Has anybody read the book, “Stanley and Sophie” by Kate Jennings? I haven’t read it yet, but apparently it is the memoirs of the author’s two terriers, being raised in post-9/11 New York City.
Yearly Archives: 2008
Second Chances for Jailbirds and Jail Dogs
Innovative prison program teaches dogs and men
At Wakulla Correctional Institute in Florida, an inmate reaches into his pocket and finds a dog biscuit for Pooh, a Husky-Labrador Retriever-Chow mix. Pooh gobbles the treat too enthusiastically and the inmate pushes him gently and firmly to the floor to calm him. Settled down, Pooh licks his hand.
Not too long ago, things looked bleak for Pooh. He was big and unruly and no one wanted to adopt him. Then Pooh got lucky and became part of a new program, Paws in Prison. Working with “dog whisperer” Jay King, inmates are taught how to train a dog, giving them useful skills and providing pound pooches a second chance.
The dogs move in with the inmates for two months, sleeping in kennels pushed right up against the bunks. King teaches them that it isn’t rocket science to train a dog–to teach them stability you have to be stable. He teaches them to train with kindness and treats, never harshness or punishment.
The end goal is to give the prisoners valuable skills that they can use outside prison (some dream of one day opening their own dog training schools), and to rehabilitate otherwise un-adoptable dogs to help them find forever homes.
Sled Dog Endurance
Any of you who study the science of exercise know that experts recommend you do different types of exercise or work out only every-other day to prevent muscle damage. So, how do sled dogs compete in the 1,100 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, which spreads over nine days?
Michael Davis of Oklahoma State University‘s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences has studied the sled dogs for the past 10 years, before, during, and after races both in the lab and in the field. His findings may even have implications for humans.
Dogs as Beasts of Burden?
My sister sent me this article written by Jenna Woginrich, an advocate of good, clean country living. Jenna is also the author of Cold Antler Farm, a blog about her experiences as a beginning homesteader. She has this to say about shopping bags and using your dog to lighten your load:
Never, never, never leave your dog alone with a baby
What a tragic story out of Warren, Ohio. A father left his 3-day old baby alone in her bassinet while he briefly left the room.
Their family dog, a Husky, apparently thought the child was a stuffed animal or toy and picked her up, killing her due to a cardiac arrest.
This highlights the need to constantly supervise your dog when there is a baby in the house. It only takes a second for a dog to make a mistake and harm or even kill your precious newborn.
Below, some expert advice on helping your dog adjust to a new baby in the house.
Continue reading Never, never, never leave your dog alone with a baby
Top Ten Tuesday: Least Destructive Dogs
Last week’s Top Ten Tuesday post was about the most destructive dogs, based on a survey of 3,000 customers of UK pet insurance carrier Esure. This week, we bring you the opposite – the breeds found least destructive by the same survey.
Each of these breeds were responsible for less than $2 worth of damage. I’m sorry, but in my humble opinion, any dog who can’t do more than $2 worth of damage can’t really be a dog!
King Charles Spaniel
Border Terrier
Cocker Spaniel
Old English Sheepdog
Highland Terrier
Corgi
Poodle
Pointer
Saint Bernard
Pug
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
We’d do anything for our dogs… well, maybe not murder
In a bizarre story, a man in Australia has been charged with killing his wife–because she wouldn’t let him cuddle the dog!
Anthony Sherna lived in a remote area of Australia with his wife Suzanne and their Jack Russell Terrier Hubble. They had few friends, no nearby neighbors, and they pretty much relied on each other for their social life. He made it a habit to cuddle and rock his dog to sleep at night while he listened to the radio. Until one day last February when his wife started shouting at him for paying too much attention to the dog.
Apparently her shouting upset the dog so much he was shaking badly and couldn’t be comforted for some time (at the best of times, it took 15 minutes to get the JRT to bed). Anthony was so angry that he snapped, grabbed a dressing gown cord and wrapped it around his wife’s neck. As if this story wasn’t strange enough already, Anthony then took Hubble to a pet spa so that he wouldn’t have to confront his wife’s remains!
So the wife is dead, the husband is in custody–but the dog at least is alive and well.
Survey Saturday: Dogs dialing 911?
We featured a story this week about a dog who had been trained to call 911, and did so when his guardian had a seizure. I’m not so sure any of my dogs would be capable of this – how about you?
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Profits going to the dogs
The Wag, Inc., purveyor of fine leather goods for dogs, recently announced its campaign to raise funds for two dog-related charities: National Service Dogs in Canada and the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation in the US. For every item sold via their internet site, The Wag will donate two dollars to each of the charities.
Dog DNA Scoop
A suburb of Tel Aviv recently announced that it is getting serious about cracking down on those who don’t clean up after their dogs. It seems they will hire people to scoop up any remaining poop, then test its DNA to identify the offenders.