Horsefeathers!

That's grrrrrrrreat! [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0YAD1AgYfIg5j4v4lvTiyXm9KL1T9d8zDMeMkomL9i672XhPp3kTOvZXn4Jnd!if0WjxE3GqrsDwD*LR8jh4TXi2x1kYu6ZgKUv1fPRFUQHuKUwX0iEeMSoYNsniP4daXDlJIVVJISybXch0CTW96aQ/Tony%20tiger.gif?dc=4675544123288561431[/img] I think we should all head over and pimp off DOGOMANIA! Fair's fair. Whaddaya say? :D

Jaci, your story just makes my b u t t want to crochet barbed wire. No, really, what gets to me is that you're trying to VOLUNTEER. Are these people so overwhelmed with resources that they can just turn up their arses for everyone to kiss? I understand them having standards, but I don't get how a VOLUNTEER group can be so... snarky toward people trying to HELP. It makes my blood boil. That's certainly not the first case I've read of a volunteer rescue group being way over the top in terms of how they treat potential volunteers. It's only one reason why I do most rescue work and fostering independently, but I do network with some groups... not as an actual volunteer for THEM. It seems to work out better that way. Some things I can do on my own, and some things they help me with. Any dog I adopt out will have been trained to accept a crate (though not necessarily like it). I'd rather see a dog that can be crated than have dogs constantly returned to me for simple behavioral problems that could be solved by containing the dog when he's alone from people who felt that crating would be more cruel than letting a dog bond and then returning it. Of course, it should go without saying (but I'll say it, anyway) that it goes with training. It's just that you can't train a dog when you're not home, so in the meantime, another alternative may be needed. Crating fills in the "meantime." My own dogs are home alone AND crated for probably about seven hours a day. It used to be longer, but I've started leaving for work later in the mornings, and hubby gets home earlier than me in the afternoons, so now it's six-seven hours at most. There are currently eleven dogs in my house and there's absolutely no way I'd let them all have free reign of the house with no one home. Most of them can be trusted alone in small groups, but get them all together with no supervision and all sense leaves them. Tucker Lab is left loose in the house all day, and so is PJ Poodlet (when he doesn't go with me to work). Peanut typically goes with me to work. When home, she's crated only because she runs into it before we leave. Besides, if I came home to sh*t puddles all over the house, or vomit, or any other sign of illness, I'd never be able to know who was sick if all of them had been loose. At the least, I'd be wasting precious time trying to watch for signs where, if they are mostly kenneled, I'll know immediately who's sick. That has been an issue in the past. I certainly don't stand in the yard with my dogs every second they're outside, either, or they'd never get any outside time. I keep constant check on them and we routinely check the fence perimeter, so I feel pretty confident that they're ok. I'd never say nothing could happen because we have had one escape artist, but we secured him even further. We'd have to set up camp in the yard and live there if we stayed out with them every time one had to pee. I fully agree with the good intention that you shouldn't have dogs if you don't have the time and resources to devote to them, but I think I disagree on the definition of how much time is adequate. I just don't think my dogs need my constant presence 24/7. Some of these breed rescues are just shooting themselves in the foot. I imagine a lot of people have been put off by some of these rescues after being told they can't adopt to people that work fulltime, and a lot of them probably just go buy from the pet stores since they feel they have no alternative after the rescues turn them down. I just don't see how that's helping the rescues or the animals any. Maybe people should just start saying, "I panhandle on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, I am a prostitute. Since I'm working for myself, the dog could accompany me any time and would never have to be alone..." or, "no, I don't work at all. I like being broke and would love to have one of your dogs to keep me company with all this free time I have not working." :-?

[quote name='CoalSky']HF, I think that's awesome you change them :lol: Has anyone said anything to you about it?[/quote] Nope, not so far. When scheduling my own clients, I also never use the cutesy names. I always say Poodle mix or Cocker mix or whatever mix is applicable. On a kinda sorta related note... people call our clinic all the time asking about specific breeds of dogs with the intention of purchasing. Our receptionist used to direct them toward the different breeders of whatever breed they were looking for. She has now started directing them to Petfinder. She never does breeder referrals anymore. Go, Joanie! She was probably tired of hearing me bitch.

I'm guilty of changing charts in our clinic. I sometimes scratch out "poo" or "doodle" and put the proper mix (Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix, etc.) instead. I'm not even an employee, but it's a pet peeve of mine. I'm going to h*ll for it, I just know. :oops:

My issue isn't with her inexperience and how much she can or will learn. My issue is that someone grossly unqualified to give that type of interview is spouting off dangerously erroneous information as if it is hardcore fact. Give her all the time in the world she needs to learn that job... just let someone more qualified handle the press stuff.

