - pups go through what are called fear imprint stages. Things that frighten a pup during these stages will most certainly always frighten your pup. For example, if the pup is bitten by another dog during one of these stages, you pup will most likely either be dog aggressive or dog fearful for the rest of his life. It is critical that all experiences be positive until about the age of 6mos - by then, most dogs have gone through all their fear imprint stages and traumas are usually then better dealt with.

I want you to imagine yourself alone, in a strange country, where they don't speak your language and you don't know the laws and customs. Then imagine how stressed and uncomfortable you would be. Well, this is what it's like to be a puppy in a human world. In order to make your pup comfortable in this new world, you must think (and speak) like another pack member. It is very important that you be consistent with this pup, decide on what rules you want this pup to adhere to, and then always enforce these rules. It will help your pup adjust and be comfortable in his environment. For example, you can't say - yes you can get on the furniture, unless you're muddy. Or yes, you can have this table scrap today, but not when there's company in the house. Either they can get on the furniture or they can't, they can sit by the table or they can't - decide on how you want things (keeping in mind that the adorable pup you now have will grow to an 80lb+ fuzzball in just a short year), and then stick to those rules - enforce your rules fairly and consistently and you will never have a problem with your pup.

Practice "nothing is off limits" and "nothing is free". In other words, you are allowed to touch or hold any parts of your dog, teeth, ears, privates, etc. It is very important that you desensitize your pup to touch of all types, at any time (including feeding time). You never know when an uneducated person may come up and try to pet your dog either the wrong way or at the wrong time. Just this past weekend, my female was gnawing on a particularly yummy knuckle bone in a public venue - I watched a small child walk by and pet her as he passed - many dogs would react aggressively to someone touching them while they were eating, but I knew it was safe because I have conditioned my dogs to accept touch at any time. I had another stranger that was interested in my breed of dog ask what would happen if she took the bone from my dog (she had kids at home and wanted to know if they were safe around kids). I told her to take the bone - my female gave this stranger the bone without even a second thought and waited patiently until the stranger gave it back to her. Again, I knew there was no danger in this because I've conditioned my dogs to accept this. Toes are a particularly tough area on many dogs - you will never have a problem with toenails if you massage then daily now, while the pup is young. "Nothing is Free" has to do with resources. You establish yourself as pack leader by controlling resources - make your pup work for everything, outside, play, food - and work can be as simple as asking the pup to sit or wait for that resource.

Your pup will never chew anything if you never give him the opportunity. If it's within reach assume the pup will try it out. The pup must not ever be out of your sight, he either needs to be with you or confined to a crate. Set your pup up for success, by giving him a safe environment to play in - don't leave your shoes around, put them in a closet and close the door. The only thing in pup's reach should be his own things. The worse chewing stage happens between 5 and 7 mos, so don't be lulled into a false confidence when your pup is a perfect angel for the first few months. If your pup gets into something, learn from YOUR mistake - a dog that gets into trouble has too much freedom.

When teaching commands such as "come" again, set your pup up for success - do not use the command until the pup is already coming to you - you can use other things to get his attention, like clapping hands, a squeaky toy, etc. and when the pup does come, praise lavishly and treat liberally. Don't repeat your commands - trust me, a dog will learn to tune you out, or they will count how many times you say it before you actually do something about it. When teaching a recall, it's very important that the pup never has the opportunity to disobey - use a drag line (a piece of clothesline tied to the pup) and if he ignores you, step on the leash and draw him towards you, rewarding when he gets to you. NEVER call your dog to you and then correct him - that is the fastest way to create fear in a dog and create a dog that won't come to you. If for some reason you need to correct a dog - always go to them, not the other way around.

Feeding is another important thing. Pick a good quality food (don't be drawn in by "designer" foods either - read the label and make an educated decision). Once you've picked a food - stick with the food. Changes in food will create picky eaters and cause digestive upset. Put the food down for 20 mins, if it's not eaten, pick it back up and wait until the next scheduled feeding time. Males are notoriously bad eaters - don't worry, they won't starve themselves. If your pup is distracted at feeding times, you may want to feed in his crate. Do not add things to the food (like canned food or gravy) - this too will cause a picky eater.

Unfortunately, pups don't come pre-programmed to understand us, they also don't come with instruction manuals. The very best thing you can do for you and your pup is getting involved in an obedience program, and stick to it at least for the first year, my two are 2 and 3 and still attend classes weekly.

Most importantly, have fun and enjoy - it's a lot of work, but that work will really pay off down the road when you have the unconditional love and companionship of a well adjusted dog.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 27 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

The seconds stage of housetraining is teaching your puppy to tell you when he has to go outside to potty. Bells are one way to do it but it's not my favorite method. I've had a lot of students who did not like the constant ringing that some dogs do when they just want to go outside to bark at the wind...or they just like to hear the bells ring. It can turn into a game. So, although it works well for some, for many it does not. It's a personal choice.

Denise wrote: "Keep playtime indoors for now - until he is mostly housebroken. You want him to associate outside with potty time, not play time, or play in a different part of the yard. Also, always potty him in the same area of the yard, the smells will remind him why he's out there."

I don't agree with this. I do teach that they have to potty before playing but to say that one isn't going to let their puppy play outside until they have mostly (or close to) being housetrained would be quite awhile for the average puppy. Some puppies take up to a year before they are 100%. Lots of good games and training can and should be happening outside. The puppies need to explore the world around them. As long as you don't allow play before they potty, they will make the association. I do tell them outside-hurry-up (or whatever word you choose to use for potty) all the way outside so that the association is made to going potty and that they can learn that outside is for other things but I would not deny play time outside for a young puppy just b/c they are nowhere near housetrained yet.

Denise wrote: "DO NOT allow your pup to interact or talk to strange adult dogs. Do not be fooled by what some people call "puppy license" that states that pups in a pack are allowed certain liberties that older dogs would not have. Although this theory is true, it only applies to the pup's own pack. In the "real" world, pups from other packs are considered a threat to the survival of another pack - and in most cases, adults would kill pups not from their own pack. Although our dogs are not wolves, those instincts are still ingrained in them - it is not at all unusual for an adult dog to attack or kill a puppy (especially in-tact males). So unless you know the dog, please keep your puppy away and safe."

I have to totally disagree with this. In my 20+ years of teaching dog training, it's been my experience that most puppies do have a 'puppy license' with most adults. Of course, that's not a guarantee but it happens more often than not. If the adult strange dog is a bully, reactive, aggressive or has bad social skills, I wouldn't let any of my dogs interact with them, much less my puppies. That's a given. But a rock solid adult, from any pack, will tolerate a lot from a puppy, thus giving the pup a 'puppy license'. One has to make safe choices but to say this rule only applies to the pup's own pack is just not true (ime). For one thing, the new puppy coming in came from another pack. If this were true, more of our new puppies coming into our home with an existing pack would be killed. It takes the existing pack awhile (some longer than others) to figure out that this new addition is not a guest but is becoming part of their pack.

If your own pack does not have a rock solid adult dog with good social skills, then I say not only let your puppy be around strange adults, I recommend it. The puppy needs to continue to learn these lessons that were started at the breeders or they will lose them. I prefer a bitch to a dog, in most cases, but either is better than none. This is the age they need this.

Denise [wrote]: "...DO NOT take this pup to places that are frequented by large amounts of dogs until he has received his final shots - taking a pup to dog parks and public parks endangers his life until full immunity to diseases has been reached, and this is not until after 16 weeks."

I also disagree with the above. At 16 weeks, the window of opportunity has passed for proper socialization. This is a controversial subject as it does become a catch 22 and a personal choice. Although I am very careful with where I bring my puppies, I do not wait until after all shots (16 weeks +) before taking my puppy out into the world. I'll take my chances on the diseases (as many can be treated when caught early enough and I know the symptoms) vs the potential of serious behavior problems as a result of lack of socialization. I prefer to follow the vacinnation protocol of Dr. Jean Dodds who recommends holding out as long as possible for the rabies shot, which I do after 16 weeks. Actually, the waiting room at the vet's office can be one of the most dangerous (disease wise). I always carry my puppies in and I bring my own towel or blanket to put on the exam table and scale. It won't help with airbone stuff and I know they clean in between appts but it's the extra I do for my puppies. After all, there are many sick, contageous animals at the vets, not all of which have been vaccinated. The floors, of course, are the worse.

Denise [wrote]: "FYI - pups go through what are called fear imprint stages. Things that frighten a pup during these stages will most certainly always frighten your pup. For example, if the pup is bitten by another dog during one of these stages, you pup will most likely either be dog aggressive or dog fearful for the rest of his life. It is critical that all experiences be positive until about the age of 6mos - by then, most dogs have gone through all their fear imprint stages and traumas are usually then better dealt with."

While it is true that dogs imprint at early ages (good and bad) and there is sufficient evidence to believe fear periods actually exist, however, not a lot of hard data is around on the subject. It's often said that GSDs have one more fear period than most other breeds. I do not know if this is true, last one being at 18 months. In most dogs, the last one is 7 months but can vary a lot. Most owners don't even know when their puppies are going through a fear period. In this phase where the fear period is believed to be happening, if something does happen to the pup, it can be difficult, but not impossible to correct. During this period, one can usually see signs if they look for them. One day the pup is afraid of something they were not afraid of the day before. They can just be spooked by the wind. Special care during this time is advised but to say that one should protect to the point of not socializing or introducing the dog to it's environment by keeping the pup home until after 6 months (one month earlier than most go through their last fear period) is not something I would recommend. I've seen countless dogs get bit at 1 or 2 + yrs old and it stays with them for the rest of their life. It doesn't have to be during a fear period. Those that it stayed for life probably had owners [which] did not know that the problem could be worked on and the chances are that it can be corrected or improved. Dogs don't 'unlearn' but with proper training and positive reinforcement, dogs can learn to offer alternative behaviors that are acceptable behaviors, but they will always 'know' what was learned. It's up to us to make them see that acceptable behaviors are more rewarding for them than previously learned unacceptable behaviors.

Denise [wrote]: "I want you to imagine yourself alone, in a strange country, where they don't speak your language and you don't know the laws and customs. Then imagine how stressed and uncomfortable you would be. Well, this is what it's like to be a puppy in a human world. In order to make your pup comfortable in this new world, you must think (and speak) like another pack member. It is very important that you be consistent with this pup, decide on what rules you want this pup to adhere to, and then always enforce these rules. It will help your pup adjust and be comfortable in his environment. For example, you can't say - yes you can get on the furniture, unless you're muddy. Or yes, you can have this table scrap today, but not when there's company in the house. Either they can get on the furniture or they can't, they can sit by the table or they can't - decide on how you want things (keeping in mind that the adorable pup you now have will grow to an 80lb+ fuzzball in just a short year), and then stick to those rules - enforce your rules fairly and consistently and you will never have a problem with your pup."

I disagree with this as well (sorry Denise) to a point. I understand what Denise is saying and yes they have to learn our (human) rules. But, dogs can be taught many things. First of all, English (or French, German, etc.) is not their first language. We do have to teach them that first. They understand tone of voice and body language much easier.....in the beginning. Once the dog has a handle on our language (and they can learn 200+ words), you can teach them almost anything, providing they can physically do it. All my dogs have learned a very large vocabulary. Granted, some of it is advanced work, but a dog can learn that they cannot go on furniture when they are wet or muddy. It's not that hard to teach......one word at a time. You can teach dogs that they cannot get on the bed UNTIL you have put on THEIR sheet (for dirty paws). You can teach them that they can have food from your plate when you say YES!.....and still not beg at the dinner table. I don't recommend you confuse your young 8 wo puppy but I did want to make it clear that when the puppy is ready....and you want to....they can be taught these things and some are taught at a very young age.

Denise [wrote]: "Feeding is another important thing. Pick a good quality food (don't be drawn in by "designer" foods either - read the label and make an educated decision). Once you've picked a food - stick with the food. Changes in food will create picky eaters and cause digestive upset. Put the food down for 20 mins, if it's not eaten, pick it back up and wait until the next scheduled feeding time. Males are notoriously bad eaters - don't worry, they won't starve themselves. If your pup is distracted at feeding times, you may want to feed in his crate. Do not add things to the food (like canned food or gravy) - this too will cause a picky eater."

I agree with Denise, feeding is important and I recommend a quality food (not junk food from the grocery store). I also agree that one should put it down and pick it up rather than self-feed (leaving it down all day for them to eat at their leisure). However, I think 20 minutes is too long. I give my guys a lot less time to eat. If, in fact, they take their mouths out of the dish for more than 2 seconds, the dish gets picked up. They are not allowed to leave the dish and come back even if it's within 2 minutes. They leave it and it's history. I do add 'stuff' to my dogs' food and none of them are pickey eaters. However, I will say that some dogs can be. It's not that hard to fix if one becomes picky as most dogs will not starve themselves and you (the owner) control the food. So, I do give other things with my dog's meals. I change enough that they just don't know what they might get added and look forward to the 'surprises'. They love eating and I believe it's b/c of what I add that makes their meals more enjoyable. I wouldn't want to eat the same ole thing, day in, day out. I do stick to the same brand dog food but the 'fixin's (as my DH calls 'em) changes from day to day. They get one meal without anything and one meal with other stuff and that's so if they have to be fed by someone else, they will eat their meals plain. So, this does help with not becoming picky eaters as well.

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 29 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

We have here two trainers with two different approaches to nearly everything. As far as I know, both of them are highly qualified people with a lot of years and experience and success behind them. So who's right? What do you do?

There is no absolutely correct, totally accepted method for training or socializing dogs. Trainers and breeders don't always agree. Sometimes one is right, sometimes another is right, sometimes none of them has the right answer. You'll find the same is true if you buy any two books on the subject.

Don't get frustrated because you can't get an all-purpose, always-works answer. Weigh the opinions, talk to other people, and do what makes sense to you and your dog. If it doesn't work within a reasonable amount of time, try something else.

For example: I've taken training classes with Cher and enjoyed them immensely. I'm not always in total agreement with her, but while I'm in her class, I do what she suggests -- that's what I pay her for! It doesn't mean I'll always use what she suggests in any situation, but it does mean that her suggestions have worked well in many situations. Just because I find other things sometimes work better for my dogs doesn't mean she's wrong, it just means that...well, sometimes other things work better for my dogs!

I deal with the differences in opinions from the trainers on this list and others by looking at each problem in light of what I know about my dogs.

For instance: The bell method for housebreaking doesn't work for us. We have too many dogs...someone would *always* be ringing it! So ours are mostly on a schedule, but if someone needs to go out in between, we know each dog's language well enough to understand the problem. And boy does it vary. Ivy comes and stares at me till I get up, then leads me to the door. Sam whines. Dallas whines, sits on his haunches and puts his feet on your lap -- however, he also does that just for attention, so we're working on that one. Fannie goes to the door and stares. Whisper barks a particularly shrill little "I reallyreallyreally gotta go!!!" Judy runs back and forth from the door to me, the door to me, the door to me. So on that one, I'm with Cher.

As far as interacting with adult dogs, I'm with Denise. Some adults may give "puppy license" but not all do so with all puppies. As witness Dallas' vet bill when he pushed Ivy too far -- he was four months old. Ivy puts up with amazing stuff from whippet puppies. I've never seen her do anything more than correct them fairly gently for even major transgressions. A German Shepherd pup in her face was more than she was ready to grant a license for and she grabbed his paw, ground in, and didn't let go. Fortunately there was no permanent damage, but it wasn't a good experience for either one. And Ivy wasn't even a *strange* adult dog. He knew her well and vice versa. I've also seen several adult dogs at Petsmart snap at puppies. We're more careful about puppies interacting with adults now, at home as well as away.

And I agree with Denise about not taking puppies to dog parks or public places where many dogs are until they've had all their shots. We do take them out, but not to doggy-intensive places. Walks downtown are great -- not too many people take dogs downtown. We also go to Lowes (did you know most Lowes let you bring dogs in?) and local feed stores. For doggie socialization, arrange play dates at home with friends who have dogs you know are healthy. Plenty of time for dog parks after the shots are done. It is apparently true that the period before 16 weeks is extremely important to socialization -- some believe that after that age, the personality as far as reactions to other dogs and people is immutably set. So don't isolate your puppy, but you don't need to expose him to dogs of unknown health.

As for the problem with vets having sick dogs through, ask the receptionist if you can arrange to bring your puppy in during a well-pet period. Ours are usually scheduled between cat appointments. And Cher's right -- don't put the pup on the floor while you're at the vet.

I don't know what I think about the "fear imprint" stages. I've read a lot on the subject but my experience doesn't always support the theory. We've had puppies that were bold as brass from day one and we've had some that did seem to go through spells in which they were less confident, then came back. I've never been able to affix it to an age though. We just try to keep experiences positive for the most part and don't worry about *when* things happen so much as *what* happens. For example, Dallas' traumatic experience with Ivy didn't ruin his temperament at all -- but it sure made him cautious about *her*. He still won't come upstairs until he knows she's confined, but he's just as puppy-obnoxious as ever with the other dogs.

I definitely don't agree that grocery store brands are all "junk food". I've raised too many healthy dogs on Purina ONE to buy into the designer food craze. I've tried many, many different foods over the past 30 or so years and have never been able to tell the first bit of difference in adult dogs who were being fed an ultra-expensive food and a grocery store brand. On cheap foods, their poops were bigger. That's the difference. On all brands their eyes were bright, coats good, energy levels normal, and most of our dogs have lived to the far side of the breed's lifespan.

One of our whippet owners whose dogs are in tiptop, lean and mean condition feeds Tractor Supply brands. His older whippet is 15 and getting around great. I'm not going to tell that man he should be spending four times the amount for a "human grade" food or whatever, and I'm not going to spend it myself. For people who want to and believe in it, that's great, but it is NOT necessary to buy designer foods to have a healthy dog. If your dog does better on one particular food, then feed it. But don't think you're a bad owner because you can't afford $50 a bag for food.

SO...the bottom line is, you're never going to find two dog people who agree on everything. Raising puppies is not a hard science. There are basics that are known (cruel training methods are not necessary, puppies should be fed regularly on a schedule, housetraining only works if you can get the pup outside on a regular basis, etc). But underneath those maxims is a vast grey area and we all do what works best for our own dogs.

[Escrito por Sharyn Hutchens em 30 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Parece que agora a viagem sai

2009-06-17T20:55:00.002-03:00

Finalmente marcamos a nossa ida para o dia 24 de junho, dia de São João! Após semaaaaaaaaaaaaaanas sem fim de contatos com as companhias aéreas e as passagens tendo sido pagas desde o dia 12 de junho, somente hoje dia 17 recebemos a confirmação da TAM de que os 3 cachorros poderão embarcar conosco. A confirmação da United Airlines é feita na hora da reserva mesmo. Para chegarmos ao destino, pegaremos um vôo da TAM, dois da United e ainda faremos um trecho de carro. Do momento que saírmos de casa até o momento que chegarmos em Columbus será um total de "apenas" 30 horas, sendo 15 horas e meia de voo propriamente dito e o restante do tempo de espera e/ou de translado. Esta foi a única forma que encontramos para que pudéssemos levar os 3 peludos conosco (a viagem sem eles dura 23 horas). Tentamos todas as combinações possíveis e todas as companhias aéreas: fazer um "desvio" por São Paulo foi a única alternativa que nos restou.

A política de confirmação de embarque de pets da TAM é absolutamente incoerente. Fizemos questão de frisar que nós só embarcaríamos se os cães fossem conosco e que já estávamos com o trecho São Paulo/EUA confirmado pela United. Faltava só confirmar o trecho Recife/São Paulo. Ainda assim recebemos a informação de que a confirmação da TAM ocorre "em até 24 horas antes do voo". Imagina chegar na vééééspera da viagem e receber uma ligação dizendo que o cachorro não vai poder ir??? Tem cabimento uma coisa dessas? E pra piorar a gente não pode segurar a reversa da United até ter a confirmação da TAM, mesmo sendo um voo dependente do outro, porque a United só segura a reserva por 24 horas. Então tivemos de pagar as nossas passagens à United e rezar para que a TAM confirmasse o trecho dela. A partir daí eu fiquei ligando diariamente e acho que só recebi a resposta hoje porque enchi o saco deles.

Ainda assim é uma confirmação somente *v-e-r-b-a-l*, ninguém passa nenhum documento pra gente, nem um e-mailzinho sequer nem da TAM nem da United, por mais que tivéssemos insistido. Eles dizem que a reserva dos cachorros está no sistema e que não tem como dar errado. Isto só pode ser piada, não é mesmo? Quem aqui nunca teve problemas sérios pelos malditos "erros de sistema"??? E se a gente chegar lá na hora do embarque e eles disserem que não consta cachorro nenhum no sistema? Como vou provar que a reserva está confirmada? "Ó, foi Fulana-de-Tal que confirmou pelo telefone". Piada!!! E o que é ainda pior: e se nós conseguirmos embarcar os cães no primeiro voo mas não no segundo ou no terceiro? É de arrancar os cabelos!

Enfim, este foi um pequeeeeeeeeeeno relato dos últimos momentos da maratona que temos enfrentado para embarcar os peludos. Todas as dificuldades possíveis apareceram, em todas as etapas do processo, desde a compra das caixas de transporte até agora. Se algum dia eu tiver ânimo para relembrar esta batalha, eu escrevo um post sobre o assunto. Por enquanto só nos resta continuar confiando na nossa boa sorte para que dê tudo certo. Torçam por nós!

Anxiety Wrap

2009-06-17T01:25:00.000-03:00

A wonderful tool that helps animals to cope and overcome their past and present issues. It aids an animal's ability to focus and remain calm and compliments the use of gentle training methods. Be a storm defender to your dog by providing him with an Anxiety Wrap!

The Anxiety Wrap uses the technique called "MAINTAINED PRESSURE" to aid in calming your animal thereby allowing him or her to redirect their focus. When used with gentle training methods, the Anxiety Wrap works with the animal's entire mind, body and spirit.

The Anxiety Wrap was created to fill an existing need, an alternative or holistic approach to behavior modification for dog and cats. It can happen by using the Anxiety Wrap to ease your dog and cat's anxieties. When used properly it has proven positive to increase balance, self-confidence, focus, preparation for and during training, animal to animal socialization, animal to human socialization, bonding, relaxation, and gait awareness. As well as helping to end dog and cat aggression, shyness, nervousness, releasing stress and tension, end jumping, stop destructive chewing, fear biting, car sickness, unnecessary barking, shyness, fear of loud noises, thunderstorm fear, sensitivity to touch, sensitive to sound, aloofness, emotional upset, hyperactivity, grooming issues and other anxieties.

