Travels with Honey

I'm kind of bad at this now

2007-09-02T20:55:00.002-07:00

You get out of the habit, and it's very hard to get back. And then, you see something you want to share....

I do want to share this encounter with a polar bear and a husky. It's kind of great.

The pictures are by a photographer - Norbert Rosing and his photos are just beautiful.

Jessica

2007-08-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Funny how some people have no idea how to treat dogs (see post about Michael Vick) and then there's others who show how wonderful a bond between mankind and the animal kingdom can be...

Now, these are my peeps :)

Jessica, the Hippo

Dog Breeds

2007-08-07T20:17:00.001-07:00

It's interesting how people get attached to different breeds of dogs. I suppose there are many reasons for it - some of them good, solid reasons (the right temperament for the owner, kid friendly), some of them - not so much (wanting the same dog as Paris Hilton, comes to mind).

I have a friend who loves Irish Wolfhounds - in fact, I have two friends who love Irish Wolfhounds but, right now I'm talking about MC who just got a puppy. A puppy that is 105 pounds at a little over six months old.This is a picture of Hudson at four months when he only weighed 53 pounds.

Because they are a rarer breed (unlike some, ahem, other dogs we could name if they weren't sitting next to us), MC drove a round trip total of 1200 miles - solo - to pick up a male pup. The breeder put the four male pups of the litter into an enclosed area and asked MC "If you were able to pick from these four, which one would it be?" She said they were all so cute...running around, playing with sticks, an old carpet, jumping on each other, chasing each other and then one stopped, turned around, looked her right in the eyes and she fell in love...and named him Hudson.

Michael Vick

2007-08-01T22:18:00.001-07:00

I haven't written in so long - working full time, moved, non-profit work, writing a book, etc., but - Michael Vick has made me feel like I have to do what little I can to stand up for pits.

The best I can do right now is point you to some of the pit bull sites Honey and I like and see how they have been responding:

Smilin' Pit Bull Rescue (www.spbr.org) has a page where they link to the Humane Society of the United States's petition against Vick, some very nice T-shirts and great photos throughout the site, as always (like the photo below).

Jigga and Venus (very cute pups!) mention some Cafe Press stuff you can buy to show your anti-Vick stance.

The Poodle and dog blog have a good Michael Vick cartoon (and lots of other weird, funny, unusual, interesting dog news.)

And, then, of course, this has also meant discovering a new site. KC Dog Blog has a great round-up of articles.

A lot going on but no time to blog

2007-04-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Right now so - some animal things people have sent me lately:

a cat with a bus route

a hamster eating broccoli

Pit Bulls being trained as Narcotic Search Dogs
I never thought about how the Police force imports dogs from Germany (at a lot of expense) to be drug search dogs and Law Dogs USA encourages them to use rescued pit bulls instead - very hopeful!

A couple of dog jokes that make me think I know what Honey's up to when I'm not around:

And finally, one of the latest PIN (pets in need) dogs on OSLF - the Orthodogs Silver Lining Foundation where I try to volunteer as often as possible.
This is the cutest Shar-Pei named Shiloh who had to have a leg amputated because of owner neglect. Sad but he was rescued and things are now looking bright for the sweet little pup and tripod dogs get around really well. This picture was sent after Shiloh receiving a boxful of dog goodies from the OSLF founders. Gotta love that face!

Canine Good Citizen

2007-03-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

From the American Kennel Club

CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community.

Test 1: Accepting a Friendly Stranger

This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation. The evaluator and handler shake hands and exchange pleasantries. The dog must show no sign of resentment or shyness and must not break position or try to go to the evaluator.

Test 2: Sitting Politely for Petting

This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler. While the dog is sitting at the handler's side, the evaluator pets the dog on head and body only, then circles the dog and handler, completing the test. The dog must not show shyness or resentment.

Test 3: Appearance and Grooming

This practical test demonstrates that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit a stranger, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so. It also demonstrates the owner's care, concern and responsibility. The evaluator inspects the dog, then combs or brushes the dog and lightly examines the ears and each front foot.

Test 4: Out for a Walk (Walking on a loose leash)

This test demonstrates that the handler is in control of the dog. The dog may be on either side of the handler, whichever the handler prefers. There must be a left turn, a right turn and an about turn, with at least one stop in between and another at the end. The dog need not be perfectly aligned with the handler and need not sit when the handler stops.

Test 5: Walking Through a Crowd

This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places. The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three). The dog may show some interest in the strangers, without appearing over exuberant, shy or resentful. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the dog throughout the test. The dog should not be straining at the leash.

Test 6: Sit and Down on Command/Staying in Place

This test demonstrates that the dog has training, will respond to the handler's command to sit and down and will remain in place commanded by the handler (sit or down position, whichever the handler prefers). The handler may take a reasonable amount of time and use more than one command to make the dog sit and then down. When instructed by the evaluator, the handler tells the dog to stay and walks forward the length of a 20-foot line. The dog must remain in place, but may change positions.

Test 7: Coming When Called

This test demonstrates that the dog will come when called by the handler. The Handler will walk 10 feet from the dog, turn to face the dog, and will call the dog. The handler may use body language and encouragement to get the dog to come. handlers may choose to tell dogs to "stay" or "wait" or they may simply walk away, giving no instructions to the dog as the evaluator provides mild distractions (e.g. petting).

Test 8: Reaction to Another Dog

This test demonstrates that the dog can behave politely around other dogs. Two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 10 yards, stop, shake hands and exchange pleasantries, and continue on for about 5 yards. The dogs should show no more than a casual interest in each other.

Test 9: Reactions to Distractions

This test demonstrates that the dog is confident at all times when faced with common distracting situations, such as the dropping of a large book or a jogger running in front of the dog. The dog may express a natural interest and curiosity and may appear slightly startled, but should not panic, try to run away, show aggressiveness or bark.
(To test this, a woman walked up to Honey who was lying down and abruptly opened an umbrella in her face. Honey literally did a back flip and came up with a very startled look on her face like "what was THAT?"- then she went over and sniffed it so she passed this with flying colors after everyone stopped laughing. I wish I had had it on tape...)

Test 10: Supervised Separation

This test demonstrates that a dog can be left alone, if necessary, and will maintain its training and good manners. Evaluators are encourage to say something like, "Would you like me to watch your dog?" and a person will hold the leash of the dog. The dog will be held for three minutes and does not have to stay in position, but should not continually bark, whine, howl, pace unnecessarily or show anything other than mild agitation or nervousness.

Honey - Canine Good Citizen/March 2007 :)

Dog Anniversary?

2007-03-06T01:09:00.000-08:00

Honey moved in two years ago. I don't know what to call that? An anniversary? I know people who don't like when owners use human terms when they talk about their pets. (If you call yourself the "mom" of your dog, or call your dog your "baby" or "child," etc.) But, our language doesn't have any specialized terms for the bond that people and animals do have. Maybe that's just the English language. Maybe there are some cultures that evolved with animals so integral to their lifestyle, they have many specialized words for them --- the way Alaskans are supposed to have many words for different kinds of "snow."

Honey was at a rescue kennel and they had just taken away all her pups because they were getting sick. The pups were three and 1/2 weeks old and, somehow, had gone through their vet check-ups without ever getting de-wormed (look into de-worming any pups from a street dog at two weeks - something I very sadly learned after the fact.)

Poor Honey was pacing her area, upset and confused to have her puppies suddenly disappear. She had been a very good mom - always letting them nurse (even though her hairless belly was completely scratched up by their claws and teeth), keeping them clean and cleaning up their sleeping area, and, well, just looking after them.

I had never planned on keeping Honey - I'd already found a very reputable rescuer who said she would place her - a minor miracle for a pitbull. (The pups were to be placed by the rescue kennel and the rescuer - they said puppies were easier to place but they needed to make sure they would be going to a good family environment.) Me? I had recently moved and was starting to tentatively think about getting a small dog. I wanted one that would fit under an airplane seat if necessary - that way my traveling lifestyle wouldn't be cramped. No more than 20 pounds so I could easily carry it if it hurt itself. Another important point: I would have to move if I got a larger dog. So the quote that comes to mind is something about Man plans and God laughs....

I took Honey home with me and did everything I could to distract her. It was a sad time and we found out only one of the eight pups she had had lived. (His name is Mo, he's a brindle and he lives with a Beagle somewhere in LA.)

So, I did move and it wasn't bad because I had a great companion with me ready to make friends with anyone that came our way. Honey seems to have forgotten about her pups although she does tend to mother some puppies when she sees them - or maybe she just plain tries to boss young dogs around...

Tonight, she's lying next to my bed snoring away, oblivious to everything but some exciting dreams (the gophers we saw in the park today?) I gave her an extra walk today and let her spend as much time on those gophers as she wanted. She got some extra treats, too. I wanted to celebrate the dogversary.

More Shopping for Dogs

2007-02-09T01:04:00.000-08:00

I've written a couple of posts in the past about dog purchases I might make for Honey. In the comments, I've gotten some very helpful shopping tips. On the post about collars, someone pointed me to Collarmania that has collars I just LOVE. I will be getting one at some point when I can decide. This is especially difficult since you can have one custom made. Out of the readymades, I think this one is pretty great...

I also got a great tip from the post about a dog jacket for Honey: fidofleece.com! Check it out - all their stuff is great.

Knowing Honey's girlie personality, this is the jacket that was pointed out:

and get this: It has a matching bed!

Unbelieveably cute. A lot more thought (yes, and money) will have to go into this purchase.

It's funny - I can't remember the last time I was as excited about something I could buy myself to wear....

pitbull, pit bull

Rescue Dog Report Card

2007-02-06T01:03:00.000-08:00

I received a very special email today. Amy, a fellow OSLF volunteer, and her boyfriend Matt adopted a new dog (they already owned Lola) from a rescuer last year.

Roxanne was the most fearful dog the rescuer had ever seen. No one knew what happened during Roxanne's previous life - whether she had been abused or neglected or what. Whatever it was, Amy and Matt faced a lot of challenges helping Roxanne adjust and everyone knew it wasn't easy.

But, here's Amy's recent update that I wanted to shared:

********************************

It's been about eight months since Roxanne first came to our home. The first time I met her at Sue's house, she hid in the farthest possible corner of the yard, under some bushes. Although she was obviously terrified of us, we took her home. Her first new experience was to go for a walk around the neighborhood. We don't know if she had ever been on a real walk before. Every time something scary happened - a person coming down the street toward us, or a car door closing -- Roxanne would cringe and try to run away, perhaps to hide under the nearest car parked on the side of the street. The first week, she would pee only once a day, and only if you took her to the right spot. She would only poop every 2-3 days. She only wanted to stay in her crate, plastered against the back. To get her out for walks, I had to crawl into the crate and drag her out, and she fought me the entire time. Roxanne would not eat or drink if anyone was in the same room as she was - she liked to eat alone at night. She loved seeing other dogs at the park, but she seemed to not know how to run, or even play. When entering the house, she would always run into her crate. If she was in the yard and a person entered, she would run to find a small hiding space.