I tried to dig up a link from the local news station that initially reported on this, but there was only a little blurb that was NOTHING like the televised report. Several kids have been mauled and even killed by dogs in this area this year (no clue if it's more, less, or about average... they didn't say and I haven't researched it). One boy was mauled by a pack of dogs earlier this year. The reporting for that went something like, "a Doberman Pinscher and some other dogs mauled a boy..." It said nothing about the other dogs being Labs and mixes. They did a little blurb tonight about dangerous dogs and how to be safe. First of all, I know that animal control is a hard job. I can respect the people that are out there cleaning up the messes and dealing with the crap from irresponsible people. However, at least in this area, you don't have to really have any kind of formal training or background to be an animal control officer. Basically, anyone can do it. My reason for pointing this out is that, like in any field, some people are just plain smarter than others. They chose to interview someone that clearly doesn't know her b u t t from a hole in the ground. She quite literally could have just quit her job at Burger King last week and started working as an animal control officer this week having never seen a dog before in her life. I just don't think she is qualified to give this type of interview, even not knowing her background with dogs (she could have a background with them for all I know, but her interview made her sound as if she were making it up as she went along). Reporter: So how do you know which dogs are dangerous? How do you decide? Idjut: Well, if you have kids, you certainly want to avoid Pit Bulls. They have this strong prey drive thing going on and anyone with children would want to avoid that. Also, Huskies, Dalmatians, and (I think) Rottweilers can be really high strung. Then there are also toy breeds that don't get along well with children, and some terriers... Paraphrased there, of course. This buttwhistle bonehead basically seemed to be saying that if you have children, you don't need a dog. To watch the interview, she instantly jumped on the "people with kids don't need Pit Bulls..." thing and I think along the way, she realized it and tried to clean it up by basically saying Huskies, Dalmatians, toy dogs, and whatever's left aren't necessarily good with kids, either. I could have stomached it a lot better if she'd just said, "well, any dog can be dangerous..." instead of her little dog and pony trick before ultimately saying the same thing. I sure don't know why they don't have that covered on the website. Usually, their website is basically a duplicate of the televised reports.

He's doing great! He was pretty puny for a couple of days, but bounced right back. They won't have the chance to do that to me again. I've seen to it. Thanks for asking about him. Tammy, he got plenty of extra lovin's and huggin's. He's such a little attention whore. It's a wonder he doesn't fake sick to get the extra lovies.

I left last Friday for a weekend away in Atlanta, and my dogs always know what that packed bag means. PJ shot out of the house and jumped in the car waiting for the ride. He could not be coaxed out. My husband had to reach into the car and pick him up and carry him back into the house. Poor guy looked soooooooo betrayed. :P

You know, some of my dogs will react to a doorbell on tv. The weirdest thing about that is that we don't have a doorbell and never have. I can understand dogs reacting to it that know what it means. My dogs are just stoopit. :o

Poor PJ (in my siggy... current foster) was due for his shots, so since he will eventually be going to another home, possibly in another state, I wanted to be sure his vaccinations were up to date. I declined bordatella (will get that shortly before he leaves), but he got the combo parvo/distemper/whatever stuff and rabies. I had wanted to break them up, but apparently there was some misunderstanding in the office and they just did them all at once. He was sick all day and night. Jeez, I hated to see such a happy little lively guy feeling so bad. He ended up having another shot for the illness. In some ways, I'm so glad most of my own dogs are a good bit older. I won't ever have to worry about vaccine reactions with them again (I hope). Unless I ever need to board them, they won't be vaccinated again except rabies every three years as required by law. I also even "negotiated" my vet into accepting my dogs for boarding (if ever needed) with vaccines within three years rather than the yearly requirement he has now. It's better than nothing, I reckon. I don't even bother with bordatella for my own dogs. I had MORE cases of kennel cough in my dogs when they were vaccinated than I do without it. It was useless, IMO. Just a vent. I honestly felt like the vet should have eaten the cost of the shot to make PJ feel better because I told TWO people in the front office that I didn't want his vaccines done all at one time. PJ kind of scared me a little... poor guy was quite listless and couldn't even keep water down. :(