Animals, Like People, Are Individuals

Conventional medicine, behaviorists and trainers all have their place and the Anxiety Wrap was not designed nor intended to replace any of them, but rather to be an alternative or holistic addition to the plan. Being a trainer myself, I know from personal experience that animals, like people, are individuals. Both often require different ways of learning and/or recovery for past experiences.

Far too often animals, like people, fall through the cracks when traditional methods fail. Anyone wishing to see some of these animals need go no further than your local animal shelter or even your own neighborhood. When I personally experienced that traditional training didn’t work with one of my own dogs, it was then I began my search for alternative ways of training. A way of working with the entire animal that would include their mind, body and spirit.

This search led me from traditional training, that focuses on punishment for offering a wrong behavior and the removal of that punishment for offering the one desired, to a kinder, more respectful way of training. I was searching for a way to teach that could be fun for both animal and human. Soon I was using two reward methods of training. Operant Conditioning combined with Clicker Training but still there was more to be learned.

Our “Throw Away” Animals

What about the animals that didn’t or couldn’t respond to reward training alone? Those animals whose past issues and present fears were so overwhelming, it left them powerless to focus on anything else. Often these are the animals we see abandoned, passed from one home to another. Animals excessively crated, kenneled or chained, isolated with little hope of ever truly becoming part of a family pack.

Changing Behavior By Changing The Body's Sensation

Soon I found myself increasing my study of animal behavior including their calming signals. I became a certified Tellingtonttouch.com Tellington Touch Practitioner, successfully completed Purdue University's "DOGS" Course Principles and Behavior, Bob and Miraim Bailey's intermidate and advanced Clicker Training, successfully tested for the C.P.D.T. the only nationally recognized dog trainers certification test and the list goes on. After many workshops, seminars, clinics and courses I came to learn many behaviors and some health issues could be affected by the manipulation of the animal's skin and by applying light to moderate pressure to certain areas of the body.

Behavior modification, a more rapid recovery - they appeared to be aided by these sensations. But why? Why did it have an effect?

All my years of traditionalism prevented me from accepting what I had witnessed. Then I read a book titled Molecules Of Emotion by Candace B. Pert, PhD. When Candace wrote “the body and mind are not separate and one cannot be treated without the other,” the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. Added to that learning was the example of Temple Grandin’s “Hug Box,” a device developed to apply deep pressure to help calm autistic children’s over stimulated nerves. So we envisioned a product that would cover a large portion of an animal’s body without falling off or allowing the animal to get tangled up in it. At the same time it could not be binding or distracting, so to help calm the animal and help modify the undesirable behaviors.

I realized that animals, though admittedly much different than humans, still possess some of the same physiological and, may we dare suggest, some of the same psychological make up. Finally I began to understand how these effects were being possible. Realizing this I began to experiment using various types of materials put together in various ways to increase the positive effects of the sensations being sent to the animal’s brain by use of the body's receptors. Opening up the neurological pathways and substituting new sensations for old habitual ones.

Over much time and many prototypes the Anxiety Wrap was developed. A Wrap especially designed to help your animal as well as my own and those of my clients. Shereen Faber, PH.D., OTR, FAOTA, and author of Neurorehabilitation A Multisensory Approach, contacted us after discovering our product. She explains how The Anxiety Wrap uses a Technique called "Maintained Pressure" to help calm the sensory receptors. Click here to read more. We’ve found The Anxiety Wrap works especially well in situations where your dog or cat is anxious or fearful, whether it’s during a thunderstorm or trips to the vet or meeting new people. Due to its ability to help an animal become more focused, the Anxiety Wrap is an excellent tool for use with gentle training methods. It can provide an under-confident animal with a greater sense of security, helping it become more comfortable and begin increasing confidence. For overly excited or hyper dogs/cats, the Anxiety Wrap can help an animal become more calm and relaxed. Every animal is unique and there are countless other ways the Anxiety Wrap can improve your animal’s quality of life.

Thunderstorms... are they causing your dog or cat fear-stress-pacing-anxiety-panting-nervousness?

Often using an Anxiety Wrap will allow him to sleep right through the storm. Many people have noticed much improvement within 1 to 3 times of using the Anxiety Wrap.

Fonte

Crate training

2009-06-17T01:15:00.000-03:00

1. Start feeding him in his crate.

2. Make sure that every time he is in his crate really wonderful things happen like lots of toys, treats, and chewies, in addition to all of his meals. None of these things anywhere else!

3. DON'T just put him in his crate and close the door leaving him in there for hours.

4. DO build up the time he is in his crate very slowly. You can do this in one day if you plan it right, especially if the next day you know you'll have to be gone for hours but I would recommend you make sure he is comfortable with the crate (iow - likes it) before leaving him in it for hours or it will set back your training and you'll have to start over. You do this by putting him in there first with the door open and giving him a treat. Every time he comes out (and he will) you toss another treat in there. After just a few short sessions, he will figure out that good things happen in the crate. When you add his meal in there as well, he will start to figure it out.

The main thing here is the concept. Many people believe that dogs don't understand concepts. Actually, they do. Many people believe that dogs are problem solvers but don't understand concepts, per se. Some of it is probably just semantics but I'm one that firmly believes that dogs, do, in fact, understand concepts. Either way, the above suggestion will help [your dog] figure out that the crate is not so bad after all.

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 17 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Getting a dog

2009-06-15T18:41:00.000-03:00

A mixed breed dog can inherit either the good or the bad in it's parents - so saying that a mix is sturdier can or may not be true, it simply depends on the dog. I would recommend getting one that is a probably 2-4 years old so that you'll have a better feel of this dog's true personality. Adopting is a wonderful idea, and if you don't find what you like at the local shelter, you may also want to checkout www.petfinder.org - they have a lot of dogs listed that are held by shelters as well as rescue groups. When looking at a shelter dog, you don't want to so much consider what the "mix" is - since most shelters are only making a guess at the breeding any way, you want to look at personality and type that best suits your needs. Come up with a list of "must have" and "would prefer" and then use that as a "shopping" list when you go out.

I recommend enrolling you and your new dog in a training class after you get your dog. This will help you both bond and help you through those first couple months when problems may arise that you don't know how to handle.

As far as rawhide goes - too much of anything is bad for a dog, and something now and again will rarely harm a dog, but you do need to be careful with rawhide. The ability of a dog to tolerate it, really depends on the dog's chewing habits. A dog that is a voracious chewer could bite off larger chunks of rawhide that could get stuck in the throat or lodged in the bowels causing an obstruction. A dog that chews it carefully can have them when monitored, being sure to take it away when you get to the last slab - again because often that is swallowed whole. I've had to pull slimy rawhide from the back of my dog's mouth several times, so I'm careful to remove it from them when it gets down to a swallowable piece - and I make sure they only have rawhide when I'm present. A Kong stuffed with goodies is a great treat for unsupervised play. If you buy rawhide, make sure it's made in the USA, foreign rawhide is preserved with things that you don't want your dog consuming. IMO - the best treat for your dog is a simple knuckle or marrow bone bought from the local grocery store or butcher. They're cheap, the dogs LOVE them and it keeps their teeth remarkably white. You feed them raw, and if you're concerned about blood on the carpet - give it to your dog when it's in a crate or outside to start - they'll have the meat off the outside of the bone in about 20 mins, and then spend a lot of time working on the marrow in the middle. Don't be surprised if they make your dog throw up the first couple times, but their system will adjust to them quickly in most cases. Mine get one of these every 2-3 days and LOVE them - keeps them busy for hours. Matter of fact, my female is chewing on a knuckle bone right now that I gave them last night during "relax" time.

For most dogs, food is simply a matter of preference. Every dog food on the market will provide your dog with ample nutrition and 99% of dogs will do just fine on just about any dog food. Don't get sucked into "designer" foods. Read the labels and be an educated consumer. When shopping, your first ingredients should be meat, not grains. Corn is almost indigestible, and basically is filler - so if you buy a food with corn (which is prevalent in less expensive foods), then just know that you will have higher poo volume which means less food is being absorbed by your dog and more food is going on the ground - so cheaper isn't always a bargain - you can feed less of a better quality food (without corn) and get the same results. Basically - pick a food that you and your dog both like, and stick to it. Switching foods can cause digestive upset and can create a picky eater. I prefer not to feed table scraps - it makes it harder to control a dog's weight, can cause picky eating and can also create begging problems.

Look into clicker training - it can be fun for you and the dog, and can also accelerate learning.

FYI - March is a great time to get dogs in the shelter, that's about when all the cute fuzzy puppies that were given as gifts at Christmas reach the lanky and not so cute chewing and rebellious stage - when many are then surrendered to shelters.

Last but not least - get a crate for your new dog. This will help insure your dog's safety as well as the safety of your belongings. Dogs usually grow to love their crates and will go there when they are feeling stressed or just need some time to relax. My male, who is no longer confined to his crate, often sleeps in there during the day and even spends all night in there, even though the door is open. It makes housebreaking easier, and it makes it easier if you travel with your dog. It will also make your dog more comfortable if he needs to spend time at a vet or boarding kennel if he is already used to spending time in a crate.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 15 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

There are pros and cons on getting a dog in March. If you get an adult, and you don't mind being outside in the cold, it shouldn't matter much. I personally vowed that I would never have a winter puppy b/c I don't like standing out in the cold the necessary time it takes to work with a puppy in housetraining, not to mention some of the puppies not liking it much better than I. It's a personal choice.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a difference between quality food and junk food. There is with humans and there certainly is with dog foods. Having said that, I do suggest that people buy the best food they can afford. The dog will survive on Wal-mart's Ole Roy or any other grocery store dog food but I don't recommend it unless that's all someone can afford. I would rather see someone spend less money on expensive dog treats and toys and have better quality dog food but that's my personal opinion. The thing here about food is that we don't know if a dog on lower quality food (which I call junk food) who lived a happy, healthy life of 12 years would have lived to 15 or 16 on a better quality food. You have to decide on that yourself.

Diet is important. Two things that I do not want to cut corners, one is medical and the other is diet. I feed a high quality diet to my dogs and I definitely notice a difference in their skin and coat. The sad truth is that I will never know if one of my dogs would have lived as long if I fed grocery store food. I do, however, know that my dogs are living longer since I changed than my dogs of 25 years ago but I have no proof that they would have gone at that age regardless of diet. My suggestion is to really study canine nutrition. Decide for yourself. I know that I do not want my dogs eating by-products so I won't buy the cheap foods which all contain that. I prefer human-grade ingredients after hearing all the horror stories I hear from rendering plants and what goes into some dog foods.

As far as rawhide goes, I don't use it. I've pulled too many slimmy pieces out of my dog's mouth when I've been right in the room with them. So much for supervision. I want to avoid obstruction, which brings me to the point of puppy proofing your house (even if the dog is an adult). They can ingest some things that you wouldn't even think of. Each dog is different in terms of what might turn them on....wood, plastic, cloth, etc. I feed knuckle bones, bully sticks and frozen stuffed Kongs as well as Nylabones that my dogs can't get a piece off, even my tough chewer rottie.

Depending on the age of the dog you adopt, you might have to start from scratch with housetraining and you might not. If you get a dog from unknown origin, you won't have the benefit of talking to the breeder about substrate and you'll have to figure it out by trial and error.

I do NOT recommend a flexi lead (or any retractable lead) to be used on a new dog who is not trained or been introduced slowly to it. They can be very dangerous to the novice dog and the novice handler. Get a long line made of cotton web. For safety reasons, I recommend using a harness with the long line and even the long line needs to be introduced slowly so that the dog won't run all the way to the end and sustain an injury with the sudden jolt, thus no collar recommendation by me. The thing with the flexi leads is that they can rip your hand if you ever grab it during an emergency or it can wrap around a dog's leg and sever it. I've seen horrible accidents with children and the flexi lead. They need to be used with a lot of care and safety being the most important. I suggest them for experienced dog and handlers only.

As far as training goes. I can give you my recommendation on books and videos where you can work alone but I suggest a professional trainer who will work with you one on one or join a group class locally. Not everyone does well with self-help books. I strongly suggest clicker training. If you learn clicker training, you can teach a ton of tricks with the basic principle and you won't need detailed instructions as to how to train each particular trick or obedience exercise like sit, down, stand, stay, etc. The methodology is the same. You shape it, capture it or lure it, but shaping is the best (imo) and is more apt to stay with the dog long term. With clicker training, the dog doesn't sit waiting for instructions as with 'traditional' trining. The dog learns to offer behaviors that are clickable, thereby being rewarded. The basic principle is that you reward the behavior you like. You ignore the behavior you don't like (iow, no corrections) and you manage (deny access to) the behavior you can't ignore until you get it trained (like chewing the sofa, etc.). You can also learn a lot if you join one of the clicker lists. A clicker savvy dog can learn behaviors much faster than most traditionally trained dogs (imo). Although one might use some corrections in training, they are never physical ones if the trainer is using clicker training properly (as it was designed).

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 16 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Doggie Nail File

2009-06-15T18:28:00.000-03:00

The easiest way to do a dog's nails in my opinion is to have the dog do their own nails.

It's easy! Find a board about 8-12 inches wide and 24-36 inches long. Take a look at the dog's conformation--the wider the dog, the wider the nail file needs to be. This should be comfortable for the dog to use, not difficult. Go to the hardware store and get some of the stick on tape that is used on wooden steps to make them slip-proof. It's rough, like extremely coarse sandpaper and the adhesive lasts through anything.

Cover the board with the slip-proof tape. You could also use sandpaper. The most important thing is to make sure the edges of the sandpaper are firmly glued down because otherwise the dog will peel it up. I don't know what sort of adhesive comes on the slip-proof tape but once it's stuck down on the board, it's not going to budge for anything less than extreme measures. The guy at the hardware store said if you want to remove it, you have to heat it up and use a scraper to peel it up. The stuff is meant to resist foot traffic and lasts forever. If it wore out, I think I'd just scrap the whole thing and make a new one.

You now have a giant nail file for dogs!

Teach the dog to paw the board with their front feet. If you can get a paw touch and then deliberately delay the click, you're almost certain to get a raking motion. Once the dog starts pawing on the board, most of them get very enthusiastic about it. A sizable minority alternate feet as if they were digging but it's not difficult to stop the dog that uses only one foot and get them to switch feet.

Some dogs prefer the board propped at an angle, other dogs prefer the board flat on the floor. You can put a foot on one end of the board to keep it from slipping around if it is flat on the floor. I know one person who built a little frame to support the board at a forty five degree angle but most people don't do anything that fancy. If your dog prefers the board at an angle, the easiest way is to prop it against your own knees.

So far, it's been a cinch for everyone who has tried it to get the dog to paw the board with their front feet. Every dog so far has pawed with their toes arched and foot in a sort of cup shape so that they are only touching the board with their nails.

Capturing the hind leg kick that many dogs perform after pooping and then transferring it to the board is reportedly not difficult either.

The only caution I have is to put the board away where the dog can't reach it when not in use. Everyone I've told this about who left the board out came home to find that the dog had quicked their own nails and then padded about the house, getting blood everywhere.

Oddly enough, dogs do not seem to mind quicking their own nails on the board. My theory is that the sensation builds up slowly and so is not surprising or overwhelming the way it is when the nail clippers do it. When operating the board, keep a sharp eye out and stop proceedings when the dog is getting close to quicking the nails.

Especially if the dog started out with really long nails the first few times they use the board they are likely to file the nails unevenly and at funny angles. Just keep letting the dog use the board and when the nails are short they will even out.

I got the idea years ago from a Chow breeder whose dogs strongly objected to having their nails done (a breed trait according to this breeder). She put in a concrete run down one side of her yard with the concrete brushed at right angles to the length of the pen. Each of her dogs spent half a day in there each week while the other dogs played in the yard. The penned dog would race up and down in frustration and do their own nails. I thought "there's gotta be a cheaper way to do this." Poking around the hardware store gave me the rest of the project.

I've been teaching people how to do this for over ten years and so far it's been very easy to train, even with handlers who had terrible timing.

Dogs seem to enjoy it a whole lot more than they enjoy nail trimming. As I get older, my eyesight is not improving so I'm looking for ways to make every day tasks easier.

Plus, someone on the Belg-L list related how she couldn't figure out why she got a sort of crud every other week until she realized that when she dremeled nails she was effectively aerosolizing the nail and anything the dog had on their nails. She has immune system problems but anyone can have a temporary suppression of the immune system due to stress, fatigue, illness, etc. While there is a small amount of dust flying around when the dog operates the nail file, it's nothing like what happens with a dremel.

Fonte

Puppy shopping list

2009-06-15T17:33:00.000-03:00

I would add a few toys, including things she can chew on. It's a good idea to keep on using the food the breeder was using, for now. If she is small an X-pen is *really* useful. This is a small folding fence like a playpen that keeps the puppy contained when you can't supervise her, but gives her more freedom than she would have in her crate.

[Escrito por Brianna Tracy em 14 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

You will need a lightweight [4' leash] for training classes. Flexi-leads are great for exercising, but don't use it for training, use the leash. You can use a cotton rope for a long lead instead of buying one - let the puppy drag it outdoors to assure a prompt recall. The only "long" lead that I have is one made for hunt training, it's about 40' long in bright orange and floats. The only time I use it is for retriever training, the rest of my training was either done on a short lead or with a piece of cotton clothes line used as a drag line (you can step on the rope to make sure you get your recalls).

Add an Enzymatic Cleaner to your shopping list, I buy it by the gallon at puppy stage - I prefer Nature's Miracle to the other brands on the market.

Easiest housebreaking is done [like this] - crate and never let them out of your sight. Get into a routine, that will make things easier too. Get a set of bells you can put on the door you use for outside - you can teach the puppy to ring the bells to go outside by luring him to them with a treat and when he hits them then magically exclaim "go outside" in a cheery voice and open the door immediately. This will greatly speed up your housebreaking process by giving the pup a tool he can use to let you know he needs to go out. This is a great source for bells... http://www.smuckersharness.com/pg57.html

Another helpful hint - especially [if] you plan on competing with this puppy - make sure you housebreak your puppy on-lead. A dog that won't potty on a leash is a nightmare if you're traveling. Also, while this pup is young, you need to expose him to as many things as possible - travel with him/her as much as possible - the first few months is when most socialization is learned. Try to make every experience a fun and positive one for the pup, including playing games during thunderstorms. If you ever want to do any field work with this pup (and even if you don't it's still a great idea), you'll want to get the pup steady to gun fire. The best way I have found to do this is to have the pup in it's crate in the car with the radio on. Drive to a shooting range in the area and drive up slowly. Stop a ways away from the range and sit, watch the pup and when he's comfortable with the sound drive a little closer. Proceed until your pup is sitting comfortably in the parking area. Then turn the radio down some, then off, then open doors, then take pup out of crate, then out of car and then slowly progress closer to the actual range until you are standing just behind the shooters. This all must be done very carefully and slowly - because if your dog becomes frightened, you may never reverse the damage. Read the dog, and most of all you must remain positive and confident, your dog will mirror your attitude - if you worry about him being frightened, you will create fear in your pup. I've done this successfully with all three of my dogs - the first never stepped foot in a hunting situation, but she was never afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks either! My current two actually do field work, they get very excited and happy when they hear gunfire, because they associate it with fun things like finding birds!

Here's what I got...

- Crate (the kind with the moveable separator so you only have to buy one)
- Collar
- Lead
- Head Collar for puppy training (I prefer the Comfort Trainer, www.miriamfields.com)
- Food/water dish
- Gal. of Nature's Miracle
- Package of shop rags from the local warehouse store (for clean ups)
- A few toys
- Some chewey bones of some sort
- Food (of course)
- Training treats (they need to be soft, dogs must drop their heads to chew crunch treats, and you want to encourage the pup to look up at you - attention will be important later on for competitive obedience)

Everything else is a luxury or convenience item pretty much. You may want to get a Flexi-lead, a dremmel for doing nails, grooming tools if you don't have them.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 15 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

If you are nervous about trimming nails, it's best to have someone else do it. You might want to try using the dremel instead of a clipper. Some do better with it. If you do decide to use the dremel it's best if you use pantyhose. Put the paw inside and have the nails poke out so that you will not catch any of the fur in the dremel.

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 17 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Suckling on blanket

2009-06-15T01:27:00.000-03:00

PERGUNTA:

My pup (6 1/2 mo. old) has this fleece blanket I made for him. He's always played with it in many ways, including chewing on it and mounting it (which is fine by me, keeps him from human legs).

Last evening it was different though: he took the blanket, jumped into my lap and he started chewing on it, taking enormous bites, I mean like filling his mouth with it and chewing. All the while his eyes were half closed, dreamy, as if he were in a trance or something. He was ok, I mean, if I talked to him he'd stop and look at me, or he turned his ears around if he heard a sound... He had already eaten, he'd been walked, he'd spent over an hour playing in the park with other dogs, we had played fetch and done a little bit of training.

So this is out of curiosity really, this is a very independent pup, he does never cuddle, he won't get on your lap or anything, and the eyes... Is this just a weird thing he does, or do you think it means something, or ... what?

[Escrito por Andrea em 11 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

RESPOSTA:

Not strange at all, all three of my Weimaraners do it. He's not chewing on it, he's suckling on it. They suck and knead just like they were nursing. Your dog may grow out of this behavior, but my dogs have done it their entire lives. My first Weim would suck on her teddy bear - fall sound asleep with it in her mouth. My current two both suck on fleece blankets. Consider it a blessing - what this will give you is an outlet for your dog when he's stressed. When we go to strange places and the dogs get over stimulated or stressed, they go and suck their blankets. It releases soothing endorphins that relax them. I can travel with them anywhere and put them in any situation and as long as they have their blankets with them, they can relax and unwind and fall sound asleep in the most stressful situations.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 13 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

How to get rid of fleas

2009-06-15T00:29:00.000-03:00

You need to get your dog on a good flea product, Advantage, Advantix, Frontline - these all do the trick. Get on it, stay on it and you will never see another flea. After you get your dog on a product, put Seven Dust down in the yard - this will kill the fleas out there - do it the day before you're supposed to get rain so it washes off the grass next day. You also need to do a very thorough vacuuming, don't miss the corners, under beds, etc. Wash all your bedding and the dog's bedding. The products that I mentioned above though will take care of killing any flea that comes into contact with your dog and if you keep up with it and apply it every 30 days, you will never again have a problem.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 10 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Don't know if Seven Dust is the same as Sevin Dust we have up here in Canada, but if it is I wouldn't dust my yard with it. It can be pretty toxic and should only be used under controlled circumstances. When you dust your yard you are affecting much more than just fleas. A safer alternative is to buy a sprayer that goes on your hose, add Ivory liquid, set the dial, and spray your yard with that. Or dust with Diacetameous Earth (food grade - be sure and wear a mask) and vacuum, vacuum, vacuum - fleas have something like a 30 day cycle so they will keep hatching until you get rid of all of them. Wash all bedding and vacuum couches etc. at least once a week for a while after putting on Advantage (if that is what you are going to use).