Slowly but surely, over the months, she blossomed. First, she would exit her crate voluntarily if she knew we were going for a walk. Then, she finally began pooping every day (what a relief for both of us!), and peeing twice per day. After a few months, she would eat if someone was in the same room, but only if you weren't near her or looking at her. During this time, we gave her a routine and expectations. She wouldn't take treats from our hands, but she learned how to sit, lay down, and come to her name. And she learned how to play with other dogs, and she even learned how to run.

Every week or two we would notice something new that Roxanne had accomplished. After a few months, she would sit in the center of a room, rather than only in the far corner plastered against the wall. She would let me rub her tummy for the first time. Until a couple of months ago, she would still only drink at night when everyone was sleeping. Within the last two months, she started drinking if we were at home during the day, and then within the last month she started drinking if we were in the same room! (As long as we weren't too close or looking at her - of course). She has become a world class runner and jumper (which we learned when we realized she enjoyed jumping over our fence), and class clown.

In the last month, Roxanne has made even more dramatic progress. A few weeks ago she actually started running to the front door to greet me when I come home. We have had guests at our house, and she actually comes up to the them to sniff and say hello. After about 6 months of training, she will now shake hands with me. And this morning she actually drank out of a bowl of water that I was holding in my hands. She is turning into a real dog. It is a joy to see, and it is especially gratifying because she and Lola are enjoying each other's company like real buddies - wrestling, tugging, and chasing each other. I expect that the next few months will bring additional progress, and so Roxanne gets:

Effort: A
Improvement: A+
Plays well with others: A-
Comprehension: B+
Obedience: B- (those darn squirrels are so distracting)
Phys Ed: A+

The power of love and compassion is never so striking as when you see it first hand.

Amy

**********************************
(left to right) Roxanne, Amy and Lola in the snow:

pitbull, pit bull

Possum TV

2007-01-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Honey does not understand my interest in my laptop. I don't know what she thinks I'm doing when I sit there working. She'll lie down next to me for a while trying to figure it out. Sometimes she'll go get a toy and throw it around trying to encourage me to join in some real play. She seems concerned that I don't know how to entertain myself. There I am tapping on this object for an hour and I still haven't worked out a spot to chew on or initiated any kind of a chase.

But, Honey found her own entertainment this week: Possum TV.

One of Honey's two cat roommates, Samantha, prefers to eat outside. There is a sliding glass door onto a deck where she likes to be fed. I have always encouraged Honey to ignore the deck - my feeling is Samantha is looking for a little quiet time and privacy and doesn't need a pitbull looking through the glass as she enjoys her meal. And Honey complied until three nights ago.

Samantha didn't finish her dinner and I forgot to bring it in. About an hour later there was a clatter on the deck that sounded like maybe Chester (the other cat) or Samantha had become quite aggressive with the food bowl. A quick look out the window and there was just enough light streaming out on the dark deck to see - you guessed it - an opossum.

Honey was fascinated. First she stood stockstill with one front paw in the air doing her imitation of a pointer (she does this sometimes - seems very ladylike.) Then, she paced the sliding glass door trying to get out. When she realized that wasn't going to happen, she settled down on the floor looking out and starting making strange little noises. I'm not sure if she was trash-talking the possum or was trading some animal small talk ("So whose cat are you, anyway, and are you concerned with your loss of tail fur?") Whatever it was, she was content to lie there watching it and she lay there long after the possum had gone - obviously hopeful it would come back and grab something for the road.

The next night, Honey was lying on her bed when, all of a sudden, she jumped up and headed for the sliding glass door again and - sure enough. The possum was back in all its white-faced, mottled-furred glory. I cracked the door open quickly (to Honey's excitement -- with some encouragement to open it wider) and threw out some cat kibble. The possum backed off for a little bit and then slowly, it started to sniff out the food and then started nibbling it up, carefully inspected the deck for every last bit.

I got on the computer later that night to find out if I was doing something really stupid - starting an expectation with an animal (and possible pest) I'd have a hard time getting rid of later. Well, I found out opossums are great animals! They are very clean - groom themselves like cats do, they are not rabies carriers since their blood temperature is too low, they are considered nature's sanitation engineers and a friend to gardeners because they clean up bugs (including cockroaches), mice, rats, snails, slugs, rotten fruit and any animal carrion, and they are North America's only marsupial (and not related to rats no matter what their tails look like), carrying their young in a pouch until the baby opossums are old enough to climb out and ride on their back.

So, the next night I put out chopped almonds, some old apple slices, water and a little more catfood. Honey, once again, watched the possum food chewing and waddling about with enthusiasm wouldn't leave until long after the last encore.

It's about an hour later tonight and no possum yet. Both Honey and I have checked a few times. I hope it comes. I'm thinking I can start setting up the laptop near the view of the deck, writing emails, reading blogs and watching Honey's show at the same time.

pitbull, pit bull

Pitbulls I don't know

2007-01-16T01:16:00.000-08:00

I grabbed this shot the other day and I feel terrible because I can't credit it - I don't remember where I found it. I do want to put it up anyway because it's one I love. The little girl is adorable but it's her two goofy pals that make me laugh.

**********
I'm off to a slow start posting this year but...Honey and I have been watching some movies together so I thought we could do some reviews together....and, that's my trailer for the next post.

pitbull, pit bull

Pit Bull in Disguise

2007-01-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

When it's cold out -- relatively speaking, of course, but it does get down into the mid 30's -- Honey likes to have a sweater or jacket on when she goes out. How do I know? Because she will literally turn around and come back in until I put something on her. You have to remember, pits are very short haired (very little shedding problem, too - can we put that in the many plus columns of pits as good dogs to own?) and they have almost no fur on their bellies - at least Honey doesn't. (You can see this in the new picture I have for the profile. That's Honey and Heather, one of her many day care helper pals. You can also see Honey's spay/tummy tuck scar in the picture.)

I mentioned the sweater I would like to get her in a previous Christmas post but, it's a little pricey and I have recently made the discovery that Old Navy, a store with some very cute and cheap clothes for people, has cute and cheap clothes for dogs. Although I am too late to find her size in the elegant herringbone
or the spacesuit-like chevron style (my personal favorite),
I think she will happy in a rugby shirt or even the fisherman-knit sweater.

Another reason I like to put Honey in clothes? People are more open. If Honey and I are coming up to people on a walking path and Honey is kind of pulling toward them to say hi, I always say she's friendly as I guide her away. When she is walking around in just her normal fur suit, people will say things like "Are you sure?" or "Glad you told me, I was nervous." The best we can hope for is if they've had pits, they'll say something like "I know - they get a bad rap, don't they?" But, when she's in clothes, my experience has been that people won't move away at all. In fact, they will often say "That's fine - I have a couple (or one) of my own." At first I thought they meant pits and I thought it was unusual so many people had them but then I realized they meant they had DOGS. They were just referring to Honey as a regular old dog. It's great. Clothes make the dog, too.

pitbull, pit bull, dog

Norton Simon Museum and New Year's Dog

2006-12-29T21:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas can be a bittersweet holiday for me - the loss of close family members becomes too obvious. But, gotta say, Honey and I have really had a wonderful time. No moping allowed around a dog - especially Honey. She has seen me cry a couple of times and has shown absolutely none of that loving, comforting attitude I've heard other pets exhibit. She kind of looks away at first, a little embarrassed and uncomfortable is how I read it, then, with what I can only feel is her equivalent of toe-tapping, she'll sit and stare at me waiting for the whole thing to blow over. It really takes a lot out of the there-is-so-much-tragedy-in-life moment when you end up in a staring contest with a dog.

We did a lot of our favorite things. We did have to split up since hers were along the lines of running after dogs, rolling around, jumping in and out of a wading pool and lots of face licking and I was leaning more towards seeing a photography exhibit, strolling a street of small boutiques and bookstores and having a Ghirardelli hot fudge sundae. (Okay - she would've been up for the ice cream but I wasn't about to share.)

I dropped Honey off for a day of dog fun at Bow Wow Bungalow and went on to meet my friend Kiki in Pasadena - her hometown. There's so much to do there and I always have fun including going on tours of the amazing Greene and Greene houses, going to the Huntington Library and Descanso Gardens and, of course, the Norton Simon museum.

The Norton Simon is the perfect part-day sized museum. It's small but many world-class painters and sculptors are well represented. Also, the building is one of those it just feels good to be in and there are some very prettily landscaped outside areas to wander around in.

I hadn't been to a photography exhibit for a while and this one was interesting because it had work by the classic great photographers - Weston, Adams, Kertesz - along with quirkier, more recent ones. This exhibit also included a photograph I couldn't stop looking at because it was so beautiful: Magnolia Blossom by Imogen Cunningham.

Then, Kiki and I wandered around the permanent collection making many astute art comments like "was it the style to only expose the right breast when dressing up?" (sorry - that's the only one I can remember) when we came on a painting of someone's dog.

Aldrovandi Dog is described as a painting that "was likely hung fairly high in a large room or salon where the animal would appear to tower over the viewer."

How great is that? Even back in 1625, people had strong bonds with their pets and were boring people with their latest pictures of them.

********************************

It's been a whole year of traveling with Honey and, although she's done her best to bankrupt me, forced me to move - twice, cramped my work life with her rehab needs which lowered my tax bracket substantially and, finally, helped end an interesting relationship (okay, probably not a bad thing) --- gotta say, she's absolutely the best.

Honey and I wish everyone the best new year with many happy travels and even better non-travels.

pitbull, pit bull, dog

Christmas Dog Tag

2006-12-22T22:41:00.000-08:00

I'm very late on this - just haven't been able to blog with all that's going on before Christmas but....here we go...

Rules:
The player of this game starts with "3 things he/she would love to get for Christmas" and "3 things he/she definitely does not want to get for Christmas". Then he/she tags 5 dog friends and lists their names.

