Dogs and Children

Honey has a new friend.

Cathy AKA Catbird has two beautiful daughters: Jane and Elizabeth. Here is a picture of the two of them (Elizabeth on the left, Jane on the right) that is so cute it should be sold with picture frames. (Ridiculously enough, that is the highest compliment I can think of.)



Her eldest, Jane, has precociously learned there are photos on the computer: ones of her, her sister "Listabef," her mom and dad and now - Honey. Catbird introduced her to Honey showing her pictures of Honey's dogster friends, Honey's giant kite nemesis and, of course, pics of Honey, herself. And Jane responded in such a sweet, excited way you can't help but laugh.

It also reminded me of the natural bond animals and children seem to have. Even so, I am always surprised at how many children that don't know Honey come running right up to her - sometimes they are barely as tall as she is - sticking out their arms to pet her. When I see children headed for her I try to teach them saying "Always ask if a dog is friendly before you come close," and then tell them, yes, Honey is friendly but not all dogs are. I'm not sure how well that works. After one little boy very carefully asked me if he could pet her and I said yes he threw his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly, while out of nowhere five of his friends showed up and also engulfed her. But, Honey was unphased and basked in the attention--licking all who came close. She has always been this way. When she had puppies, she was completely trusting, letting anyone pick them up (which also probably means she was never up for the mother dog of the year award.) Honey has no problem with people.

That said - a lot of great dogs do get nervous around children (and adults.) The statistics are pretty astounding - around 50% of children are bitten by a dog before they are 12 years old. I have found a really nice on-line resource - Get Dog Smart - for teaching your child how to behave around dogs. I like how it tries to explain to the child that dogs can be unsure of what is going on so they might bite to protect themselves. It is nice to see a dog's point-of-view being presented in a very understanding way.

Meanwhile, there are all kinds of friendships being built online (including mine with Catbird) but I do think Honey and Jane's is the best story so far....
pit bulls, dog bites

Honey Looks Great

Honey is back at daycare after 16 weeks of rehab from her knee ligament operation. Unbelieveable. Four months. It was pretty amazing seeing her first day back. She just ran on the playground acting like she had never been away with lots of licks for her best friends. (How do dogs decide who their friends are? She hangs out the most with a bloodhound, pit bull and chocolate lab. Does that mean anything? And what happens if she sees other dogs that look like her friends? I know dogs can tell who's who by smell but what about when they are too far away to smell? Does one chocolate lab look like another?)

What's great is how good Honey is looking. And that's not just me saying that. Everyone has been commenting on it. Her fur is shiny and soft, she's fit, her eyes look clear, and, most important, of course - her walk is strong. (I have never watched a rear end as much - just trying to make sure each back leg is bearing equal weight.) She has never looked this good so I've been trying to figure out what it is.

She does eat a very high quality kibble. From what I've read, the raw diet aka BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) can be very good (and can also possibly cause phenomenal changes in your dog's health) but, there are certain kibbles that even BARF (hate that acronym) supporters say are a fairly good second choice. I have Honey on Artemis and I'm sure that's partially responsible but she's been on that for about nine months and the drastic difference has been fairly recent. For the last four months I have had her on a supplement that is used to help prevent arthritis and I don't know what all else. It's called Synovi-MSM and it contains glucosamine, Vitamin C and other things. I have to think it's been a help in finding her new dog beauty. So I just ordered three more containers. They are large liver-flavored chewables and I've looked at them a few times debating on trying them myself.
pit bulls
dog diet
dog supplements