[Escrito por Joan Skeet em 10 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Use a spot on product. I use biospot and it works very well.

[Escrito por Marianne em 10 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Gatinhos falantes

2009-06-15T00:15:00.000-03:00

Ignore o comportamento não desejado

2009-06-15T00:12:00.001-03:00

E faça cara de poste!

Prepay care plan for puppies

2009-06-14T18:31:00.000-03:00

NO [GOOD]! Insurance companies set their rates to make money. The advantage of the petcare maintenance plans of course is that you can work on a budget, but if I were you, I'd take those monthly payments and put them into a bank account and then use your own money and a vet of your choice. I would just pay as you go.

You may want to look into an accident plan - they're not cheap, but can really save you if you have even a small emergency with your dog. I use www.petcareinsurance.com and found it to be the most comprehensive a lowest price of the plans available. This is an accident and illness plan and does not cover routine pet care - it costs about $430 for the gold plan, but they have lower plans available as well. I would recommend this for at least the first couple years of a young dog's life when they are the accident prone. So far I've cashed in for a bout of Ghiardia and when my female had a medically necessary spay due to a uterine infection, they covered that all but the $50 deductible as well (routine spays are not covered - nor is other elective surgery).

You can also get other health plans that include routine maintenance - AKC offers one. But when I researched them, I found that the money they charge was more than I was paying for routine pet care. They throw out little things like dental cleanings - well I had my first girl for 13 years, and had one cleaning, her annual vet bills were less than $100. Plus you may find that your breeder may include many of your pup's first shots - my breeder does all our puppy shots - meaning the only shots I had to pay for were extras like Lyme and rabies that has to be done by a vet, by law here in MD.

IMO - maintenance plans are great for budgeting but cost more than you would spend normally. I rarely spend more than $100 per year for shots with my regular vet per animal on routine shots - and it's usually much less than that.

You only need to do a hip screening IF you're going to breed the dog or if it becomes lame. If your dog's parents are already screened then you have no need to screen your dog. Besides, they can't accurately read the x-rays until the dog is 2 years old! So you'll be paying for a service that you can't even get an accurate reading from until they are 2. Did they actually suggest you do a hip screening on a puppy? Talk about them wanting to spend your money on unnecessary things! My pups go to the vet when I first get them for a well puppy check and second round of shots (breeder should already have done one round at this point), then again at 12 weeks for their last shots and rabies - they don't need to be seen again until they are 1 for the next year's shots. Every 3 weeks is a total waste of your time and money IMO.

Please do yourself a favor and talk to some local vets in your area and stay away from the jiffy lube of pet care - again JMO. Recommending check ups every 3 weeks for the first 5 mos and then a hip screening? Really makes me wonder who's interest they have in mind - sure doesn't sound like yours.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 10 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

I can't comment on [this] prepay care plan, but I've had VPI Pet Insurance for my 2 dogs and 2 cats for the past year and it's paid for itself many times over!! You may want to check insurance out as an alternative to a prepay plan. Their website is www.petinsurance.com.

[Escrito por Vanessa em 10 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Ticks

2009-06-14T17:49:00.000-03:00

[I use] Biospot...one of the only ones that repels ticks as well as kills them. We have alot of deer ticks here, so we can't afford to even have them bite the dogs. So far, even though deer go through our yard, I've never found a tick on a dog. Our peninsula abounds with ticks, and I've gone for walks with the dogs there too...never found a tick or flea on anyone of them.

[Escrito por Marianne em 9 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

I vaccinate for Lyme - my dogs do a lot in the field, we also camp all up and down the east coast with them and do a fair amount of backpacking and stuff with them, so they're thoroughly exposed regularly.

I use Advantix - which both repels the ticks and also kills them. As this product contains pymethrin, you must be careful not to use around cats - it is very dangerous for cats.

Make sure you're using the Advantix every 30 days and make sure you are following the directions. I have had no problems with the ticks and my dogs are in the woods and field all the time.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 10 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

I have, most unfortunately, extensive experience with Lyme, which my older rescue Toller ("Rescue") was apparently exposed to before adopting me. I almost lost her, but at age 9+ she's now OK, thanks in large part to a lot of education I received from a list serve moderated by a veterinarian who is an expert on TBDs (tick-born-diseases). The name of [the list] is Tick-L, and if anyone is interested, you can subscribe by typing in an Internet search and take it from there.

While far from an expert, through my experience I've learned some basic things:

1) The Lyme vaccine is highly questionable as to its efficacy, and there are claims that the vaccine actually can induce Lyme symptoms. There is even stronger evidence that re-vaccinating a known infected dog can cause further auto-immune related problems. That being said, while I no longer vaccinate my afflicted dog, I do still vaccinate my young girl who tests negative for Lyme.

2) Picking ticks off dogs is generally not an effective preventive approach--young ticks are the size of poppy seeds, and I've seen some even smaller. Plus, they can attach and insert the culprit bacteria/spirochete before we remove the tick.

3) Ticks are present in every state of the country, every month of the year. Preventive measures need to be applied every month year-round. I live in the frozen tundra of upstate New York and apply Frontline year-round.

4) Prescription topical treatments, properly applied, are a very good defense.

5) SNAP tests are a valid basic screening tool for Lyme, and Doxycycline remains a reliable and safe treatment given in proper dosages and for extended periods of time.

6) The relapse potential for dogs initially infected with Lyme is high, and stress can induce relapses.

In the past two years I've fortunately been able to separate out the myths and misconceptions from the realities and facts. Lyme has been called the "great imitator" and rightly so, and remains a volatile and insidious disease. I am so grateful to have found the appropriate resources and veterinary care for Rescue. But the disease is not like a bout of cold or flu...it has ongoing implications and, as evidenced by Rescue, can have permanent disabling effects.

In younger dogs, most fortunately and with proper detection and management, the impacts are not so severe.

[Escrito por Nancy Tucker em 10 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Buying a puppy

2009-06-14T17:07:00.000-03:00

NO WAY should a pup go away from it's mom before 8 weeks, if the pups were born Dec 5, and she is letting pups go on Jan 20 - you need to run, not walk to the nearest exit. I'm not sure about everywhere, but in many states it's illegal to sell pups and let them leave their mom's before 8 weeks (you can presell them, but you can't let them leave).

As far as temperament tests go - perhaps some breeders on the list here can give you some good advice. A good breeder that knows their bloodlines and knows pups can tell what they will be like, but I'm not sure how old the pup needs to be to see this. But a good and responsible breeder would NEVER send her pups home with someone at 6 weeks of age.

You can expect a thorough questioning from your breeder - I wouldn't deal with a breeder that didn't ask a lot of questions. I would consent to a home visit before the pup was placed, and consent to a contract that had very clear requirements of the new owners. I would also expect a breeder to say that they will take the pup back, no questions asked at any point in their lives. I would consent and expect a breeder to ask for references - a vet perhaps, maybe one or two personal references. However, I WOULD NOT inconvenience my neighbors (nor would I even consider asking any of my neighbors) with calls from a breeder (even if I did know them, and quite frankly although there are plenty of neighbors where I live, I've only spoken to a couple more than a few times). I also would never consent to someone seizing my dog unless there was a clearly defined reason for it, ie. chained to a fence and ignored, criminally negligent, etc. My dogs are like kids to me and I would never enter into a contact with someone that could just take my dog from me at their own whim. If you are not comfortable with a breeder on your initial conversation - move on, there are plenty of dogs in this country that need decent homes without you giving up your first born child to get one.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 7 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

German Shephard puppy gone berserk

2009-06-13T18:22:00.000-03:00

Some dogs need to actually "learn" to relax - not just tire them out until they're pooped - but actually learn to settle down. Being the owner of Weims we learned this lesson very early on.

I recommend you teach [your dog] a "settle" command. This is basically very similar to a down/stay, except the difference is, he's allowed to move and squirm as long as he doesn't leave his place or get up. Start out slowly, just a minute or two, but eventually you want to work up to 1/2 hour settle times. My female was fine with this, but my male, even though a year older and more mature had a VERY tough time with this lesson - creeping and squirming the whole time he was in a settle. Think of this as teaching patience for dogs.

This exercise will achieve two things. It allows you to reward your dog for being quiet, teaches the dog that it's not ok to always be revved up (unless being tired out), and gives you a command to use when Max is getting too over stimulated and you need him to chill out for a while. It's a wonderful tool - great for use when someone comes to visit that you don't wan accosted (like elderly grandparents for example - or the cable repair guy).

So get yourself a pillow or rug - something you can designate as Max's quiet place - somewhere that you will be able to easily put him back to if he gets up (which he will - often for the first several times you do this). Make it somewhere that he will still be part of the action, but where he must be quiet during a designated time (totally different than crate time BTW). We have pillow stationed near the sofas and I did "settle" practice during dinner, since that was the only time I was actually still long enough to do a 30 min practice. Make sure you come up with a release word that will indicate to Max when his settle time is done - we use "ok" around here.

There is this idea among many that in order to have a quiet dog, that you need to run them until they are worn out. Well, the flaw in this idea is two-fold - one, it creates a dog that is always active until he's tired, and the more you exercise, the longer it takes to get the dog worn out - It's actually impossible at this point for me to wear my dogs out - the best I can hope for is to take the longing and the edge off of them after a good hike, bike ride or swim. 8mos is not too early for Max to do the whole 30 mins either, my female was doing it at 12 weeks, I didn't learn this wondrous trick though until my male was already over a year, but he adapted quickly.

I now have dogs that if they start getting too wild in the house, I can simply send them to their settle places for a little while to unwind. I also use "hush" if they start getting too noisy in their play, since I work from home, and trying to talk with customers with a pair of yowling wolves in the house can be a bit of a challenge - they will actually respond to a snap of my fingers now if they start getting too noisy in their play - of course, my two aren't big barkers to start with, but I know exactly that pleading bark of "pleeeaaaassssseeeee play" - as both of mine are experts - on top of that my dang female is a very growly player. "Hush" works to quiet them at least temporarily - which was simply trained by giving a harsh word and a look - it's enough to alter their train of thought for a second and break their "fun bark" cycle.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 2 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

[Your dog] needs more to do. As working dog I would suggest he needs more brainwork rather than physical activity which he seems to be getting enough of. I can remember our trainer telling us a story about an off the wall very high energy Springer that she had. She used to get up at 4 in the morning and hike for miles with the dog before work, just to try and wear it out a bit. All she got was a very very fit dog with off the wall high energy. Someone suggested that as she was up so early anyway she take on a paper route. She tried it out - taking the dog with her and having him practice a 'sit stay' or 'down stay' at every house as she delivered the paper up to the house. She went 1/4 the distance she used to and the dog was much more tired and docile from doing brainwork than she could ever get him from walking.

If the weather is bad I give my dogs 'brain jobs' inside the house to settle them down. Things like 'find the bunny' where I hide little treats everywhere for them to find on cue - nose work is very tiring. I might put a treat in a box or egg carton or plastic bottle and tape it up and they have to figure out how to get it out. I make them practice all their 'tricks' from long stays, to 'wave', to heel, to jumping on and off the couch on command. 1/2 to 3/4 hour of that and they are ready to flake out for hours. You could teach him jobs to do - fetch slippers, turn lights on and off, put all the toys back in the toybox - whatever. If he is sufficiently brain and body exercised and was still barking at the other dog just to be a pest I would probably just take him into his crate for a 5 minute time out every single time he did it. He would soon learn that it was not a very rewarding behavior.

[Escrito por Joan Skeet em 2 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

There are a few things you can do to help [your dog] through this stage which, at this age [8 months old], can be quite obnoxious - really!

1. Work on self-control exercises. Use a lot of Premack for training these. (Basic Premack = You eat your veggies - you can have dessert).

2. Settle exercises are good but they won't be enough. I would still work on them, though, as you will need them later. You can teach a conditioned relaxer. Done right, you can pratically put a dog to sleep.

3. [Your dog] could use a job. Any job. Teach him, though educational games, that doing different jobs are fun and very rewarding. There are tons to pick from.

4. Increase his exercise. A tired puppy is a good puppy and [your dog] is STILL a puppy! I would suggest you start him with road work. GSDs [German Shephard Dogs] LOVE road work. You have to start very slowly. If you want, I could meet with you and show you the best way to get started (if you are not familiar with road work). Also, you can do lunging (as in exercises horses) which will benefit.

5. Teach [your dog] that the only way he can physically play with the Whippets is to do it from a DOWN. Nika does this when she plays with Sushi due to Sushi's size and for safety reasons. It's a more gentle way to play. I use Premack. When Nika gets up, the play ends. IOW, the only way she gets to play with Sushi is if she is in a down position. Be consistent and this works. She is allowed to play any way she wants with Sonny or Dance but NOT Sushi. She was taught this from day one when I got Sushi.

6. Geriatric dogs need to be protected as much as puppies from either adults or rough-playing GSDs that have temporaily lost their brain and you are waiting for it's return. So, make sure that whichever dog you pick for [the puppy] to play with, it's one that is young and can take it. I wouldn't force him or allow him at this age to play with the older dogs if he can't do it in a way that is appropriate for them (you decide what's appropriate). Or... teach him that he can only just 'hang out' with them. When they have had enough of him, remove one or the other, but preferably remove [the puppy] to give the older dogs a break. They will TELL you when they need it.

7. Scenting games will help to do two things: 1) engage the brain and 2) burn up calories which is a good thing to do when the weather is bad and dogs can't spend as much time outside. Tracking is excellent or agility games. It doesn't have to be serious, just play with whatever you have handly around the house. Hide n Seek is a great game as well, either inside or outside. Find Mommy or Daddy is one of Nika's favorite and she prefers it to finding food.

8. Make sure that [your dog] has quality time with you both. Alone. No other dogs. Play educational games, not just retrieve. I have a list of different ones if you want them. Tricks are good to work on during this quality time. GSDs love to work. They need to work.

9. GSDs are velcro dogs. Make sure that you don't have any signs of SA. [Your dog] needs to spend time alone; either in a crate or a room gated off. Give him a knuckle bone or a frozen stuffed Kong to entertain him while he is alone.

10. Tether him to you for a few hours a day. This will keep him out of trouble as well as continue to teach him that you [both] are pack leaders. He will love the extra time with you!

11. Implement the 5/60 rule. He needs it. That's where you train for 5 minutes every 60 minutes. It's a lot of work and dedication but it pays off BIG TIME! Train obed exercises and tricks. Just set a timer for every hour. Obviously, you can only do this when you are home but even those who work outside the home can do this when they come home in the evening.

12. Do commercial training. If you watch any amount of TV, every time a commercial comes on, do a little training. This is 2-4 minutes every 15-20 or so. You don't miss any of the program and [your dog] gets trained just during the commercials. Work a lot on targeting so that he learns to work at a distance which is always more difficult for a GSD b/c they ARE velcro dogs.

13. Introduce him to a restrained down. Once a day do a 30 minute down. NO EXCUSES! I do this while on the computer or watching TV. There is no building up time with this, it's 30 minutes from day one!

There's more you can do but this is for starters! Until the teenager gets his brain back, he's gonna need the two of you to help him.... a lot. I love GSDs!

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 3 de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Meu rottweiler faz a segurança da criançada

2009-06-13T17:00:00.003-03:00

Basta uma delas chegar perto e o Ludwig assume o posto de anjo da guarda.

Ludwig com a Duda, a filhinha do meu veterinário

Desde que o meu rottweiler Ludwig teve contato com bebês pela primeira vez, percebi que ele se apaixonou. No primeiro encontro com a Duda, filha do meu veterinário, ele já mostrou seu lado protetor: latiu que nem um doido porque um estranho se aproximou dela.

Ludwig é uma alma evoluída

Outro dia, ele pegou a Duda pela fralda quando percebeu que ela estava se afastando do pai. Mesmo com aquele bocão, ele a puxou com todo o cuidado! Brinco com os meus amigos que o Ludwig é uma alma evoluída, um anjo da guarda. Não é só porque ele é manso com as crianças, mas porque ele cuida da segurança delas.

Escolta de carrinho de bebê

Tem pouco tempo que estávamos na porta de um shopping e o Ludwig cismou de querer fazer escolta para a criancinha que mexeu com ele na entrada. Quando vi, ele estava me puxando para acompanhá-la. Eu expliquei: ''Ludwig, nós não podemos entrar aí!''. E ele me olhou com cara de ponto de interrogação. E a euforia dele quando vê um carrinho de bebê na rua? Tudo o que ele quer é cheirar a criança e ir atrás dela.

Confio no caráter do meu cachorro

Meu cachorro é tão bonachão com os pequenos que não se incomoda nem de ser mordido por eles. É claro que não deixo o Ludwig sozinho com as crianças. Afinal, são dois bebês que podem aprontar alguma besteira. Mas confio muito no caráter dele.

Consigo enxergar a diferença dele para os outros cachorros no meu próprio sítio. A prima do Ludwig, a Gita, também é tranquila, mas não tem esse cuidado em proteger os bebês. Eu não ensinei isso ao Ludwig, ele nasceu com esse dom. Sorte da criançada, né?

Uma questão de amor e genética

O rottweiler tem fama de mau por conta das notícias de ataques a pessoas. Mas, segundo a Daniela [Prado], se for bem tratado e tiver um caráter genético bom, ele só avança em uma situação de risco. Nos últimos anos, essa raça tem ajudado o trabalho da Polícia Militar na área de segurança e também em ações de risco, como procurar vítimas de acidentes.

Dona da história: Daniela Prado, 40 anos, advogada, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Daniela é uma das treinadoras especialistas em comportamento canino da Lord Cão Treinamento de Cães e também proprietária do canil Mendara Rottweilers.

Fonte

[Eu conheço pessoalmente ambos os pretões, Ludwig e Gita. São dois amores, lindos de morrer. Para ver fotos deles e de um monte de outros Rotts do canil de Daniela, clique aqui]

The World’s Tallest Dog Dies From Cancer

2009-06-13T11:59:00.001-03:00

We’ve covered Gibson on these pages before. Well, you would, wouldn’t you. The world’s tallest dog is something we’re likely to cover! Sadly, he has passed away from cancer. A statement released today confirmed that the world’s tallest dog had been put to sleep last Friday.

Gibson was just 7 years old when he died.

In April 2009, Gibson was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of canine bone cancer, which led to the amputation of his front right leg. The surgery was performed to prevent the cancer from spreading, and early tests showed positive results. After the surgery, Gibson received follow up chemotherapy treatments as a precaution.

Last week, Sandy Hall, Gibson’s owner, learned that the cancer had spread to his lungs and spine, at which point Gibson’s doctor stated that there was no other medical treatment that would save Gibson.

“Last week Gibson began having trouble using his back legs. X-rays showed that the cancer had spread to his spine and his lungs. Ms. Hall made the very difficult decision based on her concern and love for Gibson to have him humanely euthanized. Gibson died peacefully in the loving arms of Ms. Hall,” said Dr. Peter Walsh, Gibson’s veterinarian.

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A origem dos bichos, segundo a Pixar

2009-06-12T18:09:00.003-03:00

O blog tá paradão por total falta de tempo. Passei duas semanas nos EUA e neste pequeno intervalo tivemos de achar uma casa para alugar e comprar os principais móveis, eletrodomésticos e utensílios. Foi bem corrido. Estamos de volta ao Brasil para fechar a mudança e tem sido mais corrido ainda. Ontem embarcamos as nossas coisas, após dias de arrumação e seleção do que vai e do que fica. Hoje acho que conseguimos finalmente fechar as nossas passagens e as dos cachorros.

Este assunto é o que está dando mais trabalho, pela total falta de informação das companhias aéreas. Ninguém sabe nada, ninguém confirma nada. Quando dizem alguma coisa, a informação está incompleta ou incorreta. Tiveram a capacidade de pedir que eu providenciasse a GTA (Guia de Trânsito Animal), um documento que já não é mais necessário por lei há 3 anos. Os respectivos sites das companhias aéreas não são muito melhores. Há meses estou travando uma verdadeira batalha para catar todas as informações necessárias para o embarque dos 3 peludos. Já pesquisei tanto sobre o assunto que dá para escrever um livro!!!

Sempre que posso dou uma lida nas notícias para selecionar algumas matérias para o blog. Tenho muita coisa arquivada, falta é tempo de publicar aqui. Enfim, hoje achei um vídeo muito interessante e resolvi mostrar logo a vocês. Eu *a-d-o-r-o* os curtas da Pixar, até comprei o DVD com uma das coletânias. O mais novo curta está em cartaz junto com o filme de animação chamado "Up" da Disney, que eu tive o prazer de assistir lá nos EUA. Tanto o curta quanto o filme são muito bons, e o curta vocês podem apreciar no vídeo abaixo. Fonte: Blog Animal da Revista Época

A Pixar, estúdio conhecido por lançar animações como Toy Story, Ratatouille e Wall-E, lançou na rede o seu mais novo curta, que abre seu novo filme, Up. Ele conta, de maneira lúdica, como nascem os filhotes humanos e animais. Vale a pena ver:

Fique atento ao comprar ou adotar um cão

2009-06-12T15:37:00.000-03:00

Li hoje uma notícia que denunciava uma feira ilegal de filhotes de cães que colocava em risco a saúde dos animais e desafiava uma lei municipal paulistana. Sancionada em julho de 2007, a lei municipal 14.483 define que ”a venda de cães e gatos em ruas, praças, parques e áreas públicas é proibida e as penalidades vão de advertência à multa de R$ 1 mil a R$ 500 mil” – e vale lembrar que mesmo em pet shops os animais não podem ficar expostos por mais de seis horas e não devem ter contato com os frequentadores do estabelecimento.