The ones who get tagged need to write on their blogs their Christmas wishes, as well as state this rule clearly, then tag 5 more victims. And the one who tags needs to leave a comment that says "you've been Christmas tagged!" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Okay --- 3 things Honey would love to get. Thinking like Honey --- something she's been trying to get me to do for ages - she stares at me, trying to hypnotize me into doing her bidding - which I think often involves opening the refrigerator door to get out some cheese, bringing me to:
1) a big block of cheese cut into squares hidden all around the house - the better to enjoy because each morsel has been discovered.
2) a group of people paying devoted attention to her - saying her name, rubbing her belly, letting her lick their necks and/or feet. I first discovered Honey's love of a crowd on the sad occasion of my friend's father's memorial. I picked up Honey after the church service and brought her to my friend's house (with permission) saying I would stay in their back yard - I wasn't intending to be there very long anyway. Honey and I sat in the back with a few other people (mainly ones who wanted to smoke) when my friend's son came out and started visiting with Honey and saying he wanted to go get his brother and show him Honey's trick repertoire. He wanted to take Honey with him to find his brother so I said he just shouldn't take her in the house - take her up to the door and have him come out (all out of respect for my friend's house). I said I would wait for them to come back out....so I chatted with some second cousins three times removed (I'm making that up but I had no idea who these people were) and I waited and waited. Finally, I got up to see what was up. While I was ostracized in the back because of Honey, she had been enjoying herself in the living room. When I came in she was literally in the center of a circle of people, on her back stretched out with my friend's two sons sitting down on either side. She was having a blast at that memorial.
3) And, if I'm reading Honey's mind right, I'm sure she wants this.

I know cold is relative but, gotta, say, it's relatively very cold here - has gotten down to 36 degrees and for a short-haired/no-haired dog like a pit, it can be very chilly. Unfortunately for her, I think I'm going to try and knit her something instead. It will be my first knitting attempt in ages so it should be pretty amusing.

Three things Honey does NOT want:
1) To be left home alone.
2) To have to go through another TPLO (fresh in mind since it was this time last year her limp drove us to the vet to finally get operated on January 6 - followed by four months of limited play)
3) A bath and....maybe a handknit sweater.

Okay ---- I will tag Jan and the Poodle and Dog Blog, Cara and the DogNabbit Blog. I was going to tag Carina but I just noticed she was already tagged but not to speak for her dogs...for herself. Hey - if I'd known we could do that I would've had a completely different list....but it would've been hard to keep it to three...:)

Animal Family Photos

2006-12-11T12:32:00.001-08:00

I love animal families. It's amazing and just so incredibly sweet how they bond together.

Right now Honey is an only pup. She has cat cousins that sometimes give her the time of day. She has also played mother to two young Rhodesian Ridgeback-mix neighbors (and sisters), Melon and Lucy. They are now taller than she is but still acknowledge her greater knowledge of the world and, probably, her greater weight (I have to cut back on the treats...) For now, that works for everyone and Honey is very happy with her extended family.

I do have some pics that people have sent of their pets. I'd love to see more if anyone has some.

This is Brody's family: Ripley the cat and Pip - the tall, thoughtful one. They are all apparently sunbathers...

I love this pic of Luca and his new foster sister, Trudy. I think what kills me are the stuffed toys they each brought to bed before they crashed.

And here's one of two inseparable brothers - Streak and Flurry - enjoying the view.

Pitbull Photo

2006-12-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite picture of Honey. I like the whole picture - I think its odd perspective is very cute. But, what really makes me laugh is the pose - how Honey casually has her paw draped across the daycare assistant's legs. The world-weary party girl attitude is accentuated by her bleary eyes. Honey seems to be giving Paris Hilton a run for her money here.

I wonder if Paris has vacations like Honey: Chowing down on the I'm-a-spoiled-pet (and normally-forbidden) canned dog food with names like Grammy's Pot Pie and Cowboy Cookout; late night prowling as bark back-up for a canine friend's midnight howls; intense, unblinking daily squirrel watching; hours of Greco-Roman wrestling with an especially skilled Golden Retriever challenger and the ever-popular toy stealing and bone burying. Paris probably has a different idea of a vacation but I have no doubts who has more fun.

pitbull, pit bull

Non-profit for Dogs and the Story of Finnegan

2006-11-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned this organization in another post, but, whenever I can, I try to do work for Orthodogs Silver Lining Foundation (OSLF). It's all-volunteer, internet-based and it's a 501(c)(3)non-profit (in other words, donations are tax-deductible). They help rescues and service and companion dog-owners get funding for canine orthopedic medical care. They will also help service dogs get other essential medical funds.

There is a holiday matching fund donation up right now for $2500 so, if you have a small amount you want to donate, now is a great time since it will be doubled!! If you have a little more money, there are a couple of nice OSLF offers with donations for $25 and then $50+ range.

I would like to mention a few of the reasons I love to work with OSLF:
- All the money goes to the dogs - being all volunteer and internet makes so much more possible
- We get to help some wonderful animal rescues when dogs in their care need surgery
- The OSLF board is painstaking in getting a thorough background on all applicants (this, of course, is more about people problems than anything about the pups)
- Although, our emails are usually business related, it's always obvious how much everyone cares about the animals we're helping. There was an off-topic email yesterday - that involved animals - and the responses to it made me feel quite at home. When an OSLF volunteer shared these pictures and story you might have already seen:

A baby squirrel was rescued by a woman (Debby Cantlon) who named it Finnegan.

Finnegan was adopted by Cantlon's pregnant Papillon, Mademoiselle Giselle.

When the pups were born, the squirrel basically became part of the litter.

We all commented. I like the fact I wasn't the only one who was worried about what happened to the squirrel (I looked it up - it lives happily in the wild with other squirrels). I like that someone in the group had always wanted a pet squirrel - and it wasn't me...(although - after seeing these pictures....) Separate from that, I also like that dogs and squirrels can live in harmony - to me, after some of the dogs I've known, that's equal to the lion and the lamb....

non-profit, dogs

If A Pitbull Were a Flower

2006-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

I think it'd be a Gerbera Daisy

They come in a huge variety of colors, they are physically great representations of their species, they are simple looking and yet they are very beautiful.

Then I started thinking about other dogs:
Golden Retriever - Daffodil
Great Dane - Gladiola
Australian Shepherd - Orchid
Poodle - Rose
Rottweiler - Sunflower
Mastiff - Hydrangea
Chihuahua - Crocus
Dachshund - Snapdragon

I'm working on tulips and peonies. Let me know if you have any ideas.

pitbull, pit bull

Pit Bull Conversation

2006-11-09T00:19:00.000-08:00

Honey and I went to Jamba Juice which means I go in and Honey sits outside where I can watch her through the plate glass window. She's really very good, patiently waiting in a sit or down stay for however long it takes. A young girl (16-ish?) asked me if Honey was mine.
-"Yes - that's Honey."
She said "She's really pretty and she's very good."
- "Thank you. She's a great dog."
"I like her coloring - I like it better than when the nose is black."
- "I think she's called a red-nosed pit."
"Oh, that figures I'd like that," the girl said and kind of pointed to her hair. "Of course, I like red things."
I realized then her hair was red. "Yes - that makes sense."

Then, I started to give some of my pit bull ambassador speech. Great dogs, etc.

The girl said to me
"When I was young, they used to say such bad things about pit bulls. But now everyone has one and then you find out that it never was the dogs - it's the owner."

I love that she talked about when she was young as if looking way far back. I love that she thinks everyone has a pit bull. I love that, in her world, the misunderstanding with pit bulls is over.

(Picture of red-nosed pit is from Missouri Pitbull Rescue that I just discoverd. Missouri has a horrible time with puppy mills, bad owners, animal cruelty and these people are doing a fantastic job. The information on their site about pits is some of the best I've read.)

pitbull, pit bull

If You Want to Paint Your Dog's Toenails

2006-11-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

If you have friends over on a really relaxed Sunday afternoon, and you decide you want to soften the deceivingly-tough look of a pit bull and everyone convinces you painting her toenails is a good way to do it? You will need to use a fast-drying nail polish like Revlon's Super Top Speed or the dog will smear it all over her coat and pick up dirt and grass in the bargain.

Just saying....

No more pets in costumes

2006-10-29T09:35:00.000-08:00

After this, I promise.

I actually have shown restraint because there are so many photos out there. That said - I can't explain why I picked the few I did....I guess I was looking for ones where the pup looks like somewhat of a willing participant.

Which brings us to:

A pumpkin-cuteness rival for Honey with half a jack-o-lantern smile.

Here we have some couples that have obviously put a lot of thought into costumes that work together...

Gotta love that smile....

I think this pup has come into his/her own in this costume. The expression seems to say: I'm going to own that cat next door!

And again, my favorite is the group shot. Tell me these dogs don't look jaunty and rakish and every other old-fashioned word that says "Lock up your dog biscuit cabinet...."

pitbull, pit bull

Are Dogs Like Their Owners? Or, Can A Pit Bull Catch ADD

2006-10-22T00:44:00.000-07:00

People talk about how much dogs look like their owners and I believe there is a lot of truth in that. This is not true of Honey and me. Right off the top, my hair is dark and not in a buzz cut, she is a short-haired honey blonde. Often, when dogs look like their owners, there is similarity in hair color and/or style. There was an ad campaign that showed that:

(more pics here )

There was even a study done to see if similarities between dogs and owners could be proved. It seems like there is some truth to it - IF - the dog is a purebred, implying the owner chose the look of the breed specifically; that dog owners wanted to hang out with a familiar looking creature. (Because there wasn't any proof owners looked like their mutts and, it also didn't matter how long the owner had had the dog, it didn't follow they grew to look the same.)

I do believe it's true since I see it myself (lots of times, to my own internal amusement) on the street. I have also seen it in friends. One of my friends is a 5'1" brunette with a dark red-highlighted shag. She and her husband looked all over for their Cairn Terrier (Toto/Wizard of Oz dog), Marley, whose dark-coat got dark red highlights when she had been out in the sun a while. What I find cute is my friend's 6'2" husband is the one that wanted the small, dark-haired dog. No long-legged golden retriever for him...

But, that's not really what I'm talking about. I sometimes see nervous owners with nervous dogs, stand-offish people with stand-offish dogs, pushy people with pushy pups, etc. Are personality traits contagious? Do dogs pick up on what you're going through?

I'm thinking about this because, when I went to pick up Honey at daycare, I asked how she did. Of course, he said "great" - I think they have to say that - but, then he added something. He said she moved from dog to dog, playing with one for a while, then would get interested in a toy, then would run over to another dog. He said she seemed to have some kind of doggie ADD that day. Since I had spent my day unable to work on any of my projects for any length of time before I had to make a phone call, or get lunch, or make a note about something else, ya gotta wonder...

pitbull, pit bull

Kaneda - a very good dog

2006-10-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

I received a eulogy today for my friends' dog, Kaneda. I thought I would post it here in honor of Kaneda. I met him quite a while ago - pre-Honey - and thought he was a wonderful pup and that this was a very fitting tribute.

**********************

Dear Friends:

Our faithful friend Kaneda “K-dog”, age 10, died this morning at about 8am.

Born on a ranch, he was a mixed breed Anatolian Shepard and Black Lab. Beloved by many as a 115-pound lap dog, Kaneda excelled at lying down, begging/swiping food, short walks, escaping for excellent adventures, charming the dog catcher or neighbors when out and ferociously protecting his pack from squirrels and Grant Road traffic. Known for a deep baritone bark that would startle mailmen and wake babies without fail, he will be remembered for his soulful brown eyes and a calm demeanor befitting a buddhist.