[quote name='Seijun'][quote]Anyway, though this isn't a debate about snakes (I was only pointing out one objection to ownership of non-native "exotic" animals), [/quote] If you read my very first post... [/quote] The quote about snakes had nothing to do with your wild cat and wolf ownership defense. I was answering someone who was seeking opinions on the ownership of other "exotic" animals like birds, reptiles and such. That's why my post said: [quote]Because someone asked... [/quote]

It's basically 17 pages of "because we like them, it's our right to own them" and "if you have dogs, anyone who likes them should be able to have lions and tigers and bears, oh my." Because someone asked 74829020394675 pages ago... speaking solely for myself, I do have a problem with keeping birds, reptiles, sugar gliders and such. I'm not on a mission to outlaw it, but I won't ever own them. I have goldfish, but those were "rescue," too. I do not believe a bird belongs in a cage... since someone asked. Down in south Florida, there is apparently an increasing problem with "exotic" snakes that are not native to the area escaping or being released. This is jeopardizing people as well as natural balance. I didn't realize it was as big a problem as it was, but I read an article about it recently and it's apparently a rapidly increasing threat. I wish I'd paid more attention since it was just kind of browsing thing, but if I happen to dig it up, I'll post it. Heck, wasn't Alan just saying earlier about how some deadly non-native snake turned up in Florida? Then there is the snake that swallowed a six foot gator (and exploded, but still the thing swallowed it). Anyway, though this isn't a debate about snakes (I was only pointing out one objection to ownership of non-native "exotic" animals), I believe owning "exotic" anythings is about more than a person's "right" to have them just because they think they're cool. Flip it any way you want to, but I still don't fall for that crap about comparing wolves to dogs and housecats (or horses) to tigers.

[quote name='Seijun'][b]Horsefeathers. Why do you have pets? Please tell me, I would love to know. I'm guessing it must be something for your survival. If you had pets just because you loved them, that would be selfish and wrong. Oh wait, if you used your pets for your survival, that would be using them for your benefit! How unjust! Lets join PETA and get ALL pets banned. :drinking: ~Seij[/b][/quote] I don't have any exotics or wildlife. What point are you trying to make? You can join PETA if you want to. Don't drag me into it. Since you asked, I have pets that are throw-aways. I didn't decide one day that I wanted animals in my life simply because they were a "novelty." That answer your question? You're barking up the way wrong tree if you're trying to suggest that I support any kind of commercial breeding practices, or that I obtain animals out of sheer "desire" for them. That's certainly not an objective viewpoint, the very thing you claim everyone else is lacking, that you have bolded there. It's nothing but dripping sarcasm. I am as objective as anyone, and all I still see is a big smokescreen and "if I can't have mine, you can't have yours, either!"

I don't give a rip about debating whether they can live happily in captivity, or whether their owners love them as much as the average dog owner loves their dog. I just can't get past people thinking it's their right "because we like them." If liking something is enough to declare it your right, then look out for groups like NAMBLA and other wackos to come forward declaring their "rights" because they like something. If it's illegal (and I believe it is in some places), then it's not a right just because you like it. I don't care how much time and money people spend on them trying to make sure they're "happy" and all that. When you say things like "because we like them and it's our right," I fully believe that makes it self serving which puts the owners' interests above those of the animals they "love." That is the very definition of selfish. I suppose if I develop a desire to own biological weapons, no government entity has a right to tell me I can't since "I like them." The rest of the entire defense is pointless to me since I believe the initial "right" to do it because "we like them" defense is crap. I follow the majority on this one, thinking wolf ownership should be illegal and that there is no good reason to own one. I do not consider "we like them" and "it's our right" good reasons.

Thanky, spanky! Tucker is set to start going on Monday. R2, I'm not really worried about him getting stressed. He was certified as a therapy dog and is about the most mellow, easy going dog there is. Strange situations and people, even ugly vet visits, don't bother him. I think he'll enjoy the attention even if it doesn't benefit him. Oh, and get this... the price? Ta da, it's a 2fer. He's not going to charge me for it since I'm such a frequent visitor ($). Here's hoping it helps!

Has it been that long already?? It just doesn't seem like it. :o

So you would feel threatened by dogs contained in a completely separate enclosure? These dogs were not running at large. :-? [quote]2 cop cars, 1 fire truck and 1 ambulance came[/quote] Out of ALL these people, no one had sense enough to realize that the dogs were completely contained after being told so repeatedly? I can respect the need to feel safe, but I consider this gross negligence and apathy. I feel these people are in the wrong line of work if they are that easily "threatened."