Como contei aqui, no final de maio nós adotamos uma cadelinha SRD (sem raça definida), a Linda. Encontramos ela e seus irmãozinhos num estande da ONG Amigos dos Bichos numa feira gastronômica e passamos por uma triagem séria para conseguir a chance de sermos os donos dela.

Fomos entrevistados, nossos dados averiguados (na medida do possível), tivemos que oferecer várias informações e as cuidadoras da ONG, quase como assistentes sociais dos animais, nos ligaram algumas vezes nas semanas seguintes para saber da adaptação dela a nós – e da nossa família a ela. Infelizmente, pelo que noto na conversa com quem comprou um cão, nem sempre os cuidados são assim. Parece-me que a preocupação maior dos que vendem os animais é garantir que o “produto” pareça excelente aos olhos do cliente – enquanto que a ONG se mostrou muito preocupada em nos alertar para a realidade de ter um serzinho sob nossos cuidados.

Não estou fazendo campanha contra os cães de raça – meus pais tem cockers e meus sogros rottweillers -, mas acho importante que aproveitar a chance para reiterar que esta é uma experiência de troca de afeto, não uma relação de consumo. Não podemos “experimentar” um cão ou um gato, é um ser vivo, não um objeto. Na matéria que li havia uma citação do veterinário Wilson Grassi, diretor de bem-estar da Associação Nacional de Clínicos Veterinários de Pequenos Animais (Anclivepa), que alertava para os riscos que os filhotes sofrem no contato com clientes e outros animais. E ele alerta sobre o calor e o improviso na exposição dos animais – se em público os cães são tratados assim, quem garante em que condições eles estavam antes?

Fique de olho ao comprar ou adotar um cão: ele "tem que ter microchip (ou um registro de animal como a Linda tem nesta foto), as vacinas têm que estar em dia, os filhotes só podem ser retirados de perto da mãe depois de 60 dias de vida – e no caso de ONGs, sugere-se ou exige-se também que os donos castrem o filhote (nós fizemos isso). Se você optar por comprar, vá direto ao canil, visite a criação, conheça o pai, a mãe [do cachorro] e o ambiente”.

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The Anatomy of a Dog Attack

2009-06-11T02:24:00.000-03:00

“Out of the blue, it attacked for no reason”

When a dog attack is reported we will often hear the same old phrases bandied about.

“It came out of the blue”

“It was totally unprovoked”

“We didn’t see it coming”

“It was totally out of character”

Ring any bells? Well let’s try and understand how and why a dog might attack someone.

Dogs rarely, if ever, attack for no reason. Us humans often misinterpret a dog attacking “out of the blue” and “without warning” because we simply missed the signs.

Let’s be clear about one thing. A dog who is prepared to bite someone has his reasons. Can we, as humans, justify those reasons using the social values of people? Probably not. But of course, dogs do not live their lives according to human social values.

Here is the story of John, Henry and Max.

John has no wife or children. For the last five years he’s lived with his best friend in the world a playful Labrador called Max.

John is excited today. Henry, an old friend from school who he hasn’t seen for many years is visiting.

John decides today would be a good day to get his garden tidied, make a good impression on his old school chum.

As John gets busy in amongst the weeds in the front garden, he spies his old mate making his way up the street.

Henry’s been looking forward to catching up with John for weeks and, as he’s never been to his home before, finds himself feeling somewhat jubilant to realise he’s managed to find the street on which John lives without too much trouble and can now relish the prospect of seeing his friend again as well as finally getting to meet the only true love of John’s life, the much talked about Max.

It’s a hot and sunny day and Henry is wearing his sunglasses. Further up the street he spots John working in his front garden.

John’s already noticed Henry making his way towards him and yells out, “Hi Henry. Fancy a beer?”

Henry shouts back, “Sounds just the job. Can you believe this heat?”.

As per usual, Max has been ‘helping’ John with his gardening exploits by digging holes of his own all over the lawn. John doesn’t mind. He only wanted the garden so he could have somewhere safe to play fetch with Max on sunny days like today. He’s never been one for trying to keep it immaculate when Max’s favourite hobby is trying to tunnel his way to China.

Max has stopped his gardening though. He’s become preoccupied by the exchange between John and Henry and he’s taken a trip to the front gate to see what’s going on.

“I wonder who this bloke is?” ponders Max.

“Why would he and John be shouting at each other?” he thinks to himself.

“I’d better be on full alert.” he concludes. “John’s just shouted at this chap so he obviously wants me to keep an eye out.”

Max fixes himself in position at the front gate and hoists his tail high into the air, he’s keen to let the oncoming stranger know he’s about.

John doesn’t notice.

Henry’s still coming. So Max decides he needs to be more clear. He starts to emit a deep, low growl in Henry’s direction just to make certain the stranger who’s purposely striding towards him, his owner and HIS garden is left in no uncertain terms that he’s not moving.

Henry’s still coming. And now he’s close enough for Max to notice his sunglasses. “This is getting more serious by the second”, thinks Max. “He’s not only not listening to me, he’s staring right at me. I know, I’ll stare right back at him. See if he’s as brave then.”

Problems. Henry is still as brave. To Max, Henry’s sunglasses look like wide, staring eyes, boring straight ahead and as he marches staunchly toward the increasingly anxious Labrador, Max wonders what his next move might be. As body language goes, Henry is showing all the signs of refusing to listen to Max’s advice.

Now tense and feeling genuinely threatened, Max is offered an escape. John jogs inside to fetch a couple of bottles of beer and Max is only too pleased to hurriedly follow his master. Max is somewhat relieved to suspect that John, his idol, is just as scared as he is about the relentless stranger pursuing them both from outside the garden gate.

“Shut the door John, shut the door” Max worries. “He’s still coming and you haven’t closed the door”.

Too late. Max’s heart leaps as he hears the gate swing open. Too late.

His worst fears are confirmed. The unrelenting Henry is now purposefully making his way up the garden path and toward the house where Max and John are isolated, cornered and in Max’s case, petrified.

Gathering up every ounce of his canine courage and without a second’s thought for his own safety Max charges out of the house, tail hoisted aloft and barking his war cry as loud as his voice will muster. He heads straight for Henry wondering why this stalking maniac refused to listen to all of his earlier warnings.

“You might kill me but you’ll never take John”, Max decides.

Henry, his face very quickly drained of all its colour, is shocked and taken aback to be confronted by a clearly furious Max, the dog he’d heard so many nice stories about from doting John. This isn’t at all the dog he thought he’d be meeting.

Henry, alarmed and frightened makes his way toward Max, attempting to offer a hand of reassurance and friendship.

Max is having none of it.

“John warned you. Then I warned you. Why wouldn’t you just listen?”, reasoned Max.

Undeterred by Henry’s advance and determined not to let his owner come to any harm, Max lunges in Henry’s direction.

The realisation that Max is a long way past the stage of being able to be pacified dawns on Henry fast and he hastily tries to beat a retreat back out of the gate from which he entered.

John, hearing the commotion and now panic stricken by Max’s attack bellows “No! Max, no.”

Acutely tuned to his owner’s emotions and sensing the fear and alarm in John’s voice, Max forges ahead and launches into a full scale attack on Henry.

And then, as quick as it began, it was over.

An ambulance arrives to take Henry away and, hearing the commotion, John’s neighbours have summoned the Police.

John can be heard explaining, “He’s never done anything like this before“, the attack came “totally out of the blue“, Max was always “such a trustworthy dog“, he’s “never shown any signs of aggression in his life“, the attack was “totally unprovoked“.

But we know differently don’t we?

Let’s look again at how Max saw things unfold:

1. Max spots a man walking toward his and his owner’s garden - ‘his territory’
2. Not unduly worried, Max paid little attention to the stranger until John shouted in Henry’s direction. To Max, this was a clear signal to ‘watch for danger’
3. Obediently, Max sat at the front gate and watched for that danger.
4. He attempted to signal to Henry by putting his tail in the air and growling, that he was prepared to defend his owner and territory.
5. As Henry gets closer, Max again postures but now spots Henry’s aggressive body language, his wide eyes refusing to overt their gaze a clear signal of intent. Henry’s point blank refusal to alter his path, a sure fire gesture of defiance.
6. As John runs inside, Max’s thoughts turn to escape. He now believes John is as scared as he is and they should both seek shelter from the safety of the house.
7. Too late. As Henry enters the garden (Max and John’s territory) Max does what he thinks his owner needs him to do. He defends against the threat.
8. As Henry runs away and John panics, Max takes this as a sign that he should increase his attack, his canine instincts now in complete overdrive.

So let us again question whether John was correct when he explained to Police that Max’s attack was unprovoked.

Was it unprovoked? Not at all.

Was it unjustified in human, social terms? Absolutely.

Was it avoidable? Totally.

The Aftermath

Henry, his pain eased only slightly by drugs lies motionless in a hospital bed and starts to face the reality that a visit to see a dear, old friend has left him disfigured for the rest of his life. He ponders how best to explain to his young children that he’s still their Dad even though he knows his mutilated features will upset them deeply. He wonders how life will be from now on, how people will react to him.

Max, confused and still frightened by the terrifying ordeal earlier in the day is now wondering why he’s found himself confined to a small, secure cage at the vet surgery.

He stares through the bars and looks longingly towards the door, hoping against hope that he will soon be reunited with his trusted friend and master, John.

Unbeknown to Max, he’ll never see John again.

As the door swings open, Max’s tail momentarily begins to wag but he’s deflated. It’s not John. It’s a vet nurse.

He’s still pleased to see her. He’s lonely and upset and he just wants to go home and be with his friend.

He’s too pre-occupied to wonder why the vet nurse seems so wary of him. Wanting to put her at ease, he submissively offers up his paw. As the vet nurse holds it, she carefully shaves a small patch of fur away from his leg.

Max didn’t even notice the injection.

On this day it wasn’t only Max’s body that was destroyed as John’s memories of a kind, gentle, fun loving dog died too.

He asks himself once more, “Why did my dog attack someone for no reason?”

John may never know it, but Max had his reasons.

Dogs do not bite people without reason. They do not attack out of the blue. They do not launch into savage, frenzied assaults without provocation despite what you will undoubtedly read in news reports when the next dog attack hits the press.

There are NO devil dogs. There are NO unprovoked dog attacks. There IS a huge gap in understanding amongst some dog owners about why dogs attack and until we can bridge that gap in education people will continue to be attacked and more and more dogs will join Max, their memories destroyed along with their bodies.

Killing individual dog breeds is not the solution to a problem which runs through an entire species. Oh, and if you were left in any doubt, that species isn’t canine.

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Adopting a dog from a puppy mill

2009-06-10T14:29:00.000-03:00

Tess, a former puppy mill dog

This information has been compiled from a number of rescue organizations and humane societies that routinely work with and rescue dogs from large scale breeding facilities. It is our hope that this information will help you in making an informed adoption decision.

What is a puppy mill? By the formal definition, a puppy mill is a large-scale breeding operation that produces large numbers of puppies for profit, with sales over the Internet, to local customers and to pet stores. Dogs are typically confined to small cages or kennels, often grouped in breeding pairs or large groups with little human contact or meaningful socialization. Although the tendency is to want to save them all, please do not act impulsively. Consider everything before you choose to adopt.

Every puppy mill survivor is different. What works on one or many, will completely fail on others; the only thing that is consistent is that they will need lots of patience, understanding, love, and most importantly, unconditional acceptance of who they are and what their limitations may be. We would love to say that every puppy mill survivor just needs love to turn it into a wonderful family pet, but that would be a lie. Love is definitely needed in large amounts, but so is patience. The damage done during the years in the mill usually can be overcome, but it takes time and dedication. It takes a very special adopter for one of these dogs. Not being "up to it" is no crime, but you must be honest with yourself, and us, about your expectations. These dogs have already been through more than their share of heartache and if your entire family is not willing to make the commitment, the dog is better staying in our care until the ideal home for them is found.

At first glance a mill survivor may look like many of your friends' dogs; maybe not a perfect example of the breed, but close. What you will not see is the condition they were in when they came into our care. Many had fur so matted that it all had to be shaved off, and even the short haired breeds suffered from thin, dull coats. Many times removing the filth and matting only revealed open sores, usually from flea allergies or sarcoptic mange. Their ears are often full of filth and mites and some survivors suffer from permanent hearing loss because of untreated ear infections. Most survivors require the removal of rotten teeth, even young dogs. The gums are usually infected and the teeth have excessive buildup on them. Many vets who are not familiar with puppy mill rescued dogs will miscalculate the age of the dog if using only the teeth as their guide. Many survivors also suffer from swollen, splayed and sore feet from so much time walking on wire or living in damp conditions. While finally getting some good nutrition and extensive medical care, all too often there remains the psychological damage that can't be fixed with a bath, medicine, or surgery.

Unfortunately, some of these dogs will be extremely difficult to housetrain. There could be behavioral issues, like excessive fearfulness, shyness, or an especially needy dog. These dogs tend to be frightened of sudden movements, loud noises and sometimes even the touch of a hand. Many of these dogs have never worn a collar, walked on a leash or felt the grass beneath their feet. Everyday activities that most people take for granted can create panic in one of these animals. Many dogs do not know how to act like a dog. They will require much patience and understanding, without guarantee of success.

Handling:

Many mill survivors have spent their entire life in the mill with only an elevated wire cage or small kennel to call home. Puppies who grow up in a mill miss many crucial socialization periods with humans and they never learn to trust, to love, or to play. They have had very minimum physical contact with people and have virtually no concept of what to expect (or what is expected of them) when they are placed in a family situation. Their life in the mill may have been what we would consider unpleasant, but it is the only life they have ever known. In the mill, many were fed in groups and had to fight over resources and were watered using automatic dispensers. Actual human contact normally came when they were being vaccinated, dewormed, or moved to a new cage to breed or to whelp puppies.

Many of the quirks that mill dogs might have will be discovered while the dog is still in our care, but there are things that may develop after the dog feels a little more comfortable in your home. Most of the dogs we encounter have had their spirit broken many years before and aggression is not normally something we encounter; however, there are memory triggers that the dog may experience after it is settled in your home, so we will talk briefly about these.

The physical contact that they have received may not have been pleasant. Because they are not handled enough, they are scared. Many mills handle their "stock" by the scruff of the neck. It is not uncommon for survivors to be sensitive on the backs of their necks; after all, it brings the unexpected. Many mill dogs will try to always face you, not trusting you enough to give you easy access to them from behind. Never startle a mill survivor from behind, you will lose any trust that you may have gained. Always make sure they are anticipating you picking them up and consistently verbally tell them what you are going to do with the same word, like "up". It is not uncommon for a mill dog to drop their bellies to the floor when they know you are going to pick them up, some will even roll on their backs, often urinating in the process. This is a submissive move on the dog's part, and while it may be frustrating trying to pick up a dog in this position, these dogs will seldom show aggression. It is okay to go ahead and pick up a dog while they are in this position, but if time is not of the essence, encourage the dog to come to you by sitting a few feet away and calling him. The most common posture we see in mill dogs is the "freeze;" the dog will initially try to escape from you, but when they realize there is no escape, they simply freeze, rigid, like a statue, and accept their "fate." This is a good time to really praise the dog, scratch his back or ears and speak gently to him; it goes a long way towards teaching him that human contact can be a good thing.

Another problem that sometimes occurs in puppy mill animals is separation anxiety. Dogs that have been confined without attention for long periods of time can become extremely dependent once they experience a positive relationship. These dogs will not want to be separated from their owner, and can become stressed, depressed or destructive when left alone. Many of them do better in a home with another well-socialized dog.

There will also be an increased potential for ongoing medical expenses. Some of these animals arrived at our facility with skin and eye problems, while others had developed joint problems due to years of inactivity while confined to their small, cramped cages. Other medical problems might not become visible until the dog has been in your home for a period of time.

It is important for potential adopters to realize that they are not adopting the "perfect dog." In fact, after days, weeks or months of hard work, they may still own a dog that is shy, fearful, not housetrained, growls, barks constantly, and is protective of food or toys. Please ask yourself, "Can you and your family accept this possibility?"

It is important that you discover if the challenge of adopting one of these rescued dogs is not for you before you take one home. It is our goal to find the right home for these dogs, and help you and your family find the right pet for your home.

Learning about the House:

Many times when you bring a mill survivor into your home, it is their instinct to hide in a quiet corner. Any new dog that you bring into your home should be kept separated from other family pets for seven days. During this time it is fine to crate or confine them to a quiet area. After that though, they need to have exposure to the household. If crating, the crate should be in a central location. The ideal spot is one where there is frequent walking and activity. This allows the dog to feel safe in the crate, yet observe everyday activity and become accustomed to it; they need to hear the table being set, the dishwasher running, phones ringing, and people talking.

Very few mill dogs know what a leash is. After the quarantine, when the dog is out of the crate and supervised, it is not a bad idea to let them drag a leash around with them. Let them get used to the feel. It is easy to fall into the mindset that they must be pampered and carried everywhere, but leash training is important. It will make your life easier to have a leash-trained dog, but it will also offer your dog confidence in the future.

Gaining Trust:

A mill dog has no reason to trust you. Your trust needs to be earned, little by little. Patience is a very important part of rehabbing a mill survivor. We have seen a lot of mill dogs that don't want to eat whenever people are around. It is important that your mill dog be fed on a schedule, with you nearby. You don't have to stand and watch over them but should be in the same room with them. They need to know that their yummy meal is coming from you. For the majority of mill dogs, accepting a treat right out of your hand is a huge show of trust. Offer treats on a regular basis, especially as a reward. Don't concern yourself too much if your dog does not eat for a few days. If there is no vomiting or diarrhea and your dog is otherwise acting healthy, a few days of nibbling at their food while they learn to live by your schedule is not going to hurt them. It is important to teach them that food is fed on a schedule and you should not be leaving food down at all times.

While you should not force yourself upon your dog, it does need to get used to you. Sit and talk quietly while gently petting or massaging your dog. It is best to do this an area where they, not necessarily you, are the most comfortable. They probably won't like it at first, but give them time to adjust. Some dogs sadly, never will adjust, and we'll talk more about them later.

Never allow children or friends to force attention on a mill survivor, or any dog. Ask them not to look your dog directly in the eyes. It is not uncommon for mill dogs to simply never accept outsiders. Let your dog set the pace. If the dog approaches, ask them to talk quietly and hold out a hand. No quick movements. Ask that any barking be ignored. Remember that these dogs bark to warn and scare off intruders. If you acknowledge the barking you may be reinforcing it with attention. If you bring your guest outside you have just reinforced to your dog that barking will make the intruder go away.

Housebreaking:

A child spends the first one to two years of their life soiling their diaper and having you remove the dirty diaper and replace it with a clean one. A puppy mill dog spends its entire life soiling its living area. Potty training a child and housebreaking a puppy mill dog are the exact same procedures... You are UN-teaching them something that they have already learned to be acceptable. A regular schedule, constant reinforcement, praise, and commitment on your part are a must! Would you ever scream at your child, march them to the bathroom and make them sit on the toilet AFTER you discovered they soiled their diaper? A dog is no different in this sense; scolding them after the deed is done is of no benefit to anyone.

The two most important things you can do are to get your new dog on a regular feeding schedule (which will put them on a regular potty schedule) and to observe them closely after feeding time.

Getting them on a premium, low residue food is very important. This will produce a stool that normally is firm (very easy to clean up) and only one or two bowel movements a day are normal. Low cost, or over the counter foods have a lot of fillers and it is very hard to get a dog on a regular cycle using these foods.

Before you even begin to housebreak them, you must learn their schedule. Most dogs will need to 'go' shortly after eating. Soon after they are finished eating, tell them "outside" and bring them on leash to the potty zone. Always use the exact same word in the exact same tone. Watch them closely outside and observe their pattern as they prepare to defecate. Some will turn circles, some will scratch at the ground, some may find a corner, some may sniff every inch of the ground, some will get a strange look on their face... Every dog is different and you have to learn to recognize how the dog will behave right before he goes; this way you will recognize it when he gets ready to go in the house.

We could give you a million tips that our adopters have found to work best for them, but as we have said, every dog is different. As long as you always keep in mind that housebreaking and potty training are one in the same, you should eventually see results. Never do to a dog what you would not do to a child. It may take a week, it may take a month, it may take a year... And sadly, some dogs will never gain mastery. Never give up and never accept 'accidents' as a way of life. In most cases, the success of housebreaking depends on your commitment.

While we have focused mainly on bowel movements, urinating in the house is just as hard to correct as defecating in the house (if not worse). Below we will discuss "marking," which many people associate only with male dogs. We will go into that in more detail, below, but if urinating in the house remains a problem for your dog, we highly recommend crate training. This can be researched online in more detail, but if crate training is not working because your dog is soiling in the crate, you should discontinue the training immediately - as you are only reinforcing that it is okay to soil their area.

In general, if you can understand your dog's bowel patterns, you will usually find that they urinate before or after a bowel movement. Reinforce the positive and work on the negative, as most dogs will understand "outside" and associate it with both urinating and defecating. Of course, in the meantime, you will want to protect your carpets by either removing any that can be rolled up, or confining the dog to a tiled floor when you aren't holding it on your lap. This should only be done during the training process, as socialization is just as important as house training, and often tiled floors are in areas that we don't spend a lot of time.

Marking:

Puppy mill survivors all have one thing in common... They were all used for breeding. A dog that marks its territory is 'warning' other dogs that this is its area... Stay away! However, in a puppy mill situation, the dog's area is a cage with other dogs in and around their 'territory'. It becomes a constant battle of establishing territory and it is not uncommon to see male and female survivors with marking problems.

Dogs that are marking do not have to potty... Taking them outside will not help. You have to teach them that it is not acceptable to do this in the house. While you and your survivor learn about each other, and your survivor develops a sense of respect towards you, you will have to protect your home from the damage caused by marking. Here are a few tips that you will find helpful.

1. White vinegar is your best friend. Keep a spray bottle handy at all times. Use the vinegar anytime you see your dog mark. Do not spray the dog, however! The vinegar will neutralize the smell that your dog just left behind. Using other cleaning products may actually cause your dog to mark over the same area again. Most cleaning products contain ammonia, the very scent found in urine. Your dog will feel the need to mark over normal cleaning products, but normally has no interest in areas neutralized by vinegar.