Kaneda, named for a Japanese superhero (but often confused for our northern neighbor), was J.’s companion almost before D., and their friendship marks J.’s tenure in California. Smarter than the average dog and able to break out of any confine, Kaneda was a great friend to J., and when home was always at his owner’s side or underfoot.

Kaneda began his career at 3dfx, sleeping during meetings and joining the engineers on their sunshine/smoking breaks. After 3dfx, he decided to be a stay-at-home dog, a well timed move to support the growing pack that is the T. family. He faithfully stood by as babies were born, redefining his role from first fur-child to protector of the boys. He was a wonderful and loving dog with all, but especially tolerant of children, often being used as a pony, stepstool or a furry couch and was always a great petting attraction at the park. Knowing his limitations he couldn’t be bothered with fetch, but was always good for “sit” -- but only for a treat or a bellyrub.

He will be missed by his loving friends Max, Ruby, Champ, Dart, Henry, Nala, Oscar, Amber, Parker and Nellie.

Kaneda is survived by his parents J. and D., his kanine brother Akira, and human brothers G., M. and A.

In lieu of flowers, please send any funny or kind remembrances of Kaneda to J. — We know he touched many of your lives and J. would really appreciate the thoughts at this time.

******************

He was a lucky pup. The T. Family were lucky pet owners. We'd all be lucky if that's how our lives were - the better for being intertwined.

Pitbull Pumpkin Worth A Thousand Words

2006-10-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

pitbull, pit bull

Dog Costumes

2006-10-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

A few friends have sent me an email with dogs in costumes. I don't know if everyone has seen these shots but, if nothing else, this shows how inventive people can be and how unbelieveably patient our dogs are with us. I do not know where the photos came from so my apologies to anyone if I've usurped their pics:

For some reason, the following pic is my favorite. I think it's because it looks like it's all about the treats which makes me think this group of dogs came up with the idea themselves.

pitbull, pit bull

Case Study: PitBull & Aural Hematoma

2006-09-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Note: Small change made for clarity - thank you Catbird!! :)

Patient and Symptoms:
A 2 1/2 year old female American Pit Bull Terrier presents with a swollen ear. She seems to be in some discomfort demonstrated by shaking her head and flapping her ears vigorously. Then again, the patient does that periodically - especially when tired but trying to wake herself up to be part of the action - so examiner draws no conclusions.

About half of the ear flap is puffy and looks like it's filled up with air. The examiner uses the snack method to distract patient for ear observation. The ear feels full, almost, if the examiner remembers correctly, like a water balloon not full enough to break unless thrown really hard. Examiner notes patient's appetite undeterred by ear problem.

Diagnosis via Google:
Aural Hematoma
The various descriptions of the condition seem right but are finally clinched on the aural hematoma page of the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Although a technical medical description, it is the confirmation the examiner is looking for: "The ear flap will feel fluctuant and fluid-filled, like a water balloon."

Diagnosis via Veterinarian:
The patient is brought by examiner to Channel Islands Veterinary Hospital for a consult. Everyone is very nice and examiner makes an additional note that patient's tail is functioning normally - even exceptionally well if encouraged by office staff and free treats.

Dr. Anderson comes in for the consult and listens carefully to examiner's assessment, (proving, yet again that Patience/Good Humor 101 is a required course for vets -- not the elective it seems to be at some other medical schools.) He does a quick exam and verifies the aural hematoma. He also examines the ear canal to make sure there is no infection causing patient to traumatize ear and to show that Google can't do everything. The ears are reported to be clear, heart beat is good, etc.

Treatment Choices Offered:
1) Not recommended - do nothing. The ear can eventually heal itself. This will probably leave the ear cauliflowered and uneven and could even affect patient's hearing. (Examiner has brief flashes of ears she pictures as cauliflowered: Rocky, Someone Up There Likes Me, Raging Bull.) Before the possibility of hearing loss is mentioned, examiner has dismissed this choice.

2) Perform an aspiration (drain it) and inject it with some anti-inflammatory to take the swelling of the blood vessels down. This treatment doesn't have the highest rate of success and there is a good chance the condition will recur. It is usually the first method tried, though.

3) Surgery. The patient is put under....The examiner's brain again short-circuits and tunes out the next part of this choice.

Option 2 is selected.

Treatment and Outcome:
The ear is aspirated and 6mls of fluid are drawn out. It is reinjected with 1 mg anti-inflammatory.

After a week and a half with one re-check, the area of concern is looking good. The ears are still very cute and floppy but there is a very small fluid build up which finally disappeared a few days later.

No calls from the veterinary medical journals yet but other floppy-eared dogs might like to take notice.

pitbull, pit bull

Pit Bull Graduate

2006-09-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

Honey has completed her Intermediate Training class and I have a certificate on the refrigerator that proves it. In dog world, it's not a huge deal but don't tell her that. For her final, Honey played "Simon Says" with her classmates and they went through the commands they've mastered. It was like a synchronized dance music video, all the pups moving in step with each other while the owners clicked and treated them through it - clicker training is a really easy, positive way to train a dog. What was kind of surprising (or maybe not, actually) was, when they were demonstrating the commands separately, each of the dogs stumbled on one thing or another but, doing "Simon Says" as a group - they worked together like pros.

Here was the repertoire they learned from Beginners and now Intermediate:
Sit.
Down.
Stay.
Paw or Shake. There are other ways to teach this trick but we did it by waving a treat kind of in a circle in front of their nose until they finally put up their paw to make you stop. As soon as they do that you click the clicker and give them a treat. Basically, you annoy them into it.
High Five. The next version of paw. You put the treat between your forefinger and thumb holding the rest of the fingers up with an open palm. It's a Paw but higher.
Watch Me. Put the treat up to your forehead and have them stare at it for longer and longer times. Honey immediately took to this trick and could've watched me for hours as long as I had a piece of cheese between my eyes. (The trainer told me early on that she was a good subject for training since she's so "food motivated.")
Stand. This was a hard one for her to learn. I watched the wheels turn in her head-"Did you mean sit, no, down. Paw - I'm sure you're trying to tell me paw," and then finally she just sat there and stared at me with a kind of glazed expression. I realized she had the same expression as a store clerk I met in Austria where I was apparently ordering "cute grapes." He also came to a stand still and just stared at me.
Touch (touching an object or wall with the paw) and Nose (touching an object or wall with the nose). This is how you can teach them to turn the lights off or close cupboard doors.
She also learned Roll Over as her last trick. I had options - Crawl (seemed demeaning), Play Dead (seemed not as cute on a pit as it was on the toy poodle demonstrating) and Speak (Honey is not much of a bark-er and I'm afraid I'd be opening the flood gates with that one.)
I'm debating on the Advanced class (is that when she learns to drive a car?)

Simon says "Hey Honey, lie sprawled all over my bed with muddy paws on my freshly-washed bed cover." Oh look, she's doing it...
pitbull, pit bull

Traveling without Honey

2006-09-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

I went to Portland, Oregon, this week - just got back - and, I did not take Honey. Since Honey is not one of those dogs that will fit under the seat and, for some reason, dogs can't get their own seat on the plane -- no matter how many mileage points you have -- I went with a friend, instead. It's too bad because I knew from this post on The Poodle and (the Dog) Blog that Dog Fancy rated Portland this year's most dog friendly city in the U.S.

Since I was visiting a family that has a couple of dogs, I went with them in the mornings to see an off-leash park in action. I saw lots of very happy dogs. I also saw a ton of pet stores, drove by some doggie day cares (including a great-looking one with one of my favorite d.d.c. names: Virginia Woof) and saw plenty of restaurants with outdoor eating places where dogs sat comfortably by while waiting for the opportune food scrap to appear.

It's funny, though. It wasn't until I saw dogs walking around the
Portland International Rose Test Garden

that I knew this really IS a city for dogs. I think the fact that Portland thought, given the opportunity, dogs would want to stop and smell the roses - I think that was the final giveaway.

pitbull, pit bull

You can't trust a dog alone with a sandwich

2006-09-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of months after I found Honey, I left her alone in the car with a takeout meal from Zankou Chicken - a great Mediterrean chicken chain in Los Angeles. I had ordered my favorite:

The quarter white chicken with hummus. It comes in a covered styrofoam container that has a small section for the hummus, one for tomatoes, pickled turnip and hot peppers and the chicken sits in the middle with a piece of pita bread thrown on top of it all. They put it in a plastic bag and toss in small containers of white garlic topping. Besides making a very crunchy-skinned, flavorful, juicy roast chicken, Zankou is famous for their garlic topping. It's very delicious (and, it's also, let's say, fragrant, so you should encourage anyone around you to share at least a few bites.)

I had to make one last stop before getting home with my meal. Yes, I should've known better - the smell of the chicken filled the car but, it was early days for Honey and me. She was so well-behaved, never chewed anything, never an accident in the house....the perfect dog.

I left Honey in the backseat and ran into the cleaners, quickly picked up some clothes and got back into the car. As I settled in, I moved the stuff on the front seat which included the plastic bag from Zankou. It seemed a little light. I lifted it again. Very light. I looked in the bag - seemed fine - and then I lifted the lid of the container which was popped slightly open. There was my meal: the hummus neatly in its section, the tomatoes, pickled turnips and peppers in theirs and....nothing. The wing, breast and all the bones of the wing and the breast were gone. The pita bread also - vanished.

Since I am familiar with food sneak-thief dogs, I didn't question where my meal had gone. And, dog lover that I am, even though I was very hungry and had really been looking forward to my Zankou chicken, between some muttering about dogs who crawl from the back seat to the front, reach into a bag sitting there and carefully take out only the food they want, leaving the rest behind perfectly untouched - almost as a taunt -- I also was concerned Honey would have some problems with the many chicken bones she had ingested. Especially since I knew she had carried out the whole act within five minutes or so.

Honey was fine and I had learned my lesson and wasn't going to make that mistake again...

But, that was over a year ago and Honey and I are now pretty comfortable together.

I was in Ventura and again, I had to pick up lunch so I went to another chain I like: Tacone. All their food is very fresh and very tasty. The people that run it are extremely nice and there are outside tables so I can eat out there with Honey if I'm so inclined. But, I thought I'd just get something to go:

One of their wrap sandwiches with a side of spicy sweet potato chips. I ordered the spa wrap - grilled zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, carrots, spinach, feta and balsamic vinaigrette wrapped up in a tortilla and had them add chicken - big chopped slices of warm chicken breast. I took the meal packed in a styrofoam container in a plastic bag and I put it in the front seat.

