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Jumat, 10 Juni 2016

A Dogs Bucket List

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By Keikei Cole, canine guest blogger

Its rough being a dog. We have to guard the home, keep the mailman and deliverymen on their toes, herd cats and pick up garbage. We wash windows, dig holes in the garden, exercise our hoomans, and try to keep them under control at all times. Its a hard job, but we do the best we can. On our down time, my furry siblings and I like to work on our bucket lists. Oh yes, we have lots of things we want to do, too! Here is my bucket list.

1. Visit the factory where they make all of those yummy CANIDAE TidNips™ and Snap-Bits™ dog treats. Id like be the chief “taste inspector” to make sure each package is up to the companys strict standard of quality and freshness.

2. Learn how to herd sheep. The word around the water bowl is that sheep are easier to manage than a bunch of cats. When I learn how to do that intimidating “Border Collie stare,” felines will have new respect for me!

3. Be the lead dog on a sled dog team with no particular place to go.

4. Go on a real scavenger hunt and roll in everything I find. It would be fun to set up a hunt in some exotic location to experience the local flavors I cant find in my area.

5. Take my human on a cross country trip to find all of the dog friendly motels and wide open spaces where I can run as far as I want. Within reason, anyway – I wouldnt want to lose my human or my ride home.

6. Have a heart-to-heart talk with the mailman and delivery guy, to explain that when I bark, snarl or chase them, its not personal, Im just doing my job.

7. Have a daily supply of pillows, preferably with feathers, to entertain myself when Im home alone. Humans have no idea how fun and relaxing it is to furiously shake a pillow until the feathers fly. It reminds me of falling snow. Besides, cleaning up the feathers is a good way for humans to get exercise, which they need to stay healthy in body and mind.

8. Sneak into a cat show, hide behind the curtain, and howl like a wolf.

9. Run alongside a herd of deer and pretend Im starved. Its no fun being trapped behind a fence while they stand and stare at me. I feel like Im in a zoo.

10. Roll around in all of the mud puddles I can find, right after my bath.

11. Go for a walk that lasts until Im ready to stop. It would be fun to camp out for a night and see what makes all of those strange noises and scents I detect when Im inside.

12. Have my own reality TV show so the world can see what I have to put up with on a daily basis. Humans can be extremely stubborn and difficult to train.

13. I want to have one day where my human lets me tell off, once and for all, the squirrel that hangs out on a tree branch over my pen, irritating me with his non-stop chattering. Squirrels can be so rude. Hes the one invading my space, after all.

14. Do a comprehensive investigative report to find out how and where that other doggie in the mirror goes. Inquiring dogs want to know.

15. Hire my own personal masseuse who has warm hands and knowledge of proper tummy and ear scratching techniques.

16. Become a famous canine photographer, renowned for my photos of humans doing silly, crazy and cute things.

17. Attend a major league baseball game to chase balls that get into the outfield. I hope the TV cameras catch my good side. Note to self – remember to wear the green collar with name, address and phone number on it. Dont want to spend too long in doggie jail after Im caught.

18. Crash a famous persons wedding. Swim in their pool, and when I get out, shake beside the cake. Then eat whipped cream, race around like Cujo, and jump up on the guests to say “Hi.”

19. Follow any interesting scent I want, no matter where it goes.

20. Audition for a movie role and do my best Lassie impression. Run up to someone, bark while bouncing up and down, turn and run two steps, stop, look back, bark again, take two more steps, stop, look back. Which means “Come quick, Timmys in trouble again.”

What’s on your dogs bucket list?

Read more articles by Linda Cole
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Senin, 16 Mei 2016

Mixing kids dogs a how to resource list

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Hi Mia, 

Friends for life is a wonderful way to describe growing from childhood to adulthood with a dog. For me, Arf was always around till a living, breathing dog came into my life, and you clearly thought dogs were the bomb from an early age! 

And speaking of childhood dogs, how awesome is the Childhood Dog Photo Challenge that you started over on Facebook? Were you expecting people to post photos of so many dogs and kids from all over the world!?

Mia and Star; Julie and Arf
Nowadays, I imagine you and I are in the same position: People contact us with questions when a new baby is on the way and Fido’s already in the house or someone’s adding a dog to a family that already includes a child.

When this happens, I get uber excited. You and I clearly have a similar passion -- sharing information and resources -- so when an inquiry like this comes in, I can imagine we both go into OVERDRIVE!

While dogs and kids seem to have "effortless" relationships with "unconditional love," I find myself reminding parents-to-be that there are a lot of nuances that can make or break the relationship (clearly, my relationship with Arf was highly successful and bidirectional). 

Theres so much to talk about when it comes to dogs and kids, and I tend to emphasize providing a dog with (1) a comfortable resting area and (2) space where a dog can choose to retreat from interactions. This is one of the main ideas I took away from my Masters program: there is a higher probability of good welfare and good interactions when animals have options and control. 

And I also pass out oodles of resources! Here are some resources pertaining to dogs and kids, including resources you shared with me from down under. Australia has great resources!


A Guide to Nurturing the Child and Pet Relationship from Pregnancy to Pre-school
The Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia, put out this information, and it covers a lot, such as Preparation, The First Six Months and Baby on the Move. The strength of this guide is it reminds parents that new challenges arise at different stages of a child’s development. A dog’s perception of a newborn can change radically once that bugger starts moving around and grabbing onto anything and everything.


This website even has a Pet Planner Checklist that helps new parents prepare their dog, their house and themselves for a new baby. The checklist asks questions like: 

  • Do you need to change their current feeding routine? 
  • Which areas are going to be pet free zones?
  • Can your pet be comfortable and relaxed spending short periods of time in a crate or confined space? 
  • When the baby comes, have you organized someone to exercise the dog?
(Source)

APSCA Guide To Kids and Pets
I particularly like the age-appropriate Activities for Kids and Pets as well as the section, How Kids Respond to Pets. As you point out, a toddler might think they are hugging another child when in fact, theyve smashed the child to the ground, and toddlers can make the same mistake with dogs. Sometimes I think adults also have difficulty seeing their behavior for what it is and how it affects companion animals.


Family Paws

Family Paws is the parent organization of two international programs: Dogs & Storks and the Dog and Baby Connection. They offer programs for new and expecting families to support happy interactions among babies, toddlers and family dogs.
 

Their goal: “increase the safety of children and the success of dogs in homes with children. Decrease the number of dogs surrendered to shelters due to easily preventable behavioral problems and common conflicts.”
 
They offer trainer-run programs, DVDs and of course, a newsletter!


Animal Behavior Associates: Dog, Baby and Kid Resources

Dr. Suzanne Hetts and Dr. Dan Estep run Animal Behavior Associates. Both are Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists. They offer videos and DVDs for smooth interactions between dogs, babies and kids.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Are there other resources that anyones particularly fond of when it comes to dog, kids and babies?

Bye for now!

Julie

© Julie Hecht 2012
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