2. Potty Pads, your next best friend. These can be found in any pet store, but most 'housebreaking pads' are treated with ammonia or pheromones to encourage a puppy or dog to go on the pad instead of the carpet. Since we are trying to discourage your dog from marking, these are not always the best choice. You might check at a home medical supply store. The blue and white pads used to protect beds usually work best. These are not a solution to the problem, but will help protect your home while you deal with the problem.

3. Scotch Guard. Scotch Guard is nothing more than paraffin based protector. It puts a waxy substance down which repels water and spills (and in our case, urine). Shake and spray this onto the fabric areas you want to protect, such as the base of the sofa and the carpet below doorways or areas your dog is apt to mark. It may make the area stiff feeling at first but it will normally 'blend' in with normal household temperatures and humidity. (Note: This is also great for high traffic areas of your home or along the carpet in front of the couch).

With the use of vinegar and/or scotch guard, you should test a small area of the fabric/fiber that you will be using the product on and make sure it does not discolor, stain, or bleed.

Quirks:

Poo-poo, shoo-shoo, ca-ca, doo-doo, #2, feces, poop, stool... Whatever 'pet' name you give it, it's still gross! However, nothing is grosser than owning a dog that eats poop! Coprophagia is the technical term, but for the purpose of this article, we're just going to call it the 'affliction'. Dogs of all breeds, ages and sizes have the affliction but in puppy mill rescues, it is not uncommon at all to find dogs afflicted with this horrible habit. As in any bad habit, the cure lies in understanding the unacceptable behavior. There are three primary reasons that a puppy mill survivor is afflicted. We'll start with the most common, and easiest to remedy.

1. It tastes good and they are hungry! Rescues that have come from a mill where dogs were not fed properly often resort to eating their own or other dog's feces as a source of food. These types of situations will usually remedy themselves when the dog realizes that he is always going to get fed. It is also easy to discourage this behavior by adding over-the-counter products to their food which are manufactured for this purpose. Ask your vet which products are available and you will normally see results in 2-4 weeks.

2. Learned behavior. This is usually the cause of puppy mill dogs that have the affliction. There are several reasons why a dog learned to behave like this, but the most common cause is being housed with dominant dogs who fight over food. These dominant dogs will often guard the food dish and prevent the more submissive dogs from eating even if the dominant dog is not hungry. Food aggression in caged dogs is usually fast and furious and often results in severe injury to the submissive dogs. Because the dominant dog is often eating much more than is needed, the stool is virtually undigested and contains many of the nutrients and 'flavors' of the original meal; therefore almost as tasty to the submissive dog as if he'd ate the real thing. Puppies that were raised with a dominant mother or dominant litter mates also pick up this habit very early - in this case, it is a little harder to treat, but it can usually be done. This eating pattern is usually maintained throughout the dog's life, so the age of your dog will play a big role in how hard it is to correct the behavior. It's become habit... And as the saying goes, "Old habits are hard to break". Dogs with the affliction will actually go hunting for a fresh stool when you take them outside. The key is to give your dog something better to hunt for. Pop some unbuttered/unsalted microwave popcorn and sprinkle it on the lawn before taking your dog out in the morning. You may find something that he likes better and is as readily available and affordable. The good thing about popcorn is what your dog doesn't eat, the birds will. It may take weeks or months before your dog 'unlearns' to seek out stools but most dogs are receptive to this training. You may have to sprinkle the lawn with popcorn the rest of your dog's life... But the trouble is well worth just one 'popcorn kiss' as opposed to a lick on the face right after he eats a tasty stool.

3. As mentioned above, Coprophagia means 'eating poop'. Coprophagia is a form of a much more serious problem called Pica. Pica is the unnatural 'need' to eat foreign objects. Dogs suffering from Pica will eat not only stools, but rocks, dirt, sticks, etc. Remember the kid in school who ate paste and chalk and 'other unspeakables'? Pica is a psychological disorder which is much more in depth and serious than anything we can discuss in this guide. A good rescuer will observe dogs prior to placement and will recognize the seriousness of this problem. A dog suffering from Pica should never be placed in an inexperienced home or any home that is not aware of the problem and the dangers. Dogs suffering from Pica will often end up having surgery - often several times - for objects they have eaten that cannot be digested. If you are the owner of a dog which you believe suffers from Pica, we suggest you consult your vet; these dogs often require medication for their disorder and only your vet can guide you on the best way to proceed. Before we close this section on Pica, we want to say that true Pica is rare. Most dogs will chew on sticks or rocks - or sofas and table legs. However a dog suffering from Pica will not just chew on these items... They will eat these items any chance they get. Just because your dog is eating his own stool... And also the bar stool at the kitchen counter... Does not mean that he is suffering from Pica. If in doubt, consult your vet.

The "special" ones:

Occasionally, we see the survivor who has survived the mill, but at such a great cost that they can never be "brought around". These dogs have endured so much suffering that they remind us of children who are abused and survive by separating their mind from the body. These damaged dogs will never fully trust anyone. So where does that leave these poor souls? Most are still capable of living out a wonderful life. They need a scheduled environment, but most importantly, a home where they are accepted for who and what they are. They may never jump up on a couch and cuddle with you, or bring you a ball to play catch, but you will see the joy that they take in living each day knowing that they will have clean bedding, fresh food and water, and unconditional love. To them, those small comforts alone are pure bliss.

These "broken ones" are the ones that normally never leave their foster homes. Ironically, these types of dogs normally do very well in a group-dog setting. They seem to have shunned the world, and most certainly mankind, and have created their own little world without humans. Whenever we suspect that a mill rescue may be "too far gone" for a fast paced family, we try to place them in experienced homes; quiet homes; or homes with other dogs. These are by far the hardest ones for our hearts to accept, but they are also a constant reminder of why we do what we do.

The educators:

Finding forever homes for mill rescues is not all we do; we are constantly reminded of the horrors of puppy mills and the commercialization/farming of dogs when we see the neglect and abuse these dogs have suffered. We work not only to adopt dogs, but to educate their new owners about the truth behind that puppy in the pet store window. We hope that you will keep a journal or blog on the reform of your puppy mill dog, and we hope that you will join us in our campaign to educate the public - through the eyes of the survivors - by always taking the opportunity to further educate others. Together we have made a difference in the life of just one dog, but together we can also make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of dogs still caged in puppy mills. It is only when the public realizes the connection between pet stores and puppy mills that we will end the demand; end the supply; and end the abuse!

Disclaimer: The following is the opinion of the authors (Michelle Bender and Kim Townsend of a New Start on Life, www.ansol.org) and is based on years of experience with puppy mill dogs; we are not veterinarians or professional trainers. Please note that an adopted puppy mill dog may be at different stages of rehabilitation so we have tried to start this from the beginning.

Fonte 1 e Fonte 2

World's oldest dog celebrates 26th birthday

2009-06-10T13:52:00.002-03:00

Dog years: Max and his owner Janelle Derouen yesterday as the mixed breed terrier celebrated his 26th birthday

In dog years the terrier-cross is 182, the equivalent of being born in 1827. He lives in Louisiana in the United States of America.

"I never spoiled Max," said his owner Janelle Derouen. "I've never fed him anything but Kiddles and Bits [brand of dog food] and a few treats like those beefy doggy bones. We don't give him any food from our table," added Janelle, 49, who lives with her husband Billy, also 49, in New Iberia.

Old dog: 26-year-old Max, who is a contender for the title of world's oldest dog, is awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records

Max, who is greying, has a veterinary birth certificate to prove his age and is awaiting official confirmation from Guinness World Records.

Janelle and Billy bought Max from a local sugar cane farmer in 1983. "He was the only one in the litter that was brown and I liked the colour so I took him home," said Janelle.

Max has been visiting the same vet since birth at the Robichaux Veterinary Clinic in New Iberia. An 80s puppy Max's birth was formally logged in 1983.

Puppy love: Mrs Derouen attributes her pet's age to his laid-back attitude: 'He likes to lie down, relax, nap, sleep a lot and keep life simple,' she says

Until recently it was believed that Chanel, a geriatric Daschund-cross from New York was the oldest dog alive but Chanel, who turned 21 in May, is a full five years junior to Max.

Chanel is riddled with health problems, struggling desperately to see, walk and hear. But Max is still in fine health and only suffers from mild arthritis and some cataracts. His secret, says Janelle, is not worrying about anything at all.

"He's a very, very laid back dog," said Janelle. "He likes to lie down, relax, nap, sleep a lot and keep life simple. He'll play with the kids for a bit but if they bother him too long he'll wander off. He doesn't have any fancy toys, just a bit of rope and a regular squeaky ball."

Janelle and Billy held a special birthday party for Max on Sunday. "We spoiled him just a little bit that once," said Janelle.

Fonte 1 e Fonte 2

Raising 2 puppies at the same time

2009-06-10T04:18:00.000-03:00

We've raised two puppies and one puppy at various times and there are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Two puppies:

Entertain each other endlessly. Especially good if you work and/or don't plan to devote a lot of your own time to entertaining the puppy. (You still have to train. See below)

Never seem to have a problem with separation anxiety. They keep each other company.

Stay exercised and tired. And as has been said, a tired puppy is a good puppy. Two puppies are *never* bored.

Are twice as much fun.

But two puppies:

Are twice the expense and when that comes to vet bills, it can be *very* expensive.

Still require one-on-one time and that takes some planning. You need to sometimes take one in the car and leave the other home.

Do play roughly. They sound just horrible but unless there is blood or one is obviously always taking the brunt of it, let it go. If they're exchanging who's on top and who's on bottom, if both of them initiate the play at various times, and neither seems to be cowed or afraid, they're fine.

Can get in twice as much trouble. The last two we raised together are 18 months old and we have an "angel and devil." Trouble is, they sometimes switch those roles! They think of more mischief between them than they would alone, but at the same time, they are perfectly happy being left to their own devices playing in the yard, so when I've had enough or need some time to pick up the pieces of the last thing they tore up, I can put them out for awhile with no guilt.

We have never had a problem with them "bonding to each other instead of people" as I've read in various places. They bond to each other, yes, but any time I want to take one somewhere alone, they both much prefer me to each other. We have also several times raised two puppies together and then sold one anywhere from six months to two years. They *always* adjust just fine. I wouldn't sell one to an only-dog home because they are too accustomed to being part of a "pack" here, but that's true of all our adult dogs. They are just not accustomed to being alone in a house. (It's also true that whippets are more pack-oriented than a lot of breeds and much prefer being one of at least two dogs.)

Two puppies take twice the work and half the work. They require training, some of it separately. They require grooming and nail trimming separately. But as far as day-to-day playing and entertaining themselves, they do save you a lot of time in just babysitting a bored puppy.

As far as training, a lot of that depends on how much training you want/need to do. If you plan to do intensive training, you'd be better off with just one pup. If you just want dogs that don't jump all over you and grab food out of your hands, you can teach two puppies manners as easily as one. Some people really want obedient, stay-where-I-put-you dogs, dogs they can take on vacation with them, dogs they can take for a walk downtown. Others are happy with just house manners. Neither of those approaches is wrong. Your dog(s) can be wonderful companions with or without obedience titles. As a matter of fact, *most* dogs get along fine with minimal training, though admittedly a well-trained dog is certainly a joy. (The amount of training also depends on the breed. Large, powerful dogs really *must* be trained.)

I don't like to see any puppy go to a home where it will be alone all day while everyone is at work and school. Dogs are pack animals and they really do need company of either the human or dog variety.

[Escrito por Sharyn Hutchens em 1º de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Some of the things I thought would happen with having two dogs, has not been the case in my house. The adage about them playing together and never being bored - not the case around here. My two will play together from time to time, but not the way they play when a visitor comes. They basically expect me to be involved in the play more times than not, and both of mine get dreadfully bored if we don't do something as a "family" on a regular basis. Granted they were brought in a year apart, maybe that would have been different if they were both pups at the same time?

The separation anxiety part - they're fine when they're together - you're right, they handle being alone together just fine, but leave my female alone without her big brother - then it gets rather pathetic (although temporary). She yodels, howls and fusses if I leave her and take him - so much for no separation anxiety.

The other problem I have seen is that my female, who is a rather reserved and cautious personality type to start with, really draws her courage from her big brother. When she's alone - she doesn't handle things near as well as she does when big brother is around. He has actually become a part of her personality and I hate to think of what will happen when he's no longer here for her to follow and lean on.

They are both very bonded to us people though and I do love having two, but I still wouldn't want the job of overseeing and training two pups at one time - one at a time is fine with me. I am one of those owners that want to take training to the "go anywhere, do anything" point with my dogs - we do go beyond "functional" obedience around here, so perhaps that factors into my aversion to 2x as much work at the critical puppy stage.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 1º de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Dealing with noise phobias

2009-06-10T03:40:00.000-03:00

Part of the secret is to get the dog calm BEFORE they are so stressed that a lot of different things that might work, won't work at this level of stress. With thunderstorms, sometimes there is enough warning. With 4th of July, there's plenty of warning. It's also possible to use a D,C&C protocol.

However, the most success I've had with dogs that have noise phobias as well as environmental stress issues, is using an Anxiety Wrap. There are imitations that can work and if I'm in a bind (no pun intended), I'll use a child's t-shirt or do a wrap I learned from TTouch using ace bandages. The real deal (Anxiety Wrap) is pricey but well worth it.

The thing about dogs that are stressed because of fear is this:

1. Some dogs do better if they are comforted.
2. Some dogs do better if they are NOT comforted.

It can be difficult determining which dogs benefit from which method. It has been written for many years in many dog-training books that you should never comfort a dog when they are afraid as you will be reinforcing that 'it's okay to be afraid'. Well, it depends on the dog. Once again, so many things dealing with animal behavior are not, nor should they be advertised, as cast and concrete or cut and dried. Not all dogs do well with all protocols. Like us, each dog is different. I really try to avoid blanket statements, especially when it comes to assessment, cures, prevention and management when it comes to giving advise about animal behavior or dog training.

Most protocols using a D,C&C approach for fear issues start off with finding the dog's comfort zone and working from there. In the case of noise phobias, sometimes just associating the storm with good things will work. IOW, have a party as soon as the storm starts and end the party when the storm is over - called Bar Open - Bar Closed. It's critical that the party begins before the stress level is high or this method won't work or progress is too slow. The owner's behavior is equally as important during these stress periods. It's important that the dog doesn't pick up vibes saying "Oh, no, another _____, he's going to be upset". To help students with this I suggest singing upbeat tunes and my favorite is "Happy Birthday" as one usually cannot sing this without sounding happy. "Humpty Dumpty" can work or many other nursery rhymes as you would sing them to a child. It doesn't hurt to chew gum or eat a mint as it's believed that it can off-set the chemicals emitting fear that the dogs sense in us humans. There's no evidence to support this theory (gum/mint), however, since it can't do any harm, why not include it in one's protocol.

Noise sensitivity is one of the most difficult for a dog to overcome.

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 1º de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

The bottom line is "do what works" for the dog to feel most comfortable. With two girls frightened of t-storms, a number of the conventional approaches just didn't work. And while we are not supposed to "coddle" or reward our dogs during a storm, I have to say that what ended up being most effective with younger Windy is to put her on my lap. While generally not a lap dog, this works for her... She curls in my lap and watches the storm out the window with keen interest, but feeling safe and no trembling or barking. Her reaction diffused my older dog's fears, and I guess she figures that since her buddy doesn't need to fuss, neither does she.

Every dog is different.

[Escrito por Nancy Tucker em 1º de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

The coolest solution I've heard of came from a Sheltie rescuer. She had four shelties, all of whom were terrified of thunder... And she lives in Florida, the thunderstorm capital of the world. What makes her solution work is that all her Shelties love popcorn and they all love sleeping in the bed with her. Now both those things are reserved for thunderstorms. When the thunder rolls, she yells, "Party time!!" and throws a bag of popcorn in the microwave. When it's done, she pops a video into the player, climbs on the bed with all the dogs and snuggles up, everyone eating popcorn and watching the movie.

She said at first they were too freaked out to eat the popcorn and just huddled under the covers, but gradually they began to figure out that thunderstorms meant GOOD things. When she gets in a new rescue who's scared, it takes him much less time to get over it with the other dogs running to the kitchen with tails wagging as soon as it thunders!

[Escrito por Sharyn Hutchens em 31 de dezembro de 2005 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Linda cadelinha para adoção no Recife/PE

2009-06-10T01:58:00.005-03:00

Os interessados em adotá-la devem ligar para:

Evane Manço
9662-5173
3183-5555

Ou para:

Sue Kaneko
3465-6317

Teaching bite inhibition to puppies

2009-06-10T01:28:00.000-03:00

Puppies use their teeth and paws for just about everything with communication being included on the list. One of the things that I do with puppies is to teach Bite Inhibition. I believe in not having any physical altercations with puppies as it's been my experience that handling aggression with aggression only begets more aggression and physically correcting a puppy for mouthing could be interpreted by the puppy as an aggressive act. So, I teach Bite INhibition rather than Bite PROhibition. IOW [In other words], I don't teach the puppies NO Bite. I do yelp to let them know they have hurt me and I do it in a way that is very dramatic so they get it. Then, one of two things will happen:

1. The puppy stops because they have learned from their littermates that when you yelp, the other littermate will leave (play ends) because they have been too rough. Or,

2. The puppy bites harder because they took the yelp as 'cheerleading' and it aroused the puppy more.

If the puppy goes after my hand harder after the yelp or continues to bite hard again in a few minutes, I then do one of the following:

1. Leave the room.

2. Deny access to my hands by putting them where the puppy can't reach them and give the puppy something appropriate to chew. I always have something on my person to give the puppy so that my hands are not the only thing available for the puppy to chew.

3. Give the puppy a T.O. (time out) in a crate. I use the 3-strike rule and it goes like this:

A. Puppy chews fingers. Yelp! Puppy stops!
B. Puppy chews fingers. Yelp! Puppy stops!
C. Puppy chews fingers. Yelp! Leave - tell the puppy! "Too bad - So Sad. I'm outta here. You play too rough and I don't wanna play with you anymore". No anger. Just matter-of-fact tone of voice as in 'you lose'. See Ya! It doesn't take a puppy long to learn how much is just right to keep the play going and how much is too much that ends the play. Remember, they have already had some of these lessons with their littermates. No littermate stays around long to continue to play when they are being hurt or it's no longer any fun.

When giving a puppy a T.O. or leaving the room, we are basically doing what the littermates would do (as mentioned above), which is giving the message that it's no longer fun and I don't want to play with you anymore.

I do NOT try to emulate the dam, by doing any kind of physical correction and the reason for this is that I couldn't even come close to the proper timing or right amount of pressure/correction because I am not a dog. So, even though many think they are correcting like the dam would do, I do not believe we are when doing any physical correction to a puppy. It can teach the puppy to be afraid of our hands, for one thing, which is not what we want. Yes, this method has been used for years, and yes, owners have had some success. But, knowing which ones it will work on and which ones it won't (fallout) is a guessing game and not one that I want to do with my puppies.

Most owners do not have enough animal behavior knowledge to even recognize a problem in the future that was a result of how the dog was handled as a young puppy. This is called fallout. If you leave physical corrections out of the picture altogether, you don't have to guess when a problem comes up if it's a result of how you handled the puppy when it was a baby. It makes problem solving later in life much easier to deal with should problems arise. When there is another way that works, why would anyone want to continue using physical methods to teach a puppy not to hurt us while playing.

The easiest thing to remember about puppies and their teething as well as all the other potential problems or behavior that is unacceptable is very simple: Redirect, redirect, redirect. If more owners would put the effort into redirecting their puppies instead of correcting their puppies, the puppies would understand our rules a lot easier and faster. Positive training is a fairly simple concept:

1. Reward the behavior you like.

2. Ignore the behavior you don't like.

3. Manage the behavior you can't ignore (chewing hands and/or sofa) by denying access when they do this until the puppy is trained.

Management works hand in hand (no pun intended) with training. By denying access, I do not mean the puppy never has access until they are trained. What I mean is that when the behavior is inappropriate (you decide this) you deny access at that moment so the puppy doesn't continue doing something that keeps getting them into trouble. After a short period, you allow the puppy access again to give them an opportunity to do the behavior correctly. This is why T.O.s are effective. Some learn quicker than others but all learn (eventually) why they are being denied access whether it's to your hands/fingers or the sofa, or whatever. They are great problem solvers. They learn these foundation lessons from the dam, the littermates and good breeders.

The secret to raising a puppy is making sure that the puppy has all of it's needs met. That means that you don't sit down with a puppy armed with just 'your hands' and expect the puppy not to mouth your hand/fingers. The puppy needs constant oral stimulation especially if it's teething and you can provide that with an assortment of appropriate toys and chewies. There just isn't any need to physically correct a puppy no more than one needs to physically correct an infant (human).

If you are not still convinced that positive methods are the way to go with puppies, consider this:

Would any of you leave an infant alone to crawl around the house unsupervised? No, of course not. Would any of you physical correct an infant who is teething, crying, or scratched you with their long nails. I certainly would hope not. Why should our puppies be treated any less? It's simply not necessary. Just because it's been done for years doesn't mean it's the best method. I know this is a personal choice and I'm not saying there is a right or a wrong way to teach puppies because that is not up to me to say. I will say, however, that positive methods work and I will continue to use them because I've had success and I believe that my puppies bond faster, are never afraid of my hands and they learn very quickly who is in charge (the one that
controls all the stuff - this is basic and something they can understand from the get go) so there's no need to physically touch them to teach these lessons. IOW, I don't need to flex my muscles - just because I can!

A tired puppy is a good puppy. Make sure the puppy has enough physical exercise (appropriate for the breed and age) and mental stimulation (lots of interactive toys and games you play with the puppy). I also recommend tethering the puppy to the owner so that you can keep an eye on the puppy so that it can't get into trouble. Limit freedom until housetrained and keep a log. You will be glad that you did. I wouldn't raise a puppy without crates (many of them) and x-pens, even though I puppy-proof my house, and a clicker!