I had to stop at the market before I went home so I found a space in the shade, rolled the windows partially down, and went into the store. I had to pick up a few things, there was a little bit of a line in the store so it took me about 20 minutes. When I got out to the car, Honey was sitting calmly in the back - maybe a little too calmly.

I went around to the passenger's side to put my bags in the front seat and I couldn't believe it. My seat was covered in garbage. There was old food and torn paper thrown all over the front seat. Someone had obviously tossed a bunch of trash in my open window - an act of pure vandalism. It must have been kids - it was such a senseless act.

And then, as I put my bags down and bent over to clean it up, the garbage started to look familiar - like spinach, and zucchini and squash and carrots...the torn paper looked like it might say Tacone.... As I cleaned up, I would like to assure you there was not a scrap of chicken or tortilla or cheese or potato chips around...

What I've learned? Honey doesn't eat vegetables.

pitbull, pit bull

Sleeping Cats and Dogs

2006-08-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

My family always had pet cats when I was growing up. Flash, Brownie, Shadow, Whiskers (can you tell we were given the privilege of naming them?) My sister and I would compete for the pleasure of a guest cat sleeping on our respective twin beds - enticing them with small, mouselike movements of our feet. As the cat would jump from one bed to the other, trying to see if there was really a mouse under the covers, we would get wilder and wilder in our competitive moves until the cat would become frightened and leave the room completely.

If I did happen to get a cat to settle in (kind of like hooking a fish), I'd try and move around it very carefully so it would stay - pulling first one leg up and then the other when I needed to roll over so the cat wouldn't be put upon to move. Sometimes, I'd sleep in a scrunched-up corner of the bed all night so there was plenty of cat room available, only to wake up to find their half of the bed empty. When I sat up, I'd see a small contented black shape in the middle of my sister's blankets. I'd been abandoned at some point of that needlessly uncomfortable night.

Now I have a dog that likes to sleep on the bed. A big, space-hogging, cover-immobilizing dog and, of course, I'm thrilled. I've tried and failed to get other dogs to sleep on a bed (one slight move and you lose 'em) so I was surprised by Honey's sleep agreeableness. But, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's a breed trait.

I don't have any real data to back that up - mainly a random sampling of pitbull owners who've told me it's true of their pit, too (For example, this shot of Marty's pillow pooch, Luca.)

But I think it could be a breed thing. I know (first and second hand) that miniature dachshunds are burrowers which translates into burrowing under the covers whenever possible. (Here's a picture of a friend's long-haired mini-dachshund, Claude, not really demonstrating that fact but he is so cute I thought I'd use it anyway.)

If burrowing is a breed trait for miniature dachshunds, it's not too much more of a leap to say that spooning is a breed trait for pit bulls, is it?

Other unscientific evidence:

1) In the article Choosing the Right Dog Bed for Your Pit Bull Terrier by Tim Amherst, he says, "Your Pit Bull will probably prefer sleeping with you... (And, just so you know, he does follow it with, "...but that's not always a good idea.")

2) This is the picture on the homepage of The Real Pit Bull. 'Nuff said there.

3) Doggie News, a dog news round-up that publishes some pretty entertaining happenings in dog world, posted this survey from Sealy that shows two out of three people sleep with their dog - at least sometimes. Okay, this isn't about pits in particular but - you know some of those have to be pitbulls, right? The survey also asked who's more disturbing to sleep? Well, "...overall 51% say it's their partner who's the disturbance, while 38% feel it's their pet." But, that's a whole other topic.

pitbull, pit bull

Action-Packed Pit Bull

2006-08-20T00:48:00.000-07:00

I was going through old emails and I found a lot of pictures of Honey sent to me by her Burbank doggy day care Bow Wow Bungalow (which I have written about before since I am a huge fan). The photos reminded me what a great life this slightly spoiled dog has (although I just saw a little bit of Pet Pads on HGTV and I'm happy to say I am a mere amateur in the Spoil-Your-Dog category of Ways People Can Overdo Almost Anything).

What became obvious is Bow Wow Bungalow is giving Honey a good background in Greco-Roman Wrestling, an Olympic event:

Honey started as a mere observer keeping a close watch on the technique of others.

Her first actual match entries were in the 0 - 15 pound dog category.

Initially, she was called out by a puppy.

I have to say Honey didn't seem quite ready for the blurred-action, ears-flying intensity of the bout. The small audience seemed distant -- maybe even a little embarrassed.

Her subsequent matches in the little dog category seemed to go a little better...

(Here, I think she's coming into her own with the use of intimidating facial expressions for a more theatrical match. Is there more TV in Honey's future?)

I was happy to see Honey then put in some time with Prinn, the on-staff pro. Prinn seems to have a good teaching method - talking the class through it even while demonstrating some one-on-one moves.

At this point, Honey seems to have gained a tremendous amount of confidence. But there's a problem. Although she's ready for the larger dog weight class, she still seems a little unclear on how to initiate a match...

While she's working on this minor problem, I'm afraid I can see how the whole "stage mother" thing can happen. I've already started looking for a suitable photo of her for when she takes her place with other wrestling greats like Karelin and Westergren:

What do you think of this one?

pitbull, pit bull

Dog Collars

2006-08-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

It all started with Goth's new electric-blue collar.

Goth is a very sweet Rottweiler-Weimaraner mix that lives next door and she's a friend of Honey.

Goth had some initial reservations about Honey and her demanding muzzle-kissing and otherwise enthusiastic greetings but, Honey was not to be denied. Goth finally had to give into Honey's charms and now they have a great time. Goth comes out to play in the yard, they run together to greet the dog passersby and Honey has Goth's back when Goth must warn the world of the dangers of streetcleaners. And, it's nice to see that, even though Goth has some years on Honey, she often is the one to get the games going with circular leaping and a doggy playbow.

Honey also needed a new collar and I wanted one that was as flattering on Honey as Goth's. I also wanted something a little feminine because, even one litter later, Honey is called "he" by a lot of people meeting her. Well, the pickings were quite slim at the pet store and at her daycare. All kinds of collars for smaller dogs but not much for a bigger neck. I did find this one which, I didn't think was great but I thought was very friendly looking - and, it is reflective at night.

Our friend Marc really hated it though and went out and got her a different one. His thinking was, rather than getting a contrasting color, a collar should match her fur. I think the one he bought does look really nice on her - but, is it feminine? I don't think so. I even think it looks somewhat military, like a camouflage design, although it's called "moss."

So I'm continuing to look - online now. My only real requirement is that it is a "breakaway" collar. It's a requirement at both Honey's day cares and it is supposed to help prevent accidental injuries or worse that apparently are not uncommon in the home.

I've found some beautiful ones at Mrs. Bones . A lot to choose from but I'm partial to these:

Orvis has some collars that aren't as pretty but are very practical. You can personalize them with your dog's (short) name and telephone number

and even find one that glows in the dark.

I also liked quite a few from The Pampered Pup. A collar with bees on it for a dog named Honey seems very cute (too cute?). And who wouldn't like a dog wearing daisies?

pitbull, pit bull

Going On and On

2006-08-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a neighbor about blogs and I told him I have one. I wrote down the address and he said he would take a look at it when he had a chance. I don't tell that many people that I know about my blog so it made me curious to read it from the point of view of someone who has met me.

Well, I read a couple of posts and I realize - wow, I really do go on and on about pitbulls. I mean, I knew I did but not quite how repetitive it sounds. Pretty soon people will be crossing the street when they see me coming - and it won't be because of Honey.

So - I'm going to work on it. But, I could be worse...really. What if I were buying Honey dog treats like these:

Or, furniture like this:

But, that doesn't mean I won't keep looking for something for Honey at Paw Palace. Their stuff is too great.

pitbull, pit bull

Celebrities with Pit Bulls

2006-08-03T21:40:00.001-07:00

The LA Times had an article on pit bulls today. It said trainers, animal shelter staffers and rescuers are seeing a trend: increasing adoptions by families, professionals and others. It also said "Many who own or rescue pit bulls want to rehabilitiate the image of a breed they believe has been unfairly maligned." One rescuer said the pit bull is "an exceptional family pet...People who tend to believe they're scary have been educated by the media."

Mainly it was a positive article. That is amazing in itself. Maybe, this breed that gets so mistreated, that is a huge percentage of the population of kill dog shelters will catch a break.

They also talked about some celebrities who have pits. Normally, I would ignore the celeb references but in this case it might help find more pups good (if slightly star-struck homes) so:

*Rachael Ray had a pit bull named Boo that died in 2005. She now has a pit named Isaboo.
*Jessica Biel has a pit named East.

*Jamie Foxx has two pit bulls.
*Jon Stewart has two pit bulls and a cat.
*Jessica Alba has a pit bull puppy.

*Ira Glass has a pit bull.
*Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson have a brindle pit named Penny Lane
*Veronica Mars has a pit bull named Backup. (Okay, she's not a real person but the show is named after her.)

I'm not sure what kind of effect any of this has on people but I did learn one thing: There are a lot of sites of pictures of celebrities and not enough of their dogs.

pitbull, pit bull

Dog Dreams

2006-07-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

Honey has started wagging her tail in her sleep lately and it is very cute. I've heard about other dogs doing this but I've only seen sleeping dogs run, whimper - or even growl a little bit. It makes me feel good to see the sleeping tail wag - it makes Honey seem so content.

I don't know what dogs dream about (and, through the magic of google, it doesn't look like anyone else does either) but, it sounds like dogs - like us - dream in REM sleep and you aren't supposed to wake them. If they seem traumatized by the dream, (perhaps a previously abused dog) one site recommended making some small noise that will change the dog's dream but not take them completely out of the deeper sleep. Honey? I think she's dreaming of treats and walks - she doesn't seem to be looking for interruption.

While looking around through dog dreams, I also learned a little bit about what it means when people dream about dogs. Out of the Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, there are over 20 about dreams with dogs. Apparently, you need to pay close attention to the dogs in your dreams, because the interpretations are pretty specific:

-To hear the growling and snarling of dogs, indicates that you are at the mercy of designing people, and you will be afflicted with unpleasant home surroundings. (That sounds reasonable and almost obvious - you hear fighting which turns to snarling dogs in your dreams)

- To feel much fright upon seeing a large mastiff, denotes that you will experience inconvenience because of efforts to rise above mediocrity. If a woman dreams this, she will marry a wise and humane man. (Hmm...less obvious, and, actually, kind of strange.)

- To dream that a dog kills a cat in your presence, is significant of profitable dealings and some unexpected pleasure. (And now I think we're getting the interpreter's feelings toward cats - or is that just me?)

When you read enough of them, you realize you're safer keeping dogs out of your thoughts when you go to sleep. Stick to sheep.