I like Mei-Mei's approach. I also sometimes like an unblinking, unamused, cold stare. I reckon sometimes people just think they're being funny, and stone cold silence with an unamused stare often makes them realize how stupid they just sounded. Imagine the awkward (for them) silence. With eleven dogs in my house right now, I've gone waaaaaaaaaay past Crazy Dog Lady. Nobody even bothers with wisecracks now. Hey, maybe that's the answer? Just keep acquiring dogs until no one is surprised. :P Yay for Sasha! :)

I'm going to find out. Maybe I'm being naive, but I really don't think he can (or would) do any more damage. The dog owner I saw today in the office swore by him. Everyone I've met that knows him swears he's a miracle worker, so I'm willing to give it a try. I know of a couple of people on another board that say they let their chiro adjust their dogs and they swear by it. I'm just wondering if it sounds like a really, really bad idea. This is the closest thing to Tucker ever being able to get chiro visits, so I may just give it a try. I'm going to see if I can find some of the other doggy owners that use him. I'm only going to assume that since they go regularly, they must like him. Tucker has an extensive collection of xrays and I know my vet would let me borrow them long enough for another doctor to have a look.

I know some people have their dogs seen by chiropractors (Newfie? Carol, maybe?). Are they canine chiropractors, or people chiros? I know it might sound like a stupid question to some, but I do know of people on other boards that say their chiros also treat their dogs, though I'm sure they're not actually trained for that (I'm just assuming). I found out today that my chiro actually does a little bit of canine adjusting! I've always wanted to have my Tucker Lab seen by a chiro, but I know of no canine chiros near me. I'm going to ask my chiro about it. My Tucker has some pretty extensive damage to his rear end and had FHO surgery on one hip a few years ago, but there is still some damage to his pelvis and one of his legs, and his back is visibly crooked. He is not a candidate for more surgery. Would you feel comfortable letting your human doctor try this? Apparently, he's doing several dogs. This doctor is also kind of big on holistic and natural medicine. I'm of the mindset that if it doesn't help, it won't hurt. At least, I don't think so. This doctor has been a miracle worker for me, and I'm hoping he can help Tucker get a little more relief. What do you think? Feasible? Stupid?

I think you have every right to be angry. I can understand that they didn't know the dogs and that they may have been leary, but with that many people standing around, it's just hard to imagine that there wasn't ONE person that had the gumption to do something after being told the dogs were contained and that it was safe. That just sucks. Since you now know how they are likley to respond, it might be best in the future to put the dogs in a bathroom or spare bedroom if you ever have to call them again. Even though I think they reacted poorly, especially with THAT many people involved, I'd hate to think of someone in your family having care delayed if some real emergency does come up where time is crucial. Sometimes you just have to make adjustments on your own end to account for the ignorant actions of others. I think I'm more outraged by the comments made by the cop than anything else. What a jerk! To act as if his gun is some sort of equalizer; shoot first and ask questions later, and be so blase about it, ESPECIALLY with kids present (whether your son saw it or not). Oh yeah, I'd complain. I hope the baby is ok.

Thanks, TDG. I really like the menadione article. I knew it wasn't a "good" thing, but I hadn't really seen a detailed analysis of it before. I wasn't sure if maybe I'd missed that article before, or if it was new. Thanks for the good work! :D

[quote name='leahluvsherpups']Fortunately I have some robitussen something or other, which is okay for the dogs. I filled the injector and medicated all of them earlier this eve. I just hate seeing them sick and to think I could have prevented this. :([/quote] Maybe not. There are so many strains of kennel cough which even my "vaccinate 'em no matter what" vet acknowledges. I never vaccinate my dogs for kennel cough, anymore, and I don't worry about where they go. A couple of mine will get it once or twice a year no matter what, and the rest of mine never do. That's whether they've had the vaccine or not. As a matter of fact, one of my dogs stopped getting kennel cough entirely after he stopped being vaccinated for it (not saying it CAUSED it... just that it certainly didn't help). Don't beat yourself up over it. I do the Robitussin thing, too, and they are usually as good as new within the week.

I prefer to attempt not to drown in the first place, but yeah, Newfs are cool.[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0ZwChAmQgu8rWpLbhXWCnAigPySZAD0roQhw8UFPTTgt*f*Yp9BYtpQ0ylY*D9vN051focjekP0HM70KiOx6a8Pv51vJ117YB3ZOPtgxW3cVJ!yegANKt3ws65*MMIBHjciBib7QIpUNVNrfZ7vRYXQ/smiley%20%20jig.gif?dc=4675542339372463382[/img]

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