[Escrito por Cher McCoy em 1º de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Puppies leaving home

2009-06-09T14:43:00.000-03:00

- It is not good for the pup and against the law in many states to sell/give away pups under 8 weeks of age (Cindy Weber)

- My puppies [pugs] don't go to their new homes until they are 16 weeks old (Loretta Simpson)

- Wow! 16 weeks is awful old, a pup misses a lot of training, bonding and socialization time with it's new owner in that time. Most breeders release their pups between 8 and 12 weeks (Denise Parsons)

- Not true of toy breeds. Most toy breeders I know of do hold them longer than the usual 8-12. I believe it's because they mature more slowly, but Loretta would be better qualified to say what the reason is. When it comes to socialization, puppies with small, hobby breeders are well-socialized by the breeder, so it really doesn't matter when they leave. There was a big push not too long by obedience and other performance-oriented people to get puppies at exactly 49 days - seven weeks. This was based on research done by the guide dog people that said puppies kept longer than this with their littermates did not adapt as readily to new owners. However, [they were] plainly referring to kennel-raised puppies that were not handled a lot by the breeder or treated as individuals before going to new owners. Puppies well and properly socialized by the breeder can go to new homes at any time. We usually let ours [whippets] go at ten weeks but have had them leave at seven months just as successfully as the babies (it's just harder on me!). We start taking them to places and having other people handle them while they are still here and essentially do everything an owner would do (Sharyn Hutchens)

- Most decent breeders keep their puppies till they are about 16 weeks cause they do get socialized being with their siblings and mom till that age. It is better for the pup to not get separated too early (Diane Gaul)

- When breeders keep dogs that long, chances are they are waiting to grow them out for the conformation ring. It's impossible to know if you have a potential winner before 16 weeks and even that is iffy (Marianne)

- Some of mine can go at 9 weeks, whippets are very active and need to be in their new homes at that age. Each breeder has their own set of criteria regarding age the pup leaves, and I realize SOME breeds need different ages for this, so it is nothing for us to fight about. We all know the mills let the pups leave way too early like 6 weeks or so, poor babies (Donna Kelley)

- I think 16 weeks is too old unless the breeder is keeping the pups for purposes of evals for show puppies and if they are doing that, then they need to make sure they do all that would be done in the home of the new owner, which is training and socializing. Puppies are like sponges at this age and it's a perfect time to train. Most breeders think that keeping the puppies with littermates is socializing. It's not! Puppies learn a lot from their dam as well as their littermates, such as bite inhibition, as well as many other things, but 'socializing' is NOT one of them. Further, the window of opportunity for maximum benefit ends at 14 weeks of age (give or take). The optimum age to go (imo) is between 10-12 weeks but I'll take a puppy at 8 weeks any day rather than 16 if THAT puppy has only been around it's mother and littermates. Conversely, having puppies go at 6 weeks creates just as many problems (Cher McCoy)

- It's not considered socializing if the dogs being socialized are on lead or separated by a fence. So, group classes do very little good in this area if they are not allowed to be free to interact in a safe, fenced in area or room. It also does more harm than good if the puppy being socialized is socialized with an adult dog that isn't rock solid in several areas, one of the most being temperament. Adult bullies teach puppies to be bullies. Not good! There can be more problems down the road (18-24 months or even up to 3 years old). It can take some puppies, who did not receive proper socialization, that long to show problems. Many dogs that end up in shelters and rescue are an indirect result of improper socialization or lack of enough socialization as puppies during this window of opportunity. It gets glossed over as behavior problems, which is true - they have behavior problems - but the reason for the behavior problems is the real issue... Which is lack of proper socialization and/or training during the critical period, more often than not (Cher McCoy)

- In summary: The age a puppy should go to a new home is very dependent on the breed and on the breeder. Puppies need socialization and they need it while they are still puppies. A puppy that receives minimal human contact and minimal exposure to various experiences will not develop into the kind of pet most of us want. A breeder who prefers to keep her puppies longer and who provides the socialization they need in the meantime is doing a good job. A breeder who cannot do that much socialization should let them go at eight to ten weeks. Smaller breeds are usually kept longer with the breeder. This is fairly obvious when you think of the many, many adult dogs which go to new homes and make wonderful, well-adjusted pets. Even senior dogs adjust perfectly well to new homes. We've had several rescues over the age of ten who walked right in, asked where the food bowl was, jumped on the couch or found a dog bed and settled in happily for their final years (Sharyn Hutchens)

[Escrito entre dezembro de 2005 e janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Cães sabem contar e enganar os homens

2009-06-08T21:47:00.000-03:00

Uma pesquisa afirma que alguns cachorros têm a capacidade de contar até cinco, entendem mais de 150 palavras e inclusive tentam enganar os homens para conseguir uma vantagem.

Estas são as conclusões do psicólogo e especialista em investigação canina Stanley Coren, da Universidade British Columbia, que participa do congresso anual da Associação Psicológica Americana para falar de 'como os cachorros pensam'.

Coren, autor de livros sobre cachorros e seu comportamento, revisou vários estudos para concluir que o melhor amigo do homem tem capacidade de resolver problemas complexos e é mais parecido com os humanos e outros grandes primatas do que se pensava.

Ele explicou que, segundo diversas medidas de comportamento, 'as capacidades mentais do cachorro estão próximas às de uma criança de dois a dois anos e meio'.

Segundo o especialista, a inteligência varia conforme o tipo de cão e a raça determina algumas das diferenças entre animais.

Coren disse que há três tipos de inteligência canina: instintiva; adaptativa (a capacidade de aprender do entorno para resolver problemas) e de trabalho e obediência (o equivalente à 'aprendizagem escolar').

Dados de 208 cachorros dos Estados Unidos e Canadá mostraram que na 'inteligência de trabalho e obediência' o Border Collie é 'o número um', seguido do Poodle e em terceiro pelo Pastor alemão.

A lista dos cães mais espertos se completa com o Golden Retriever; o Doberman; o Pastor de Shetland e o Labrador, segundo a classificação de Coren.

O especialista afirmou que um cachorro normal pode aprender 165 palavras, incluindo sinais, e os mais 'inteligentes', 250.

Os cães também conhecem números, e podem 'contar' até quatro ou cinco, e só têm uma 'compreensão básica' da aritmética, embora sejam capazes de detectar erros como 1+1=1 ou 1+1=3.

Durante o jogo, os cachorros são capazes de tentar enganar, de maneira deliberada, tanto outros cães como os humanos para conseguir uma recompensa e, segundo Coren, 'têm quase tanto êxito enganando humanos como os humanos enganando cachorros'.

Fonte

[Sobre esse negócio dos cachorros enganarem os humanos, posso dar o meu exemplo. Minha cocker ganha um petisco vez ou outra quando faz xixi sob comando. Isso significa que eu peço para ela fazer xixi e ela vai lá e faz. Esse é um truque muito útil quando a gente precisa sair de carro, por exemplo. Eu peço para ela fazer xixi antes de irmos, aí eu sei que ela não vai ficar apertada no meio do caminho. Enfim, ela sabe que às vezes ganha uma coisinha gostosa para comer e às vezes não, mas nunca sabe quando vai ganhar. Daí às vezes quando eu peço para ela fazer xixi, ela vai lá no lugarzinho certo, se abaixa na posição de xixi, demora um tempinho e depois vem até mim, com um "sorriso" esperançoso dançando nos olhos, torcendo para que eu não tenha visto que ela NÃO FEZ xixi, só FINGIU que fez! Haha!]

Choosing a rescuer

2009-06-08T15:40:00.000-03:00

How do you find a responsible rescuer or rescue organization and how do you know when you've found one?

If you're looking for a purebred, your best bet is breed rescue, not an all-breed rescue. All dogs are not alike and people who specialize in one breed know it backwards and forwards.

Do a Google search and prepare to do some serious checking. Here are a few things that do NOT necessarily mean a rescue organization is a good one. They don't really mean much one way or the other.

-- A 501c status with the IRS. This is simply a matter of saying the right things, filing paperwork, and paying a fee. In some states it is now required for a rescue that takes animals from shelters, but it is not an indication of respectability. It just means the rescue organization is a nonprofit. Most of them are.

-- Affliation with the parent breed club. Parent breed clubs are the national organizations recognized by AKC as the "stewards of the breed." Every parent club must now have a rescue contact. However, the clubs take that responsibility with varying degrees of seriousness and just because someone is the rescue contact for the Flat Island Zorcher Club of America does not mean he or she follows any specific rules. AKC just says they have to have a contact; there are no performance guidelines.

-- A name with "humane society" or "sanctuary" or any other word that generally gives you the warm fuzzies. A name is just a name and people pick the ones that appeal to them and suit their purposes. After all the Humane Society of the United States doesn't own a single shelter and very little of the contributions to it go towards shelters.

-- A name with "Inc" at the end. Again, just a matter of paying a fee and filling out paperwork for incorporation. Mostly it means the board of directors can't be sued because of something done by a representative of the corporation or a dog placed by a representative.

-- A set-up at one of the rescue fairs at the pet stores, community festivals or anywhere else. Some of these places (PetSmart is one) do screen the shelters and rescuers who are represented on their adoption days. Others don't. Before you rely on that as a credential, find out what rescuers have to do in order to set up there. Sometimes it just involves making a phone call and showing up with some crates.

The size of a rescue organization can vary from a one- or two-person operation to one with hundreds of volunteers. Neither is better, though obviously if you go to a larger group, there will be backup in case something happens and your original contact is not available. Also if you have a problem with the rescuer you're working with, there's someone else to contact.

On the negative side, large groups are sometimes bogged down in bureaucracy and regulation. They may be less able to make exceptions to rules or take special circumstances into consideration. It takes longer to get a decision from them. I knew of one that had to have a vote from the entire board of directors to authorize every veterinary visit for any dog taken in.

Regardless of size, there are some basic questions you can ask that will help you decide whether you want to work with a specific rescuer or organization in finding a dog.

1. How much experience (in years and in numbers of animals) have you had with this breed? With dogs in general? With dog rescue?

In the case of a mixed breed or all-breed rescue, only the last two questions would apply, but again, we recommend a breed-specific rescue if you know what breed you want. Someone who knows Pomeranians from A to Z may not know squat about German Shepherds and in the case of what is and is not an acceptable temperament or behavior pattern for the breed, that matters a lot.

2. May I see the health records?

If you are not yet considering a specific dog, ask to see health records for any animal they are offering. This will tell you a lot about their organizational ability, attention to detail and thoroughness. Dogs adopted from rescue should have had a recent physical exam from a vet, be current on vaccinations, be parasite free (internal and external, including heartworms) and be in good health or well on the way to it. Some dogs come into rescue with various health problems, but they should have been addressed by the time the dog is available for adoption. Finishing up a round of antibiotics is fine; "we're trying to figure out what's wrong with his eyes" is not.

3. Are your dogs spayed or neutered before going to new homes?

Only one anzwer is acceptable: Yes. Some rescuers will release puppies intact but with a contract requiring that they be sterilized as soon as they are old enough. The rescue organization should have a strict follow-up policy on that agreement.

4. What kind of follow-up do you do?

A good rescue calls, emails or writes shortly after you take your new dog home, and likes to hear from you regularly or at least occasionally. You want to get the feeling that they will be there with advice if your dog suddenly forgets his housebreaking or decides to dismantle the living room.

5. How long has this dog been in foster care?

The right answer is in weeks, not days. Anyone experienced in dogs knows that a dog in a strange situation goes through a "honeymoon period." He's nervous and may be on his best behavior, just as you would be as a guest in a stranger's home. Or he's a basket case because of insecurity. Either way he's not acting the way he normally does. These behavior patterns will change after he settles in and the rescuer needs to know the "real dog" before matching him to a home.

I can't tell you the number of rescue dogs we have taken in and said to each other "Why in the world was this dog in the shelter (or turned in to us)? She's perfect!" A month later we knew. The story of Maggie the Worst Collie in the World began that way and she turned out to be such a handful that she was unadoptable - constant recreational barking and the tendency to destroy anything she could reach were only two of the reasons she was in the shelter! We kept her here and loved her dearly till we lost her to cancer, but she was certainly not the perfect pet she seemed to be for the first two weeks we had her! If we had placed her during that time, we would have found her tied to our door a few weeks later along with a nasty note.

It's sad that rescuers cannot take in all the worthy dogs, but by cutting corners on foster time to run more dogs through, they may do a lot of overall harm to the cause.

6. What kind of training do your dogs get in foster care?

Rescue dogs should go to new homes housebroken - or at least well-started on it - leash trained and with basic house manners. Any behavioral issues should be identified and started to be addressed. The new owner should get a thorough explanation of the problems - no sugarcoating! - and the proposed program for solving them. Again, that's part of what you pay for with the difference between rescue and a shelter fee.

7. What if he doesn't work out?

Again, only one answer: You bring him back. As far as a refund of your payment, that may vary. For 48 hours or so, you should get a full refund... It simply wasn't meant to be. After that, it really is up to the rescue organization. They may have passed up another home for the dog in holding him for you and will now have the expense of keeping him longer. Some of that is simply their cost of doing business; they can't expect every placement to work out. But if you wait a month or so before deciding this just isn't the dog for you, don't expect to have your money refunded. And by the way, they shouldn't give you a bad time for bringing him back either. It doesn't mean you were a bad owner.

Finally, nearly all rescuers are good people who want very much to help dogs. Some just go about it better than others. And there are a few exceptions to the goodhearted ones. There's a getup in the midwest that calls itself a rescue. You email or call them with your specifications for a dog, they go to the local shelters and look for one. When they find one, you send money for their fee, a crate, and shipping, and they'll send you a shelter dog. No one I know would call that a rescue organization, but they're not doing anything illegal.

There's another very large corporation in California that makes lots of money selling rescue dogs. (Remember that a nonprofit can still pay extremely generous salaries. The president of HSUS earns well over $300,000 a year.) I have no idea what their adoption fees are, but they have a 5000 vet hospital with separate surgical building and a "kennel" described as "custom built doggie bungalows feature air conditioning, plush carpeting, sound proof insulation, giant doggie doors, huge elevated feeders and automatic waterers." Nothing wrong with that either, but I don't think it's what most people have in mind when they think about adopting a rescue dog. (Sheesh, why would any dog want to leave that place to live with us??)

The point is that there are rescuers and there are rescuers. Don't assume they are all the same. Know whom you are dealing with.

[Escrito por Sharyn Hutchens em 18 de dezembro de 2005 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

The Whole Story on Rescue

2009-06-08T15:05:00.000-03:00

Getting a dog through a good rescuer is a very good bet. However, people need to be aware that all rescuers are not equal. Rescuing dogs makes you feel good. There is a great deal of satisfaction in saving a life, in taking a dog from a bad situation and helping him into a happy home. It's a way we can feel we are giving back, doing good.

We all want to believe that rescue = good and in most cases, it is. But when it is done badly, it reflects poorly on all of us. There is no national organization that provides a certification process for rescuers, no universal code of ethics. Anyone can call herself a rescuer and many people with little experience with dogs - and none in rescue - do just that. Rescue attracts very, very capable people and some immature or psychologically damaged people. It's important to choose your rescuer before you choose your rescue dog.

Rude and unprofessional rescuers not only alienate the people they deal with, but every one of those people will tell others about their experience. "Good heavens, you don't want to fool with those rescue nuts. They're crazy!" Bad rescuers affect placement rates, credibility with the community and financial contributions for all rescuers.

This is not an attack. We are great believers in and supporters of rescue. Walt and I wrote the guidelines and did the original website for the national whippet rescue organization and we still do independent rescue when we're able. We also work closely with other rescuers on legislative issues and been on many, many rescue discussion lists.

Here are some common problems... We have seen every one of them in action.

1) Rescuers who believe "every dog can be saved." They take problem dogs from owners or from "kill shelters" that cannot make anyone a good pet without major retraining and behavior modification, which most rescuers are not equipped to do. They then adopt these dogs out... With predictable results. The dog either comes back to rescue for another stop in its long trail of unsuccessful homes or it ends up in a shelter and is finally euthanized after a lot of pain and disappointment along the way.

Some dogs need more time and effort than anyone is reasonably able to give them. In the six months it might take to rehabilitate one dog (and it may or may not be possible in the end), how many other deserving dogs could have been fostered and placed? Some dogs simply are "wired wrong" and will never, ever be good pets, regardless of training. These dogs should be humanely euthanized, and a rescuer who cannot recognize these cases and handle this hardest part of the job doesn't belong in rescue.

Incidentally, there is no such thing as a no-kill shelter. They may not kill the animals at the site, but what do they do with dangerous dogs? They either turn them away at the door or they send them to the city pound for euthanasia there.

Shelters that call themselves no-kill are those who only accept the most adoptable animals. There are some sanctuaries that offer lifetime homes for unadoptable pets, but they can only take so many. When they are full, the animals brought to them must be turned away... And are usually taken to shelters where euthanasia is acknowledged as a necessary, though unhappy, possibility.

2) Rescuers who hate people. They believe any potential adopter is an animal abuser trying to trick them out of a dog. These rescuers often have unreasonable demands in their contracts, applications and home visits. Their requirements for ownership are near impossible to meet.

There are rescuers who run credit checks and even demand to see a potential owner's tax returns and property tax notices - this last to be sure the person "really lives where he says he does." This is nuts. All of us want the best for the dogs we place, but those of us who are so distrustful of humanity that we are unable to deal with people in a reasonable manner don't belong in rescue.

Among the people-haters in rescue are those who believe "There are no bad dogs, just bad owners." You can't count on support from them because their attitude will be that you caused the problem.

A surprising number of rescuers are extremely rude to people who surrender dogs to them. In their minds, there is no good reason to give up a dog, and so the people who are attempting to do what's best for their dogs (by turning them in to rescue rather than dropping them off at a shelter or on the side of the road) are attacked for it.

And the next day at work, these folks tell everyone they know about how badly they were treated. 'If I had it to do again, I'd just take him to a shelter." What effect does that have on rescue in general?

Every owner-surrender should be viewed as an oppotunity to help two people (or two families) and one dog. A rescuer takes a dog from a situation that was not working out for whatever reason and places him in a better one for him.

3) A sad problem is rescuers who get way over their heads in the number of dogs they take in. These folks mean well, but cannot accept the fact that they can only do so much. Many of them are about two steps away from being hoarders. Most people who keep a number of dogs have an occasional mess, and their homes may not be ready for House Beautiful, but things shouldn't be out of control.

4) Unfortunately quite common are the rescue organizations do not keep dogs in foster care long enough to know much more about them than a shelter would. *Always* ask how long the dog has been living in a foster home. The answer should be in weeks, not days.

A dog goes through a "honeymoon" period in a new home. The first week or two, sometimes even for a month, he is insecure, just as you would be as a guest in the home of a stranger. Problem behaviors very often do not show up for several weeks. I can't tell you how many times we've gotten in a rescue dog and thought "How in the world did this dog end up in a shelter... She's perfect!" And three weeks later... Well, let's just say we begin to understand.

The reason many rescuers give for not keeping dogs in foster care longer is that "We have more coming in and have to free up the foster home." Well, in that case, they're taking on more dogs than they can handle. There is never an excuse to do rescue sloppily. People who pay rescue's adoption fee should be getting what they pay for, not just an extra stop between shelter and home. At the extreme, these organizations are just "resellers" taking dogs from shelters or owners and selling them to new homes.

[Escrito por Sharyn Hutchens em 17 de dezembro de 2005 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

To adopt or not to adopt a JRT, that's the question

2009-06-07T19:19:00.000-03:00

You need to ask yourself - what is it that the "Mr." doesn't like about the dog that requires he be "gone" ASAP? Will these be the same things that will cause you trouble?

Also, get your nose out of the books and judge a dog on it's individual personality. It is a good thing to know about a breeds predisposition, but you also have to know that not every member of that breed will fall into that category. If you read the breed description of a Weimaraner - it will tell you that they have endless energy and must be exercised every day - well my first Weim was perfectly happy to lay about all day and rarely got more exercise than going out to potty and was fine with that. Of course she WAS the exception to the rule, my current two go stir crazy without exercise and mental stimulation and get themselves into all kinds of mischief if bored. But my first girl was textbook opposite of the textbook. :-)

That being said, do not allow these people to guilt you into taking a dog that you're not sure of. That too, is textbook human behavior. Small dogs find homes very quickly in shelters in most parts of the country, so if you don't decide to take the dog, someone else most likely will. Another thing that will happen in about 3 months, all those little kiddies that got cute fuzzy pups for Christmas will find out how much work they are, and once they reach the chewing stage there will be a HUGE influx of purebred pups hitting the shelters. Happens every year around March - pups leave the cute fuzzy stage and hit the gangly destructive stage and many end up in shelters.

Trust your instincts - they'll tell you when the time is right [to adopt a dog].

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 19 de dezembro de 2005 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Seleção de farejadores para a Copa

2009-06-07T01:30:00.001-03:00

Seis cães da raça labrador estão sendo treinados na sede da PRF para atuarem reforçando a segurança em 2014

Seis cães da raça labrador estão em treinamento na sede da Polícia Rodoviária Federal de Pernambuco (PRF-PE), no Pina, para atuarem na segurança durante a Copa do Mundo de 2014. Os trabalhos com os filhotes de dois meses de idade começaram há dez dias e devem durar até 2013, quando 80% do treinamento deve ser concluído. As cinco fêmeas e um macho nasceram do cruzamento de cães que já trabalham na polícia estadual. No período dos jogos, os animais vão atuar no porto, aeroporto, terminal rodoviário, hotéis e rodovias, além dos estádios. O adestramento acontece nos 19 canis espalhados pelo Brasil.

De acordo com o instrutor de cães da PRF, Duarte Pires, os cães vão trabalhar na identificação de drogas, explosivos e munições com pólvora que estejam escondidos dentro de malas e veículos. "Os animais são capazes de detectar até vinte tipos de explosivos", destacou. O trabalho começa quando os bichos ainda são filhotes. "A gente estimula eles a brincar. A partir disso, observamos qual é o mais esperto e disposto. Aquele que não se enquadra no perfil da polícia sai do treinamento e, posteriormente, é doado", explicou.

Aos dois meses de idade o cãozinho é colocado em uma área aberta onde é estimulado a correr e disputar com o treinador um brinquedo. "A atividade é feita individualmente, duas vezes por dia, durante cinco minutos", contou Pires. Depois desta fase, o animal passa a percorrer outros ambientes, como plantações, jardins e interiores de veículos. "Quando o cão completa um ano de idade, introduzimos a droga ou explosivo nos exercícios", afirmou.