********************

The guest photo above is of Spud from the Smilin' Pit Bull Rescue site - one of my favorite pit bull sites. More about that another time.

pitbull, pit bull

Dog Car

2006-07-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

I have a four-door car. The back is basically Honey's. There's a thick blanket covering the seat, a travel water dish, a bottle of water and a couple of bones in the back. I also have some treats in the glove compartment along with extra Mutt Mitts. I don't have a dog seatbelt for her (other, better dog owners at the dog daycare have ones for their dogs) but I'm thinking about it.

When she jumps up into the backseat, she positions herself near one of the windows. As we drive off, I'll roll the back windows 3/4's of the way down. Although she can't reach her head all the way out like most dogs (as demonstrated here by willing model and web friend Luca) -- she sticks out most of her snout which I can see in the side mirrors. After a while, she moves back from the window and goes to work on plumping up the blanket, circling around the same spot over and over, then throwing herself down when it reaches that very specific but inexplicable point of perfection. And then the snoring starts.

It works for now but I have wondered why there isn't a car designed more efficiently for people to transport dogs. I know there are a lot of us. I looked it up on line and it seems like Honda did make a pretty silly attempt.

The Honda Wow (from Bow Wow) was announced back in October of 2005 but I can't find any other information about it. I think it didn't make it into any kind of production. It didn't look like it had a future to me but I was hoping it was the start of other car lines to follow so I kept looking.

I don't know if this is a homemade idea, photoshopped or even if this is the Honda from a different viewpoint but it could mean there are other ideas out there waiting - I think Honey would love it:

pitbull, pit bull

What is a Pit Bull?

2006-07-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

Someone lost their dog so they posted notices all over the neighborhood - "Lost Dog, Female Boxer Missing." I noticed them, and, of course, hoped that they would find their dog.

A couple of days later, Honey and I walked by one of the neighbor's houses and the owner called out, "I saw the signs and thought it was your dog that was lost." I said I had seen the signs, too, but, no, it wasn't about Honey. And, then, mumbled a kind of thank you because it seemed nice he had thought of us.

What I didn't say to him is that Honey isn't a boxer, that she's a pit bull. He is the owner of the cute little Yorkie that attacked Honey twice - each time with Honey backing away in confusion - which he never acknowledged during or after. In fact, last week, when I quickly put Honey on leash because he was walking up with his Yorkie, he said something about understanding because his dog was likely to attack, TOO.

Honey has been good as could be and he thinks she'll attack. Well, that's okay, I guess, because he's judging all dog behavior by his dog but...if he knew she was a pit bull I'm sure he would think the worst.

When people do ask me what kind of dog Honey is, they're often surprised to hear she is a pit bull. More than one person has said "But she's so friendly - she's a mix, right?" Other people have gone further and told me she is not like most pits and then will describe something they've heard about pit bulls.

As far as I know, she's a purebred - both in looks and in actions, judging by other pits we've met. I do know that some dogs - identified as pits - have been involved in horrible situations. I don't know anything about the dogs (Were they unneutered males locked in a room their whole life? Were they trained to fight? Were they raised to be tough so their insecure owner could feel tough?) Whatever the situation, I believe when you have a dog as strong as a pit, you have a serious responsibility toward any person or pet they come in contact with. But, you also have a responsibility toward your dog (or any other pet you have). That would include humane treatment (at the least), training and protecting them in uncertain situations so they don't get in trouble.

But, getting back on track -- what is a pit? Honey is an American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT). That is the closest breed name to pit bull but many other breeds are identified as pit bulls. Just looking at these pictures of purebreds (not even getting into mixes here): Which of these would you say is the APBT?

Now, what does that mean when someone identifies a dog as a pit bull?

pitbulls, pit bull

Dog-friendly Bar

2006-07-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Santa Susana Cantina was built in the late 1800's. It started as a stagecoach stop - it still has horse hitches in the front, became a church in the early 1900's and then, was turned into a bar in 1932 and has been one ever since. Funny transition but, it makes a great bar.

The Cantina is in Simi Valley, set in the hills of a canyon. It is in a somewhat rural setting for Los Angeles which, after seeing the picture on their homepage, might not always be ideal.

It is a casual, friendly place. There is an inside area where you can eat and drink at the counter, some old school entertainment like pin ball machines, a pool table and darts. The outside area has a large set-up of tables, a stage and dance floor and lights strung from the trees around and on the patio. And they love dogs.

Honey and I went with our friend Marc on Saturday night, showing up around 6:00. It's very early but that's when they teach line dancing and I wanted to try it. When we walked in, PJ Stover a country singer and the Cantina manager, immediately came over to say hi to Honey -- and periodically visited her throughout the evening. Other people would walk by and kneel down to spend some time with her. They were very impressed that Honey would just lie there with all the noise and people around. I didn't want to tell them Honey has no problem just lying there when the action doesn't involve her - it's either playtime, edible or she's asleep.

So, what did interest her was the big buffet they had over to the side. There were large, covered chafing dishes with everything from salmon in a lemon sauce, to sausages, marinated vegetables, salads and tortollini. There is a very large barbeque grill where they make ribs, vegetables, chicken. For one buffet price, you are allowed to pile as much as you want onto a dinner plate. A quick tip from my first try: I recommend saving the rolls for last. They take up a lot of room and could just as easily sit on top of the food. But Marc, Honey and I had a good meal off one plate so, even though I'm a plate-loading amateur, I show promise.

The dancing was really fun. Mike, the teacher is very clear and patient. His girlfriend, who's also very good, hangs out toward the back of the dance floor so you have someone to follow no matter which way you are facing - you do the dance in all four directions. I only learned one, very simple step but that's okay. Even that was fun to do and I like watching others out there. People start putting personal touches on moves, shaking their hips out a little more, extra kicks, whatever it takes to make it their own.

In case you're wondering - no, Honey didn't learn the dance. I know there is a Musical Dog Sport Association (MDSA) for people and dogs to work out dances together. I've gotta say - their clip of "Carolyn and Rookie" dancing the Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta Grease dance is really amazing. (If you haven't seen it, you can download it off this page)

So I'll be getting right on that as soon as we've tightened up Honey's sit and stay.

pitbulls, dog-friendly

Dogs and Children/Part Two

2006-06-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

I was sending some lobbying emails from the ASPCA site (and some people say I don't know how to have a good time!) so, of course I wandered over to the pit bull section. There, I found this description: "[Pit bulls] actually earned the nickname 'nursemaid's dog,' because they were so reliable with young children." I have read this description of pits before--they have a long history of being good family dogs--but it started me thinking about the dog-as-nursemaid concept. Did people do that at one point?

I know there was Nana in Peter Pan--a St. Bernard nanny for the children. Seemed very reasonable to me as a child. Maybe it was the hat.

There was also Good Dog Carl, a children's story that starts off with the mother saying to their Rottweiler, "Look after the baby, Carl. I'll be back shortly." And that also struck me as a good solution. If you have to run some errands and don't want to bring your small infant along, the family dog is a very handy option.

Now, I do know you are never supposed to leave a child alone with a dog. Small dogs can be especially dangerous - perhaps, because people don't expect any problems. But, these are really big dogs. Is there a different understanding between babies and big dogs?

Several people have sent me this photo sequence that's floating around the internet, which does show some of their interaction.

This dog is obviously very happy with his new playmate and the baby seems to be taking it all in stride even in the midst of being smooshed. I think it does show the potential success of the combo.

On the other hand, I kind of already knew that from my friends Brian and Lisa. Here are the other two members of their family - Zane and Gracie Great Dane. Zane seems to be planning their next caper with Gracie picturing the layout "Would that be to the right or the left of the cookie jar?"

pit bulls, dogs and children

Pit Bull Picture

2006-06-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

They say you can read a dog's expression in the same way you read a person's. What do you think this says besides "I am a very cute dog?"

pit bulls, dogs

Honey's a TV star!

2006-06-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

This was a big weekend for a pitbull.

Honey shared the stage with the lovely and talented Lisa Rinna on the set of Soaptalk. Honey was one of the three starring dogs in a segment to illustrate animal plastic surgery.

Now, it isn't the way it sounds. Yes, I live in LA but, no, I am not insane.

Back when Honey was pregnant, she was huge. She weighed 72 pounds when I found her - up from 55. (Side note - one time I misspoke and said she had weighed 172 and did not realize it. The person I was talking to kept saying it seemed impossible and since I thought 72 was a lot, I said, yeah, I know. But they relentlessly kept saying she must have been as big as a house and how awful until, finally, I became defensive and said, well, she was pregnant. When they said, even so...I put it all together and realized in that case each pup would've weighed around 15 pounds.) She gained more weight in the next two weeks before she delivered so she probably was around 80+. And her teats became massive. I'm not sure there is any way to describe the situation delicately except to say she was the Pamela Anderson of the pit bull world. (And look! She ended up in show biz.)

This all would've been fine and good except, when her pups got sick a few weeks in, they thought it might be her milk (it wasn't), and abruptly put the pups on formula. This left Honey with huge teats that quickly became long empty sacs - especially in the back. These flopped and rubbed against each other causing a rash which became infected. Meanwhile, she was having other problems and needed to be spayed immediately. Dr. Schulman (our hero) said he would take the back teats in at the same time because they was no way to prevent continual rashes and infections until (or if) the back teat sacs fully receded.

She quickly healed from the operation and the change in her health was remarkable. Since then she has had two articles written about her procedure but this was her first TV appearance. She was the last dog to go on.

The first dog was the biggest Doberman I've ever seen.
He had had a face lift and looked so much younger! Just kidding - he had to have it done because he was having problems with his jowls. I have read about this before. It is a problem for a number of reasons including infection - and is exacerbated by food getting caught. I'm sure Dr. Schulman explained it much better than that but I was too nervous to listen, waiting for Honey's turn. Honey? She was cool as a cucumber.

They showed photos of a Sharpei who had a lid lift. His folds were so exaggerated in the before pic, he couldn't see at all - it seemed like his eyes were shut. The after picture showed a very cute dog with nice, warm eyes peering out.

The next dog on was a sweet, chubby tank of an English Bulldog. Loveable and affectionate to people, he growled and bared his teeth to both Honey and the Doberman. His owner was humiliated and said there's nothing like your dog misbehaving in a setting like this to make you feel completely ostracized. She was very nice and took her oblivious, if not proud, troublemaker to the corner to wait his turn.
He had had a case of screw tail which can be painful as well as cause infections. He had had to have his tail removed. I'm not sure how this was plastic surgery exactly since I was thinking of the human equivalents as helping define them but, maybe there are some medical procedures I'm unaware of. If so, it would be best to keep it that way.

And then came Honey.

I was afraid she would plant her feet and have to be dragged out letting out this new little pig-like grunt I've noticed every once in a while. I thought she might not stop and stand where they wanted her to. I thought she would pull them to move on and leave the stage.