O instrutor contou que a PRF recebeu, no ano passado, um manual de segurança enviado pela Fifa e pela Embaixada dos Estados Unidos. Entre os itens, a atenção deverá ser redobrada contra ataques terroristas. "Esta é a primeira vez que nossos cães vão trabalhar na identificação de explosivos. Eles já atuam na identificação de drogas tanto na capital quanto no interior", ressaltou Duarte Pires. Como o adestramento requer tempo e dedicação, os animais já estão no batente. "Até lá esses cães já estarão na idade ideal para trabalhar em grandes eventos. Os que exercem a função, hoje, dentro da corporação já estão com idades entre seis e oito anos", comentou Pires. Segundo o instrutor, o animal pode exercer a atividade por oito anos, depois ele se "aposenta".

Até a Copa de 2014, cerca de 300 cães devem compor o efetivo, de acordo com o inspetor da PRF, Eder Rommel. Por isso, todas as cidades-sede deverão ter canil. "Algumas capitais não tinham canil e foi necessário construir. Esta semana Maceió ganhou um", disse Rommel. O Recife abriga o canil central, de onde partem todos os cães. Atualmente, a PRF possui dez cães adultos e profissionais. Em Pernambuco, quatro policiais são responsáveis pelo treinamento, sendo dois deles instrutores que treinam tanto o cão quanto o policial.

Cães são treinados para combater ataque terrorista

Fonte

Crufts 2010 Playing Host to Unhealthy Dogs

2009-06-06T22:10:00.001-03:00

Channel 4’s alternative broadcasting outlet, More4 is home to some genuinely brilliant shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Daily Show, The West Wing, The Sopranos and some incredible documentaries. It also has its fair share of tosh (Sex Change Hospital, Ramsay’s Kitchen Swear-a-Thon) and doesn’t appear afraid to throw the odd freakshow at its liberally minded viewers. In 2010, More4 welcomes Crufts to its schedules. The all new, health conscious Crufts. Oh. Hang on a minute…..

Just take a little looky at a WINNING dog from the Leeds Championship dog show held on July 26

So - for those who don’t follow or necessarily understand dog shows - the dog above is now qualified and will presumably exhibit at Crufts.

For those who may be blind, the dog above has so many heavy folds of skin weighing its own face down it would be hard to imagine how that would feel. To try and imagine it, get some bulldog clips and attach some weights to them - clip them on to your face in various parts, just enough that your skin becomes loose and gravitates south. Now, leave those clips in place oohh, let’s say, forever. Yes, leave them in place, pulling your skin from your face - until you die. That ought to give some degree of understanding.

DFS Crufts 2010 (that’s DFS the furniture store, it doesn’t stand for Delightful Floppy Skin, just in case you were wondering) has received the backing of the British Veterinary Association president, Nicky Paull.

K9 Magazine asked Mrs Paull what she thought about the ‘winning’ Neopolitan Mastiff. She told us:

It is such issues that we need to keep in the public domain – not just for those who opt to read dog magazines.

We have to continue to drive changes to the breed standards to make such extremes no longer acceptable and these issues need to be discussed openly. It is a dilemma whether to accept such breeds into Crufts but, if excluded, then the breeding will continue outside of the current controls that exist (even if not strong enough) by keeping them within the Kennel Club.

Until we see legislative changes to better control extreme conformation I believe we have to work within the breed societies to drive forward improvements but also to make any extremes unacceptable in the eye of the public. I hope that the More 4 programme will be able to use examples such as this Neapolitan Mastiff to discuss breed standards with independent expert veterinary comment on the difficulties the animal faces.

In traditional K9 Magazine style, let’s have a look at this statement bit by bit, shall we?

It is such issues that we need to keep in the public domain – not just for those who opt to read dog magazines.

What “issues” are we talking about here?

This is a dog that was exhibited at a Kennel Club endorsed dog show and won! A Kennel Club approved judge saw this dog and said “Perfect! You should go to Crufts.”

It is only being covered in a dog magazine because a concerned person in attendance at said dog show could see what most normal-thinking people could, that this is a dog with problems (and a rosette). The “issues” being covered by a dog magazine, in this case, are the fact that weeks earlier the BVA gave its backing to Crufts and dogs like this will be exhibited there. That’s the issue. But yes, absolutely the public DO deserve to see this sort of thing - but my, what strange logic. Giving endorsement to Crufts on TV in order that the public be exposed to the full horrors of what competitive dog showing can produce, is that what’s being said here? That would be like the British Medical Council advocating people watch televised boxing in order to get a full picture on the dangers of brain damage caused by receiving blows to the head!

We have to continue to drive changes to the breed standards to make such extremes no longer acceptable and these issues need to be discussed openly. It is a dilemma whether to accept such breeds into Crufts but, if excluded, then the breeding will continue outside of the current controls that exist (even if not strong enough) by keeping them within the Kennel Club.

Yes, driving change is important. So, it begs the question, how does it help to ‘drive change’ if the BVA gives its full backing for Crufts to return to the TV when dogs like this are still winning? How does rewarding someone for doing the same things over and over ‘drive change’?

We have been told already that extremes would be ruled out and yet look, here we are - about to see the very definition of an ‘extreme’ dog at DFS Crufts 2010. It’s absolutely unacceptable for people to be breeding dogs like this outside of the controls of the Kennel Club so, instead, people breed them INSIDE the controls of the Kennel Club and get rewarded with a 1st place. Come on! We’re not talking about a dog who got filtered out of the system by the Kennel Club’s health controls, we’re talking about a dog who was REWARDED by them. This dog WON, remember.

One can argue about the state of health within the Neopolitan Mastiff - it is one of the breeds on the ‘at risk’ register. But if we’re trying to say that THIS is the BEST of them then, boy, this is a breed in more trouble than one could possibly imagine. The facts are, there are far, far less extreme examples of this breed - but THIS ONE WON. This is the one who’s going to Crufts. This is the one who a judge decided was the ‘best’. Extremes are still WINNING. This isn’t about whether to accept certain breeds in to Crufts or not, this about PROVING that change is an easy, glib word to throw about but real change only happens when there is a collective will from within. Rewarding extremes and going along just as we were, that’s not change and it sure isn’t encouraging change. You can’t change someone who doesn’t want to change.

Until we see legislative changes to better control extreme conformation I believe we have to work within the breed societies to drive forward improvements but also to make any extremes unacceptable in the eye of the public.

Weak.

Legislation against breeding disabled dogs? What, legislation like the European Convention For the Protection of Pet Animals? Legislation that the Kennel Club doesn’t want us to accept? Legislation like that?

How do we make extremes unacceptable in the eyes of the public when organisations like the BVA give Crufts their backing to be televised when extremes like this dog are still WINNING?

Let’s say it again, this dog was given first place at a Kennel Club show by a Kennel Club judge.

Blaming a lack of legislation for what’s happened here is incredibly poor. How about this for an idea instead: Rather than blame a lack of legislation for people breeding extremely exaggerated dogs which then go on to be rewarded with 1st places at Kennel Club dog shows, why don’t those dogs not be given 1st place at dog shows? Why don’t those dogs not then go on to appear at the televised Crufts? Why don’t judges, Kennel Club approved judges, stop rewarding extremes? How about that?

A lack of legislation didn’t cause this. A system which - and always has - encouraged and rewarded extreme examples of dog breeds caused this. To think otherwise is naive in the extreme.

I hope that the More 4 programme will be able to use examples such as this Neapolitan Mastiff to discuss breed standards with independent expert veterinary comment on the difficulties the animal faces.

So do I Nicky. So do I.

But, fortunately for me, if and when - as I strongly suspect - it doesn’t happen, and we DON’T get an independent veterinary expert explaining to the public what a scandal it is that a dog like this is allowed to win and detailing the pain and misery that breeding dogs like this causes and how the incentive of winning dog shows remains THE strongest driver in why dogs like the Neopolitan Mastiff have ended up like this, at least I won’t feel bad for giving the televising of such an event my backing. See, for me, I would have waited to see exactly how the new, improved Crufts deals with cases like this rather than give support to an event which is - it’s clear to see - still playing host to dogs who are very, very badly done by. Because, let’s remind ourselves of this, this dog is not a dog who has been caught by this all-new, health conscious Kennel Club filtering system - no, this dog won. It won.

Fonte

Vista 360º da cidade de Columbus, Nebraska

2009-05-16T23:05:00.003-03:00

O site Google Maps tem um sistema muuuuuito legal de visualização de ruas com possibilidade de rotacionar 360º para ver o lugar de todas as direções. Por exemplo, para ver o hotel Holiday Inn nos EUA onde vamos ficar inicialmente, enquanto procuramos uma casa para alugar, basta seguir os passos abaixo:

- Acesse o site www.maps.google.com

- No campo ao lado do nome Google, digite "524 E 23RD ST COLUMBUS, NE"

- Clique no botão "Pesquisar no Mapa"

- O mapa que aparece na tela tem a figura de um pequeno boneco laranja do lado superior esquerdo. Use o botão esquerdo do mouse para clicar e arrastar o boneco para a área em amarelo imediatamente acima da letra "A", no mapa. Para que funcione, a rua amarela precisa ficar com um contorno azul. Solte o botão do mouse

- Vai aparecer uma foto da área. No canto superior esquerdo tem um círculo com 4 setas. Clique 3 vezes na seta que aponta para a esquerda

- O nosso hotel é o prédio amarelo. Dá para ver mais de perto "andando" ao longo da rua. Para isso, passe o mouse sobre a foto e clique na seta para a direita que diz "E 23rd St" até ficar de frente para o hotel. Então, no círculo com 4 setas no canto superior esquerdo, clique 1 vez na seta que aponta para a esquerda para centralizar a imagem

- Para dar um zoom, basta clicar no quadradinho minúsculo que tem no canto superior direito do mapa. Para sair do zoom, use a tecla "Esc" do teclado

Fotos das aulas de encerramento

2009-05-10T18:31:00.003-03:00

Muito obrigada a todos aqueles que puderam comparecer às aulas do dia 09/05/09, que foi oficialmente a despedida da Lord Cão Franquia Recife. São Pedro nos ajudou, como sempre, permitindo um sábado lindo, com bastante sol. As fotos estão disponíveis no link abaixo, espero que gostem. Sentirei saudades de todos!

AULAS DE ENCERRAMENTO 2009

Se não houver nenhum imprevisto, eu continuarei trabalhando normalmente até o dia 23/05/09, o que significa apenas mais duas semanas de aulas particulares e consultorias e apenas mais dois sábados de aulas em grupo (16/05/09 e 23/05/09), para fechar a carga horária dos últimos alunos matriculados. Mais uma vez peço a todos que por favor não faltem!

Minha experiência com a Eukanuba

2009-05-10T17:46:00.002-03:00

Eu adoro a Eukanuba, sou fã da marca, reconheço a qualidade dos produtos e os indico para os meus clientes. Eu mesma usei essa ração por 6 anos consecutivos - criei meus 3 cães com ela - e todos se desenvolveram muito bem, são saudáveis e possuem uma ótima pelagem.

Entretanto no final de 2008 a minha cocker, já com 6 anos, começou a apresentar fezes moles diariamente. Além disso ela e o chihuahua, este com 5 anos, sofriam esporadicamente com o acúmulo de gases. Enquanto investigávamos a causa, tratávamos os cães com remédios para aliviar as dores, pois os muitos exames que fizemos, tanto para as fezes quanto para os gases não detectavam nada.

Chegou então o momento de testar uma outra ração, para ver se a Eukanuba estava tendo alguma influência nos problemas. Com apenas dois dias as fezes da cocker voltaram ao normal, foi impressionante. Desde então estou usando a ração Hill's, outra das marcas que costumo indicar para os meus clientes. Isto já faz dois meses e ainda não tive reincidências nem com o problema das fezes, nem com o problema dos gases.

Apesar de dois dos meus três cães terem tido experiências ruins com a Eukanuba, esse fato isolado não é capaz de desmerecer a marca. Da mesma forma que nós temos organismos e metabolismos diferentes, os cães também têm. Os problemas que os meus tiveram surgiram após anos de uso contínuo. A Eukanuba reinou absoluta aqui em casa por 6 anos e só agora abriu lugar para a Hill's.

Com a nossa mudança para os EUA, talvez eu tenha de trocar a ração novamente, pois não sei como é a facilidade de encontrar a marca por lá. Até agora entretanto, a Hill's tem atendido às minhas expectativas, estou satisfeita. Só tenho uma observação a fazer: eu tenho a impressão que o pacote acaba mais rápido!

Produtos da SOAMA

2009-05-10T17:16:00.007-03:00

Como já falei outras vezes, adoro ajudar as ONGs de proteção animal comprando pela internet os produtos da lojinha deles. Desta vez foi a SOAMA, que tem produtos verdadeiramente adoráveis disponíveis para venda. Eles criaram um conjunto de mascotes lindinhas que alegram os produtos, tudo com muito bom gosto e ótimo acabamento.

Eu comprei a camiseta Nova Gatinha Preta da Sorte, a camiseta "Quem ama não se importa com raça" e 3 chaveirinhos, que são fofinhos e dá vontade de ficar apertando o tempo todo.

PS: Na imagem acima, tirada do site da SOAMA, está faltando uma das mascotes. Para evitar erros na hora de pedir os chaveiros, é melhor escolher pela mascote e *não* pela cor das cordinhas.

Cão comeu as patas para fugir de armadilha

2009-05-04T00:32:00.010-03:00

Fiquei horrorizada com a mensagem abaixo. Essas armadilhas são terrivelmente cruéis e deixam os bichos agonizando por muito tempo. A caça de uma forma geral, legalizada ou não, deveria ser banida da face da Terra. Fontes: G1, www.wkyc.com e www.9news.com

Cão que teve de comer as próprias patas para fugir de armadilha ganha prótese: Animal foi preso por armadilha para criaturas selvagens no Alasca. Para escapar, foi obrigado a morder suas próprias patas.

Andre (um cão de 3 anos mestiço de pastor alemão, rottweiler e labrador, segundo o site www.wkyc.com) passou por uma experiência traumática. Caminhando pelas terras selvagens do Alasca, o cãozinho pisou por acidente numa armadinha de animais ilegal. Para escapar da enrascada, teve de mastigar suas próprias patas. O resultado foi a perda de duas delas.

Encontrado em frangalhos pelo serviço de resgate de cães do Alasca, ele não conseguia nem ficar em pé. Mas uma empresa de Denver, no Colorado, mudou sua vida.

Sensibilizada com a história de Andre, a OrthoPets criou próteses para o cão. Com dois dias de uso, Andre voltou a ficar em pé.

"Essa é a primeira vez que Andre foi capaz de ficar sobre quatro patas em um ano e alguns meses", disse Martin Kaufmann, da empresa responsável pelas próteses.

Após algumas semanas de adaptação às novas patas, Andre será colocado para adoção.

O vira-lata Andre mastigou as próprias patinhas para se livrar de armadilha no Alasca

Cachorrês x Português

2009-05-01T23:19:00.005-03:00

Acho que dá para ter uma idéia de como a minha vida anda corrida por causa da viagem, não é? Por isso o blog está tão parado! Mas sempre que eu acho um texto interessante na internet, eu salvo o link para postar para vocês assim que possível. Eu vi a indicação do site da matéria abaixo no Mãe de Cachorro e achei muito legal! O texto está um pouco confuso de ler, mas dá para captar a idéia. Taí uma coisa que eu vivo repetindo para todo mundo: humanizar os sentimentos dos cachorros é um erro muito grande e infelizmente bastante comum. Fonte: www.itu.com.br

Não é incomum se ouvir palavras do dicionário humano sendo aplicadas erroneamente para descrever comportamentos caninos, pois na verdade os cães têm seu próprio dicionário e geralmente os proprietários desconhecem os sinônimos das palavras humanas para estes comportamentos.

Esta situação geralmente surge quando está ocorrendo um processo de humanização do cão. A humanização ocorre de diversas formas, a mais comum delas é a (por vezes involuntária) transferência de valores humanos à existência do cão.

Vamos olhar alguns exemplos para demonstrar estas diferenças.

Compaixão

Dicionário Humano – Compaixão (do latim compassione) pode ser descrita como uma compreensão do estado emocional de outrem; não deve ser confundida com empatia. A compaixão frequentemente combina-se a um desejo de aliviar ou minorar o sofrimento de outra pessoa, bem como demonstrar especial gentileza com aqueles que sofrem.

Dicionário (sinônimo) Canino: Fraqueza – Sentimentos que demonstram demasiada caridade são projeções de fraqueza, pois no mundo canino prevalece a imagem e o papel do líder. Se aquele que se “projeta” como líder demonstra medo através de vocalizações que inferem a conivência com o medo do subordinado, este está agravando o estado inseguro do seguidor.

Enquanto escrevo isto por acaso estou de “babá” para o Shar Pei do filho da minha mulher. Ele está comigo aqui no escritório de casa sentindo a falta do Filipe e da sua noiva Bruna, pois eles saíram. Se neste momento, enquanto ele chora de fronte à porta lamentando a ausência dos seus donos, eu tentar consolá-lo com explicações de que não há necessidade de se preocupar, que seus donos logo voltarão, que o mundo não acabou, etc. estarei reforçando seu sentimento de tristeza. Daí que faço o contrário, falo com ele de forma natural distraindo ele de tempos em tempos sem tristeza, mas convidando ele a interagir comigo.

Esta posição não deve ser confundida com o ato de compaixão exercido, por exemplo, por pessoas que, vendo um cão sofrendo, buscam maneiras de ajudá-lo. Nesta situação o cão não interpreta a compaixão, pois ele não vê ele apenas recebe o auxilio. Foi com certeza assim que o Charles Darwin interpretou o comportamento humano quando disse “Compaixão para com os animais é das mais nobres virtudes da natureza humana”. E concordo com ele quando se trata de atitudes e não demonstrações de afeto verbais que marcam o medo o animal.

O cão não sente pena. Quantas vezes presenciei situações na casa onde tivesse 2 cães e saía-se só para passear com um, em que aquele que fica se lamenta muito mas aquele que vai nem olha para trás. É um mundo onde no final das contas é cada um por si. Um cão recolhido de um abrigo não pensa nos ex-companheiros de “cela” nem lamenta o fato dos companheiros que ficaram para trás.

Ciúme

Dicionário Humano – Ciúme é uma reação complexa porque envolve um largo conjunto de emoções, pensamentos, reações físicas e comportamentos:
- Emoções – dor, raiva, inveja, medo, depressão e humilhação;
- Pensamentos – ressentimento, culpa, comparação com o rival, preocupação com a imagem, autocomiseração;
- Reações físicas – taquicardia, falta de ar, excesso de salivação ou boca seca, sudorese, aperto no peito, dores físicas.
- Comportamentos – questionamento constante, busca frenética de confirmações de ações agressivas, mesmo violentas.

Dicionário (sinônimo) Canino: Controle (eu prefifo traduzir ciúme como posse) – O comportamento que se apresenta para o dono como sendo uma atitude de defesa ou proteção, é na realidade um ato de controle do animal do próprio dono. Pois ao evitar de alguma maneira, seja pacificamente seja agressivamente, o contato do seu dono com outra pessoa, objeto ou animal, está evitando que a interação ocorra. (Eu costumo dizer que o cachorro com esse comportamento se considera o legítimo proprietário de determinada pessoa, objeto ou animal, ou seja, ele acredita que detém a posse dessa pessoa, objeto ou animal)

O humano (adulto - por que só adulto? Criança também sente ciúme) em algum momento da sua vida teve a experiência de sentir ciúme, e lembrando como se sentiu, acha que reconhece perfeitamente esta emoção forte no comportamento do cão, pois sabe que seu cão o ama muito. Infelizmente o que o dono não percebe é que o papel que ele representa no “ato ciumento” do seu cão é de dominado e não líder amado.

O animal está se comportando como um animal que controla seus súditos e não está agindo por amor. Aliás eu diria que amor está longe das intenções dele no momento que age desta forma.

O dono é visto por ele nesta hora como um recurso, um recurso que precisa ser preservado não pelo bem do dono, mas pelo bem do próprio cão!

Em suma precisamos entender que os cães vivem o momento e a não ser que “lembrados por eventos gravados por circunstâncias anteriores” não ficam remoendo o passado. Mais sobre isto em saudade!

Saudade

Dicionário Humano – Saudade - memória ou recordação de pessoas, familiares ou objetos; sentimento experimentado entre duas pessoas que estão distantes, ou que ficam muito tempo sem se ver; lembrança; lembrança de pessoas ou coisas distantes ou não mais existentes, acompanhada da vontade de tornar a vê-las ou possuí-las.

Dicionário (sinônimo) Canino: Incerteza – Quando uma pessoa ou mesmo outro animal deixa de estar presente, não é incomum se ver que o cão da casa demonstra sinais de depressão, deixando de comer ou de demonstrar uma costumeira disposição para a vida. Os cães sabem, porque assim vêem o seu mundo, que numa matilha há segurança em números. Se uma determinada “matilha” sobreviveu com 4 integrantes, quando um destes integrantes se ausenta a preocupação é com o bem da matilha, ou seja como sobreviver agora com a ausência daquele elemento. Isto dito o estado de preocupação do cão pode ficar agravado se o ser que se ausentou é justamente aquele que se apresentava para o cão como o líder, ou mais próximo ao cão. Não porque sinta saudade propriamente dita da relação que mantinha com o ausentado, mas pelo papel que o ausentado tinha na matilha como um todo. Será muito normal, depois de verificar que a vida continua, e nada falta, que o animal volta a se comportar normalmente, como se nada houvesse acontecido. Aliais, nestas circunstancias a presença de compaixão seria prejudicial a uma pronta recuperação do cão.

Dennis Martin MBIPDT
Analista Comportamental de Cães
Membro do British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers – Inglaterra - www.dennismartin.com.br

Lord Cão Franquia Recife - comunicado

2009-04-27T01:05:00.001-03:00

É ao mesmo tempo com alegria e com tristeza que eu comunico a todos vocês uma grande mudança na minha vida. Alegria porque é uma mudança muito boa, um desafio que eu estou ansiosa para experimentar. E tristeza porque significa interromper o meu trabalho na Lord Cão, que eu adoro tanto, e ficar longe dos parentes, amigos e clientes. A novidade é a seguinte: eu e os meus cachorros vamos passar uma temporada morando nos Estados Unidos, mais especificamente no estado de Nebraska, pois meu marido está sendo transferido para lá pela empresa onde trabalha. Tudo indica que vamos viajar na última semana de maio ou na primeira semana de junho. Isso significa que maio possivelmente será o último mês de funcionamento da Lord Cão Franquia Recife.