But, she ended up just being Honey. She came walking out easily, licked the vet in the face. Stayed when she was supposed to. She let the vet hold her up to show her stomach scar. Then, she calmly stood there in front of the "live studio audience." She did stare at them at one point which I know makes people nervous but that is also Honey. She's just trying to absorb new information. Unfortunately, she didn't know which camera was hers so she didn't make the most of her close up, but they kept her on rather than walking her off when the segment ended so she was out there quite a while. Then, she came walking back to me and seemed a little bored and ready to leave. Just another day to a pit bull....

pit bulls, animal plastic surgery

Celebrate Dogs!

2006-06-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

While Honey was going through her TPLO, I discovered Orthodogs, a Yahoo! support group for orthopedically challenged pups. The information and the consoling from members who were going through or had been through the same thing was unbelieveably helpful. Recently though, there have been several losses - dogs who had what I thought was fairly routine, if invasive, surgery and then -- the complications were eventually fatal. It's amazing how you can care so much about a dog you've never met and then when you find out they didn't make it....you can't believe how incredibly sad you feel.

Because of this, one of the moderators who is also a co-founder of a non-profit for dogs, OSLF, organized a "Celebration of Life" and wrote up a tribute that I think is so true to life with a dog:

"We are celebrating the life of every dog that has ever touched our hearts, changed our lives, made us laugh uncontrollably, licked our tears when we cried, cleaned our dirty plates for us, littered our homes with fleece-toy carcasses, made us appreciate the little things in life, laid quietly with us when we were sick, loved every car ride like it was the first, made us go for a walk even when we didn't want to, taught us the joy of a small yellow ball, caused us inexplicable worry at the first sign of illness, made our homes feel empty without them, and taught us that there are things better and greater than ourselves."
more

There is a part that kills me - "...we go through the heartache of losing them over and over again, and yet we can't imagine our lives without them." There is also a little video of some of the past and present dogs of Orthodogs. Norman, in particular went through a long battle and, there were so many times when we all thought he was really going to make it, and then, a sweet and dignified Rottweiler to the very end, he didn't. It still makes me cry and I feel so for his owners who tried to do everything they could for him. But - I am going to try and celebrate his life and the lives of other dogs instead of dwelling on the sadness.

Orthodogs joined with OSLF to honor dogs, giving away "Celebrate Dogs" wristbands to those who want to donate to service and rescue dogs in need of orthopedic surgery. There is also a tribute section for donations over $25.

pit bulls, animal non-profits

Dogs and Children

2006-05-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

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

What are pit bulls afraid of?

2006-04-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

A lot of people are afraid of pit bulls. Most of the time I don't like that but, there are times when it is very useful - like a few months ago. I was alone on the beach with Honey. It was dusk and a little cold so Honey was wearing a sweatshirt that hid her pit bull physique. We were playing near a recreation area off a side street that has slides, swings and a basketball court, when I saw a car pull up and park. No one got out but that isn't unusual when the weather is colder - people often watch the sunset from their cars, then turn around and drive off.

Honey and I continued to play. At some point, I noticed a large man got out of the parked car and started walking over. Almost subconsciously, I saw there was something slightly strange about his movements - he didn't stroll, he didn't walk with purpose - I don't know what but it kept me aware of where he was. It was getting darker and more difficult to see distinct features but I could see he moved over behind the slides. I walked a little further away with Honey. In a while, I saw him come around the other side and then start walking directly toward me as Honey wandered. Even in low light, it must have been obvious I was looking directly at him. He said loudly as he walked closer "I'm looking for a little boy that was playing around here. Have you seen him?" Now, I hadn't heard him call for anyone and I can't believe you wouldn't be looking pretty frantically that late in the day - especially, near the beach so, I just didn't buy it. I called loudly back "No, the only one I've seen here is my pit bull" at which point Honey started running toward us since she heard my voice. Well, that man turned right around, got in his car and left. Maybe it wasn't as ominous a situation as I thought it was but I was happy I could exploit the pit bull reputation at that moment.

But, as far as what pit bulls are afraid of, I can cite a few examples. Last year, several veterans would get together to fly kites. This picture is of one of the bigger kites in Oxnard Park:

I was talking to one of the veteran kite-fliers with Honey sitting beside me looking around. All of a sudden, something clicked as she was looking up and she started barking and barking at the cat kite while slowly backing away. She's not much of a barker but this was insistent, as was the pull on the leash to get us out of there. I had the feeling she thought she was keeping us covered for as long as possible but she knew she couldn't last because that cat was not only huge, it was in the air. We got out of there with all the kite-fliers laughing at Honey's reaction. Luckily, there was no permanent scarring - for a couple of days after that, she was still looking around when we went to the park but thankfully, that wore off.

There is also a walk we would take in Burbank where she was fooled a couple of times by an iron silhouette of a dog, similar to this one.

What was funny is she would drag me to the gate to a certain point and then, her two dimensional perception would disappear and she seemed to think the dog had vanished - she would start sniffing, and looking all around the area the flat iron dog was last spotted....

Two final examples of really scary things out there in the world - each causing Honey some real distress where we have to rush past the objects -- a porcupine shoe cleaner:
and a wind wheel:

pit bulls

the dogs of dogster/Japanese tea dogs

2006-04-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Another family of dogs that have befriended Honey are the Japanese tea dogs.

Ban-cha has big, soulful eyes that look like they could tell tales. She is one of the oh so many pets that did not have a good beginning, but, unlike oh so many of them, ended up in a great home. According to her biographer " her name means "Green Tea" in Japanese, but it also has the meaning of the leftover leaves after the a tea producer has gathered all the high quality tea to sell at a high price. Ban-cha (the tea) is sold to ordinary people at an ordinary price." But, it's obvious there is nothing ordinary about this good pup. On the other hand, this pic shows a modeling career was not in the cards for little Ban-cha.

Genmai-cha is the male of the group and is named after the green tea with toasted brown rice. Genmai-cha was found abandoned for 28 days in a house with five other pit bulls in a community in Indiana that had banned pit bulls. (What is wrong with people?!!) But, check out the contented pup now.

Last but certainly not least is Mugi-cha - actually the first of the group to be adopted. The first time I looked at Mugi-cha's dogster page, I had to do a double take. If you are unfamiliar with Blue Dog, let me introduce you. Blue Dog is the main model for a Louisiana painter named George Rodrigue. "Tiffany, a spaniel-terrier mix was the Rodrigue family pet and loyal companion. For years, Tiffany would sit patiently at her master's side, watching him while he painted. And then in 1980, at the age of twelve, Tiffany died, leaving a void in Rodrigue's life. Understandably, Rodrigue was devastated, and immediately began searching for ways to connect with Tiffany spiritually. Thus when asked to illustrate the French-Cajun tale of the werewolf, or loup-garou, in 1984, the artist decided to use Tiffany as a model. Bathed in the light of a Cajun moon, the creature took on a blue hue. Blue Dog was born." Spaniel-Terrier mix that to me looks an awful lot like a pit bull terrier named Mugi-cha.

pit bulls, dog pictures, blue dog

The dogs of dogster/Mooshu and Luca

2006-04-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, Honey has a dogster page. I put up some of the pictures of Honey I've used here and added her vital stats and back story. Then, I looked through other dogs pages, clicking to leave them "bones" and agreed to become pup pals with the dogs that invited her. Honey now has an online pack.

For dog owners, dogster is a place to look at and read about a lot of cute dogs (okay - in my world, pretty much all dogs are cute). And, some of the very cutest are Honey's pup pals. Round 1:

This is Mooshu Kitten - a Jack Russell/Dachshund mix. Just looking at this picture of her has got to be good for you.

I also like this arctic bunny shot.
Here is where you can read all about the Moosh and leave her a bone.

Mooshu's homemate is Luca, a pit bull/labrador mix from the pound whose pictures look like an advertisement for fun in the snow. The cover shot seems to be Luca's version of making snow angels punctuating them with nose prints.

This one makes me determined to get Honey to the snow. It also has a guest appearance of Mooshu bringing up the rear. If this doesn't show how adorable and great a rescue puppy (mutt on top of it) can be when given a home and a little love, I don't what will. Luca's page is here and he's waiting for his own bone.

dog pictures

Dog Baggies

2006-04-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends think I've fallen too far into dog world. That I'm losing it, a little bit. Maybe that's true. If so, I guess it's one of those things you can't recognize in yourself because it all seems normal.....

Some people don't clean up after their pups. Not only does that mean leaving something disgusting lying around, it is behavior that will turn people against your dog or just dogs in general when, like most pet-related problems, the problem is with the owner. Dogs CAN'T clean it up. (Sometimes the thrill of being the one with the opposable thumbs isn't quite as evident.)

I watched a nice, normal-looking woman take her two dogs for a walk in our neighborhood (and I've seen her here a couple of times) and, after one of them uh, did his business on the long, public lawn, she left it and just walked on as if she did that all the time. There was no rifling through all her pockets trying to find a baggie, no looking around using personal acting skills to show she was going to come back to pick it up and no hurriedly dragging the dog off from the scene. She lazily sauntered on without a look back. If this doesn't bother you, how about the fact that less than a block away, there is a dog baggie dispenser with a small attached trashcan. I was driving by at the time, otherwise I think I would've said something although I'm not sure what. Probably something like: "Lady - you're taking every other dog owner down with you."

I clean up after, Honey. I don't want people to associate her with the eyesores other dog owners let sit there. She's a good dog and deserves to be treated like one. Besides, the dog baggie stations make it easier. And this is one of those signs where my friends think I've gone too far. I talk about the merits of the different dog baggies. But, there are major differences. Let me explain.

There are three kinds of baggies I have seen dispensed. There is one that used to be supplied by the beach. It was light blue, had handle cut-outs and was treated with some kind of deodorizing scent. Which meant it was stinky and your hands would get stinky pulling it out of the dispenser. One crazy beach girl walked by me pulling one out and said "Oh, don't you love that smell." She was the only one that I would classify as a fan of that baggie. I hated carrying those around. Even without the smell -- you could see what you didn't want to see through the light blue. Definitely not a preference.

The second bags are from Dogipot . These aren't bad. They are dark colored, dispensed on a roll, strong and they sit very flat in the pocket. They have the dispensers with the small attached trashcans. A good second choice. Now, I wouldn't have gone to the website if I wasn't writing about this but, gotta say, they put in a lot of effort to jazz it up. More points for that.

But, the best brand - the Mutt Mitt . The top part is white, lower part is black. You put your hand in the white part and are able to safely scoop up with the black end. Their site isn't quite as techno-savvy but - they have a lot of testimonials (first name responders only). It's a solid baggie and you feel quite protected while performing one of the more unenviable dog owner tasks.

I've just come up with a better response to those lazy, irresponsible dog owners. I'll just hand them a Mutt Mitt.

dog litter

I'm back with my new mac...