Gostaria de informar que os alunos matriculados não serão prejudicados, pois abriremos horários e dias alternativos se necessário. Peço aos alunos que por favor façam o possível para não faltar nessas últimas aulas, para que possamos completar a carga horária. Teremos aulas normalmente no dia 02/05/09, após o feriado de primeiro de maio. Não estamos mais aceitando novas matrículas nos cursos de treinamento de obediência, mas os interessados ainda podem contratar aulas avulsas em grupo ou particulares até a última semana de funcionamento. As consultorias para solução de problemas de comportamento continuam normalmente até a última semana de funcionamento. Os produtos vendidos pela franquia (Gentle Leaders, coleiras, meio-enforcadores, enforcadores, guias de 1,8m, guias de 7m e os livros da Lord Cão) serão todos devolvidos para a matriz no Rio de Janeiro, então quem estiver no Recife e quiser comprar diretamente comigo, economizando assim o frete, deve se apressar pois o estoque está acabando e não será reposto.

É importante frisar que a minha franquia não será cancelada, apenas colocada em "stand-by" por tempo indeterminado, já que ficou resolvido pela matriz que não teremos uma treinadora substituta no Recife. A matriz e as franquias do Rio de Janeiro continuam em operação, assim como os sites www.lordcao.com.br e www.bitcao.com.br. Meu e-mail da Lord Cão (sandra@lordcao.com.br) continuará funcionando, mas eu gostaria de divulgar também o meu login no Skype (s.regia). Além disso, eu também tenho orkut (Sandra Régia) e continuarei atualizando esse blog (www.lordcao.blogspot.com) sempre que possível. Não gostaria de perder contato com ninguém e espero que possamos nos corresponder de uma forma ou de outra.

Sentirei muitas saudades de todos, humanos e caninos.

Um grande abraço,

Sandra Régia - Recife/PE
Lord Cão - Treinamento de Cães Ltda.
site: www.lordcao.com.br
e-mail: sandra@lordcao.com.br
blog: www.lordcao.blogspot.com

Vamos rir para não chorar

2009-04-13T18:31:00.005-03:00

Todo mundo sabe que um dos grandes problemas do Brasil é a enorme parcela da população que não tem acesso nem à educação básica. Sem uma boa infraestrutura que proporcione cultura e saúde para o povo, nenhum país cresce. É triste a situação da nossa gente, e às vezes é melhor rir para não chorar...

O problema dos cães híbridos

2009-04-09T18:51:00.008-03:00

Cães híbridos viraram moda lá nos Estados Unidos (e possivelmente no mundo). Como se não bastassem as trocentas raças já existentes e mais os zilhões de vira-latas, algumas pessoas resolveram inventar a roda e começaram a misturar raças distintas com o objetivo de criar cães híbridos. Infelizmente essa moda já despontou aqui no Brasil e foi até citada na Veja (a reportagem pode ser lida aqui). Um absurdo! Eu sou 300% *contra* a mistura de raças, principalmente porque o mestiço resultante costuma herdar o pior dos dois pais e pode ter um temperamento confuso e indefinido.

Não estou falando aqui dos vira-latas "puro-sangue", frutos de inúmeras gerações de cães sem raça definida. Esses sim são excelentes e resistentes pets pois a seleção natural se encarrega de filtrar as características mais importantes. O texto abaixo comenta sobre a história da evolução dos cachorros, a finalidade das diversas raças e o problema dos cães híbridos. O ponto principal é o seguinte: pra quê pagar um monte de dinheiro por um mestiço (ops, "cachorro híbrido") se você pode ter um vira-lata ou um mestiço de graça? Fonte: DogMagazine.net. Para saber mais sobre as principais características dos grupos de raças caninas, basta ler o nosso Lord Cão News sobre o assunto (em português).

Designer Dogs: Do You Know What a Pomapekeapatador Is?

With more and more ‘designer’ or hybrid dogs making the headlines featuring the likes of Puggles, Golden Doodles, Cockerpoos, Pome-Pekes and other elaborately titled canine crosses, it prompted us to wonder, exactly how did we arrive at Afghans, Airedales and Alaskan Malamutes when we started out with the animal known to most as the ‘ultimate dog’ our canine’s cousin, the wolf? What precisely is a dog breed and how on earth does one go about creating one?

People most commonly use the word breed to describe a type of dog that displays characteristics interrelated to its name. But the concept of breed is far more complex than simply applying a label to a dog which looks a certain way.

The ancestry of the dog can be traced back as far as sixty million years. A weasel like creature called the Miatis is thought to have demonstrated the first characteristics of the animal now recognised as Canis lupus familiaris, or plain-old pet dog to you and me. It is thought that this creature evolved into the early wolf.

All the canine sub-species are scavengers by nature, like the jackal and coyote and this was certainly the case for the wolf. It is though the wolf discovered easy pickings in around the waste dumps established near human settlements and as people began to see certain characteristics in the wolf which they thought would be of great help to their development as a race, attempts were made to domesticate the animal and use a selection of his most desirable character traits to man’s advantage.

Once wolves and humans became comfortable in each other’s presence, the wolf began to readily accept his subdominant role within the partnership and thus domestication as we know it, began in earnest.

Certain wolves would display particular character traits such as an instinct for guarding and those individuals who also displayed the physical characteristics to make them a force to be reckoned with would be selected for breeding in order to produce strong, confident offspring capable of protection. This is probably the earliest example of selective breeding of the dogs we know and love today.

As the selective breeding processes became more widely practised by humans, certain characteristics were developed to aid them. Dogs were bred for three main purposes, to hunt, guard and herd. As these functional breeds of dog were becoming more established, cross breeding was taking place in order to refine certain necessary attributes further.

A large dog which happened to be particularly quick over long distances may be bred with a smaller example in an attempt to develop nimble, high stamina offspring for use when hunting. Overtly aggressive canines would be bred to be as large as possible to produce effective guards for protection of the human settlements. Naturally instinctive hunters would be bred as large or as small the quarry they’d be expected to hunt. Selective breeding was in full swing.

This early form of selective breeding is how we eventually arrived at so many different breeds of dog. From the Yorkshire Terrier to the Bull Mastiff, selection by humans as well as the occasional happy accident have been the driving force behind the breeds we know and love today.

As selective breeding continued, the physical and characteristic traits of the original foundation lines were becoming more and more diluted, although every dog, even today possesses many wolf-like characteristics.

Certain types of dog breed have evolved to perform certain functions for humans. Although nowadays dogs are more commonly kept as pets, some breeds retain the original characteristics for which they were bred - although it can certainly be argued that, in the western world at least, the main function of the dog is adequately described as: to be somebody’s pal.

The hound group for example consists of two sections. There are sight hounds and scent hounds. Sight hounds are one of the oldest types of dog still endemic today. He is quiet and graceful, he is bred to spot prey from distance, hunt the prey and kill the prey. Hounds which are commonly kept as pets today include Beagles, Greyhounds and Bassett hounds.

Terriers evolved from the hound group. Terriers take their name from the Latin ‘to go to ground’, which is what they were bred to do. Terriers were originally used for hunting small quarry such as badgers, rats and rabbits. Like the hounds, Terriers should have a strong thirst for work, a thirst that if not properly quenched can occasionally lead to unruly behaviour.

The toy group is the only group to have breeds which were bred solely for the purpose of companionship. The Shih Tzu was favoured by Chinese emperors in the late nineteenth century as a companion in the palace and it was bred specifically for such purposes as were other toy group members commonly referred to as ‘lap dogs’.

The concept of what a breed actually is frequently provokes confusion today, even amongst experts. What constitutes a separate breed if two dogs look the same and were bred for the same purpose? Why are Norwich and Norfolk Terriers classed as separate breeds now when before they were the same? Why do small cosmetic differences such as ear position result in a difference in breed, when something such as major size difference does not? How can purebreds resemble cross-breeds and cross-breeds be passed off as purebreds?

All of these frequently asked questions strengthen the argument that the concept of what a breed is is commonly misinterpreted.

A dog breed is probably best described as, “a grouping of descendants categorised using criteria relevant to its behavioural and physical qualities, desirable to those who refined the line of genetic descent”. But how does one create a breed?

The offspring of a mating between two purebred dogs of different breeds is a cross-breed, a mongrel, a mutt, a dog eligible for Scrufts but not Crufts if you will. Technically speaking, the fact that both parents happen to be established, recognised pedigree breeds makes no difference to the status of the offspring.

Often described as a first-time cross, the world is seeing a huge increase in demand for ‘designer dogs’ such as the Puggle (Beagle cross Pug), the Cockerpoo (Cocker cross Poodle) and many others with equally fanciful names. The newly elected American president expressed particular interest in one of these ‘breeds’ when he added a Labradoodle to his shortlist. Although he ditched that choice and went instead for a Portuguese Water dog.

So what’s new? What traits does a Cockerpoo posses that a ‘purebred’ Cocker Spaniel or Poodle lacks?

If you or I were charged with the task of creating a dog breed, the criteria being a small to medium sized dog with a happy personality, willingness to work and learn but with a non-shedding coat suitable for people who don’t have the time to tramp 10 miles per day in order to keep this creature happy, where would we start?

We’d more than likely look at the Cocker but we’d fall short on the issue of shedding. We’d examine the qualities of the Poodle but we’d find they come in either small or large packages not small to medium and as a worker, they’d be outperformed by many of their gundog counterparts. If only the working qualities of the Cocker could be bundled with the non-shedding coat aspects of the Poodle and everything would be perfe…..wait, I’ve got it. I see a mating in the offing! Wow, how easy is this going to be. If I mate a Poodle and a Cocker I’ll get the best of both worlds - won’t I?

Erm, no. Not quite as simple as it seems.

Deliberate cross breeding is, essentially, selective breeding. There’s a problem though.

It takes several generations to “breed true.” Compare yourself to your brother, sister or even your cousins. Do you all have the same looks, the same personality, the same motivations or intelligence levels? The chances are, you won’t (até mesmo irmãos gêmeos têm personalidades diferentes). I, for example, am much clevererer and more handsomer and generally blessed with more modesty than my sibling. He, however, plays guitar far better than I play drums. We’re of the same parents (we assume) but whilst I am blessed with modesty, good looks and breath that smells like rose petals, my brother plays a mean guitar whereas I, no matter how hard I try, sound as acoustically appealing as a man shouting in to a bucket. Oh well, least I have my breath, looks and modesty and self esteem.

Each of us has some of the “best” traits of our parents. But they’re invariably coupled with the worse traits or, shall we say, less desirable traits. In some cases we may only inherit the less desirable traits of both parents at the expense of any of their best traits, our own children however may be fortunate to pick up the good traits we missed out on. And so it is with dogs.

Generation after generation of selective breeding is required before we establish a new breed. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not.

No one could argue we should ‘stick’ with what we have in terms of pedigree dogs (BUT THEY DO) and it’s a sure fire certainty that gene pools can bottleneck to the point where new blood is required. Sorry, I should clarify that. It’s a sure fire certainty that gene pools HAVE bottlenecked to the point where new blood is required.

Should that put you off splashing the cash on a Cockerpoo, a Puggle, a Jackador or a Spoodle? Well. Maybe.

Unless you’re buying into a dog which is several generations down the line in terms of a selective breeding program, you are effectively purchasing a cross breed. Cross breeds come with many, many advantages as pets but should you be charged £600 or upwards for one?

Well no. Not in this writer’s (less than) humble opinion. You should not.

Especially when you consider how many fantastic cross and pedigree breeds are desperate for homes in Britain’s animal shelters, all of whom have the same qualities to offer. How the price of a dog is determined is a matter of some controversy and it certainly confuses me. If a ‘pedigree’ Bulldog has a going rate of £1,200 why shouldn’t any other ‘breed’ be priced according to the ‘market rate’? Another breed that, dare I say, might ‘last a bit longer’ and come with less ‘manufacturing faults’.

And here we see the start of this ethical minefield. ‘Market rate’. We’re talking about sentient, lifelong companions here - not designer handbags.

The marketing of dogs is a trend set to continue. It’s human nature to aspire to own something a little different, a little fancy or in short supply. It goes without saying, the commercialised marketing of dogs is a recipe for disaster and THIS is where the problem lies.

Watch this:

- “Oh what’s that unusual dog you have there?”
- “It’s a Pomapekeapatador” (quite obviously a Pomeranian mixed with Pekignese and a little Patterdale and Labrador thrown in)
- “Incredible, I’ve never heard of them. Where would I go about finding one?”
- “The Internet. But be warned, they’re very rare” (and therefore expensive, desirable and I’ve got one and you haven’t)

See how this works? The Pomapekepatador is what many generations refer to, rather cruelly, as a Heinz 57 (a bit of everything). A cross breed, a mix, a mongrel, a mutt. And they are as important, as clever, as giving and as worthy as any pedigree breed and there’s more than likely a rescue shelter near you chock-full of them.

Don’t be fooled, ALL dogs are designer dogs. They all have the same ancestors remember!

And if you’re really keen on modern, trendy and fashionable then you really need to consider ‘ethical’ as a lifestyle choice. So if you’re inclined toward designer, trendy, ethical dogs - you’ll struggle to do better than www.dogsblog.com - no better designer dog than those on offer (in their thousands) at rescue centres all over the UK. Just because they’re not selling for £1,000 a piece doesn’t make them any less dog - anyone who thinks differently should really come talk to me about the litter of Bengal Chihuahuas I’ve just bred. They’re SO rare, SO desirable and I’m only asking £10,000 per pup. Yes, I accept PayPal - it’s: ‘isawyoucomingyoumug@k9magazine.com’

The World Famous Bengal Chihuahua (Para quem caiu de pára-quedas aqui no finalzinho, esse cão *não existe*, é uma brincadeira do autor do texto)

Homem põe microchip de cão na nuca

2009-04-09T18:43:00.002-03:00

Fonte: G1

'Não sinto dor. É como um brinco', diz homem com microchip de cão na nuca. Fernando Ferreira quis provar que aparelho não faz mal aos animais. Ele é coordenador do Centro de Zoonoses de Americana (SP).

Para provar que o pequeno dispositivo é seguro, não causa dor ou riscos à saúde, o coordenador do Centro de Controle de Zoonoses (CCZ) de Americana, Fernando Vicente Ferreira, de 32 anos, diz ter colocado há pouco mais de um ano um microchip na nuca. O objetivo era convencer donos de cães e gatos da cidade, que fica a 127 km de São Paulo, a fazer o mesmo com seus bichinhos de estimação.

“Se o problema é garantia, se eu colocar em mim [o microchip], você coloca no seu animal?”, perguntava Ferreira a todos os que viam o método de identificação sob a pele com desconfiança. Cansado de tanto receio, ele mesmo pediu que introduzissem o objeto do tamanho de um grão de arroz no corpo.

“O objetivo é que as pessoas tenham responsabilidade pelos animais”, contou Ferreira ao G1 na quarta-feira (08/04/09). Segundo ele, “microchipar” cães e gatos com informações deles e de seus donos é uma forma de evitar que os bichos se percam e até prevenir para que não sejam abandonados.

“Uma vez que a pessoa identifica o animal, não o solta na rua. E, se o fizer, será punido”, explicou o coordenador do CCZ, citando a lei federal 9605/2008. De acordo com ele, quem cometer maus-tratos contra os bichos pode pegar de três meses a um ano de prisão.

Assim como na cidade de São Paulo, em Americana, desde 2007, cães e gatos vendidos ou doados devem ter o microchip. Ele contém dados como raça, cor, peso, o endereço e o nome de seu dono. Ferreira calculou que, entre novembro do ano passado e fevereiro deste ano, 1,2 mil cachorros e gatos tenham recebido o microchip na cidade. A implantação dele nos consultórios veterinários custa, segundo ele, entre R$ 50 e R$ 70.

Sem dor

Ferreira garantiu que o aparelho sob a pele, colocado por um amigo que trabalha com piercings, não mudou em nada sua vida. “Não influencia no comportamento, não provoca dor, não atrapalha. É como um brinco”. Para lembrar a todos que é “microchipado”, tatuou no local um código de barras. “Se passar a mão você sente, mas a olho nu não vê”, afirmou.

Segundo Ferreira, não há uma legislação clara que verse sobre o microchip em humanos, mas ele torce para que isso aconteça. “Acredito que esse é o futuro. Não precisaremos mais carregar documentos”, brincou.

Há 17 anos

O empresário José Carlos Padovani, de 55 anos, é veterano em microchip. Tem dois implantados no corpo há 17 anos. “Um em cada braço”, disse. Dono de uma empresa que fabrica e comercializa o equipamento, Padovani contou que implantou os equipamentos porque também queria provar aos clientes a inexistência de riscos para os animais. Muito menos para os humanos.

“Não causa mal nenhum”, disse. O empresário explicou que o microchip é capaz de guardar dados precisos, como as vacinas que aquele animal tomou e até a quais substâncias ele seria alérgico. O microchip vendido por ele é feito de polipropileno biocompatível e anti-migratório, medindo 11,5 mm x 2 mm. É injetado por meio de uma seringa.

Riscos

O imunologista Clóvis Galvão, do Departamento de Imunologia Clínica e Alergia do Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo, explicou que o microchip é um corpo estranho no organismo. Sendo assim, há riscos de inflamações, formação de nódulos ou abscessos. Mas há um tempo para isso. “Se não aconteceu em menos de um ano, não vai acontecer mais.”

De acordo com ele, os problemas ocorrem, geralmente, entre 4 e 8 semanas. “Se não houve rejeição nesse período, não deve ter problema”, apostou o médico, que disse não conhecer casos de pessoas que tenham sido prejudicadas pela implantação do microchip sob a pele.

Fernando Vicente afirma ter colocado microchip na nuca há pouco mais de um ano

Na Espanha, lei obriga a passear com o cão

2009-04-09T18:29:00.004-03:00

Não seria ótimo se houvesse uma lei obrigando os donos de cães a passearem diariamente na rua com os seus peludos? Pois na Espanha essa lei existe! Fonte: RTP (Portugal)

Câmara de Girona (Espanha) obriga donos a passear cães pelo menos durante 20 minutos: A obesidade e o excesso de peso podem ser também um verdadeiro flagelo para os cães e podem mesmo configurar o início de vários problemas de saúde. Deste modo, também para o melhor amigo do homem é recomendável fazer exercício. Na Espanha, a Câmara de Girona leva o assunto tão a sério que decidiu criar uma lei municipal que obriga os donos dos cães a passeá-los, todos os dias, durante 20 minutos. A jornalista Paula Véran escutou a opinião do bastonário da Ordem dos Veterinários sobre as virtudes desta lei. (Vejam arquivo de áudio abaixo)

UPDATE: Mais informações sobre essa lei foram publicadas no jornal britânico Telegraph e traduzidas pelo Terra Notícias. Como a tradução está legal (aleluia), segue o texto em português abaixo.

Os donos de cães que não dão muita atenção para seus mascotes que se cuidem. A cidade espanhola de Girona criou uma lei cujo objetivo é diminuir as brigas entre vizinhos por causa de latidos, multando quem deixar seu cachorro trancado em casa por muito tempo. Segundo informou o jornal britânico "The Telegraph" nesta segunda (13/04/09), a cidade recebeu mais de 300 denúncias no ano passado de pessoas reclamando do comportamento dos animais dos vizinhos.

As multas serão aplicadas a quem deixar seus cachorros trancados por mais de seis horas por dia ou em condições não apropriadas por longos períodos. Mas também serão multados quem não passear com seu mascote na coleira e quem permitir que o animal "tome banho" em fontes públicas. Para esses casos o valor pode chegar a 500 euros (cerca de R$ 1.430). Já quem alimentar cães e gatos das ruas (acho que o objetivo aqui é não sujar a cidade com comida espalhada) pode ter de pagar até 150 euros (cerca de R$ 430).

Apesar de alguns donos de cachorros da cidade catalã terem classificado a nova lei como "absurda", as autoridades municipais acreditam que ela só será aplicada em casos de disputas. "Nós não iremos de casa em casa para obrigar as pessoas a cumprirem as regras", disse Enric Pardo, responsável pelo departamento de meio ambiente na prefeitura. "Mas agora nós temos meios de penalizar os donos de cachorros negligentes seguindo uma denúncia de um vizinho".

Um pedacinho do texto original em inglês não foi traduzido, e eu me arrisco a publicar a minha versão aqui: A nova lei também irá permitir que as autoridades multem em até 2.000 euros os donos que não obtiverem a licença correta para criar "raças perigosas", e que saiam com esse cães na rua sem focinheira.

Produtos do Projeto Focinhos

2009-04-08T01:45:00.006-03:00

Gentem, *a-m-e-i* os produtos do Projeto Focinhos. Eles tiveram a idéia de diversificar do lugar-comum das camisetas sempre brancas e, mais importante do que isso, têm umas estampas *l-i-n-d-a-s* e muito criativas!!! É realmente uma pena que muitos dos modelos estejam esgotados. Vou ficar torcendo para que eles voltem a disponibilizar todo o portfolio, pois é pequena a variedade de itens disponíveis atualmente.

Eu comprei a Baby Look Verso & Prosa, a Baby Look Frente e Verso e o Adesivo Focinhos a Bordo - Cão. Tudo muito fofo!!!

Comprem e ajudem o Greenpeace

2009-04-08T01:25:00.004-03:00

Eu dou o maior ponto a ONGs que procuram arrecadar dinheiro vendendo produtos, ao invés de pedir contribuições diretamente. É uma maneira inteligente de arrecadar uma grana e ainda fazer a propaganda da ONG, pois as pessoas gostam de usar um produto cuja marca trabalha por uma causa na qual elas acreditam. Eu compro sempre que possível das ONGs em prol dos animais, especialmente se a loja vende pela internet e tem uma boa variedade de itens.

Recebi ontem a minha encomenda do site do Greenpeace e fiquei muito satisfeita com os produtos. Apesar dos preços salgados (acima da média quando comparados com os de outras ONGs), a variedade de itens é boa. Pena que eles não focam em cães, e sim em animais de uma forma geral.

Eu comprei a Camiseta Baby Look Pegada e a Bolsa Carteiro com Patinha, ambas muito bonitas e com excelente acabamento.