2006-03-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

I just got one of the new Intel Macs. I feel like I can re-route satellites or hack into the CIA with this. I'm starting slow though - with blogging.

New computer, Honey's TPLO leg looks good and strong, I got a marketing contract I'm excited about...good start for the week.

Laptop Died

2006-03-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

Which makes posting really hard right now. Should be back on track this weekend.

Indoor Dog Walking

2006-03-14T18:49:00.000-08:00

It's been raining here which makes options of where to take a walk pretty limited. We do hit all the pet stores where Honey kindly cleans up any remnants of food. But, the main thrill is for Honey to see a dog - any dog. She's looking for a good muzzle lick.

Some of the dogs we run into aren't as thrilled to see her. There was Louie the Poodle (tell me that doesn't sound like it comes directly from The Sopranos). He started barking madly at her as soon as he spotted her coming down the aisle. We went the other way and stopped to let a man walk by with his daughter. As they walked by he said to the little girl, "Look at that stuuupid dog." I got madder than I should've and said "She isn't a stupid dog - you know nothing about her," - does that sound ridiculously childish - but it didn't matter because he pretended not to hear. I'm sure he assumed she was the one who had been doing all the barking. Not a good experience. On the other hand....

Lowe's is one of the nicest places we've ever been. We went to the garden section and a woman there started talking about how pretty Honey was and sweet and friendly. After she finished complimenting her, she said she'd seen another pit mix inside the building so we walked in.

Walking a dog in a regular store is kind of amazing. First, because it seems so completely incongruous but secondly, the people shopping at Lowe's are the nicest people anywhere. Everyone there smiled at Honey and wanted to pet her. Some parents asked if she was friendly so their children could pet her. I forgot what it was like to have a dog people didn't react to negatively.

We had an amazing time and bought a very attractive floor register which a store member actually helped me find. May I recommend Lowe's, the nicest place to shop, to everyone?

Calm Assertiveness

2006-03-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

I bought The Dog Whisperer's DVD. I'd heard about his show - how amazing he is and, a bonus for me, he is a big fan of pit bulls. (Three pit bulls in the picture)

I wish the DVD had been longer. I wish it had shown more examples of badly-behaved dogs and their befuddled owners. It's relaxing since Honey has her issues but hey, she's not a chewer, a barker, a biter or a growler.

She is a puller, though. After buying her every kind of no-pull harness there is, I've decided she thinks they are some kind of workout aid. A kind of body-fitted Bowflex.

What I did learn from Cesar is Honey is a high energy, submissive dog that is displaying dominant characteristics because I'm letting her But, I don't care about a lot of decisions she makes. "You want to walk this way, okay." "You want to stop here and sniff, no problem." Apparently, that is not a good thing and can lead to bigger issues in the future. For now, she's taken charge and is patronizing me.

Cesar says she needs calm, assertive energy from me as I take the dominant role. That is the type of leadership she will respond to and that's not a bad thing to practice. Who doesn't respond to calm assertiveness? I can rule the world with calm assertiveness.

But, as I look at her lying on my bed (instead of in her crate), I decide to start dominating her tomorrow. Calm assertiveness fading in response to massive cuteness.

One year ago

2006-03-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

Honey moved in temporarily one year ago.

We celebrated by watching the Oscars. One of us had yogurt, peanut butter and kibble in a Kong then lay in front of the fire on a blanket and fell asleep, periodically exhaling a deep breath of contentment. I'm not sure which of us was happier.

For Honey who has caused me no end of expense, hassle, housing problems, etc. An excerpt of a poem by Jane Kenyon.

6IN AND OUT

The dog searches until he finds me
upstairs, lies down with a clatter
of elbows, puts his head on my foot.

Sometimes the sound of his breathing
saves my life -- in and out, in
and out; a pause, a long sigh. . . .

Tagged in Fours

2006-03-04T23:50:00.000-08:00

My complimentary reader Cathy from The Catbird Seat (kind of a mental journey site: starting off with one thought which leads you somewhere you don't expect to go and you never know what you'll learn along the way)- has tagged me with a questionnaire that seems like fun so this post, I'm solo. Honey, go back to sleep...

Four jobs I've had:
1) First real job I ever had was as soon as I could legally work - and it was at the candy counter at a movie theater. Initially it was great! I could see free movies if I stayed late, eat candy and popcorn and I felt very businesslike with my cash register. But, it was a standalone theatre that the owner didn't want to invest any more money in, the manager had some sort of drinking problem and was always at a next door bar ("checking out the marque" to anyone who called, so we kids kind of ran the show. I did quit close to the time one of the patrons came out to the lobby with the lower half of a theater chair that broke when he sat on it. One of the ushers I worked with said "well, find another seat."
2) I worked at a record store next - also fun. We played whatever music we wanted on our shifts and everyone took turns picking. I worked with people who loved alternative, rock, soundtracks, punk, whatever - and you had to relax and just go with it or you would go crazy. I listened to music I never would've listened to otherwise and usually ended up liking it. Also - did you know you can make people buy faster or keep them wandering around depending on the pace (and type) of music you play. Amazing to watch.
3) Worked in a gun store for seven days. Weekends only - I thought it would be good to bring in a little income when I was in college. It paid very well and only involved ringing up purchases. They had a new computerized cash register that none of the guys could work. What was I thinking? Well, that it would be some kind of Raymond Chandler place where men and women purchased pearl handled derringers. Guess what? Not even close.
4) Director of marketing at a videogame company - is there any kind of pattern here?

Four Goals for the year
This one is hard...
1) To blog once every five days for the year
2) I'm female so isn't it a given? Lose weight
3) I wanted to take a picture a day but that ship has kind of sailed for this year, again.
4) To not break plans with friends but that ends up turning into not saying you're going to do anything just in case so...

Four Movies I can watch over and over
1) This comes to mind and it's fluff but 13 Going on 30. I have made male and female friends watch this. I think Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo are so charming in it and, I don't know - just makes me happy.
2) Last of the Mohicans. Ohmigosh - so many moments are memorable for me in that movie and the music is beautiful and the American wilderness is wonderful. But - that part, that part where he says "Just stay alive."
3) Shakespeare in Love. Talking about the music reminded me of this because there is a beautiful theme in it but I LOVE this movie. I think it is really witty and smart and a wonderful world to be in for a while.
4) This was really hard because there are so many to choose from. I thought of so many Sci fi movies, new animated ones, black and white movies, even musicals (yes, I'm the one person that rents them) but...I realized I wanted it to be Two for the Road. The first time I stumbled into this movie I was young and had very specific ideas of romance and thought it was awful. If you were in love you lived happily ever after and that was that. I'm not quite as easily shocked anymore.

Four places where you have lived:
I've lived a lot of places so I'll pick different states
1) First place I remember: Orinda, California.
2) Denver, Colorado
3) Tucson, Arizona
4) Manhattan, New York

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1) House is really the only show I've been watching. Interesting and some good black humor.
Other than that - I did rent some series...
2) My So-Called Life. This sits somewhere with the 13 going on 30 part of my brain
3) Law and Order. Before CSI upped the violence ante..../I also watched 24 in almost 24 hours - addictive
4) Star Trek: The Next Generation. I would like to work on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise - not least, to listen to Captain Picard talk

Four places you've been on vacation:
1) Camping in Tulome Meadows in Yosemite with my family
2) Big Bear Lake with a church group in high school - where I learned to kiss
3) Caveliere in the south of France where I celebrated my 18th birthday
4) Driving all around England with my writer friend. What amazed me was London looks like Dickens writes, Hardy country looks like Thomas Hardy writes, Bath looks like Jane Austen book and I don't think it looked like it but I was just happy to be where James Herriot lived, worked and wrote.

Four websites you visit daily:
1) Yahoo
2) Google
3) Boing Boing
4) You Tube

Four of your favorite foods:
Now we're talking...
1) There's this one cheese called Bourchon, I think. It's a goat's milk cheese and when it's ripe, deeeeelicious but I can also just go with brie on crusty french bread - maybe with artichoke hearts.
2) Bacon on toasted sourdough (although I try not to eat. Poor little pigs but let's pretend we don't know.)
3) A great Caesar salad
4) There is this lemon custard ice cream that Dreyer's used to make that they don't anymore that is so good....or the perfect green tea ice cream
also, a great cheeseburger of any sort (don't think about the cow...sorry cow), hot fudge sundaes, tangerine juice, really good peaches and milk.

Four places you would rather be:
That involves so many things including who I'm with, what time of year, etc. but let's just say
1) A really nice hotel in any charming town.
2) Getting a massage
3) Working in my sunny garden with everything blooming and going wild
4) In a country where I don't speak the language, warm evening, music is playing and I'm with friends drinking wine.

Dog Toys

2006-02-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Dog toys go a long way in keeping a dog occupied (yes, I'm still talking dog-movement deprivation. It is Honey's last week of full rehab for her knee - with any luck, she will be free to do a lot more roaming starting Thursday). But, not just any toys will do. Dogs get very attached to specific toys. You can try and force certain toys on them but it doesn't seem to work. This is a list of Honey's current toys:

1) A hard-rubber Kong ball. Kongs are famous odd-shaped dog toys that you can stuff full of peanut butter and treats keeping any dog happily occupied. The ball....not so much. It was an impulse buy at an expensive pet boutique meaning I paid too much for it. There was no reaction from Honey on introduction but I wouldn't give up on this over-priced toy. I brought it over and kept trying to entice her. She took a couple of half-hearted chews to humor me and then gave me a look that seemed to say, "You play with it if you're so into it." I even added a trick to her repertoire incorporating the Kong ball. I'll put the ball in front of her (forget her looking for it) and say "Where's your ball, Honey? Where's the ball? Where's your ball?" Throughout this falsely-enthusiastic questioning she just looks at me and doesn't move. When I'm done she'll look at me just a little bit longer to make sure I get the message and then finally put her paw on the ball. If the treat is good enough, she'll grab for it a little more eagerly the second time I ask but we both know that's about the treat and not the ball.

2) A fox from AKC toys. These toys are really great (good plush/fake fur and double squeakers) and this has been a hit. Of course, if you think about why she likes it -the squeak is supposed to sound like an animal - assumedly in distress - and the cute, funny shaking they do when they have it in their mouth is that terrier instinct of how to break a rat's neck. Let's move on...

3) A dachshund with a head and body attached to opposite sides of a tennis ball that my sister gave her. Initially, not a lot of reaction but then Honey fell in love. She would run after that toy for hours and would be very upset when she couldn't find it. Well, it started to fall apart, of course. I sewed it up a couple of times but there's not much to sew anymore so I'm weaning her off it. She still seems happy playing with its three parts separately, though. She'll fetch the head, or chew on the middle ball or, somehow, the most disturbing part is when she happily runs around with the headless rear end.

To add some photo examples of dogs and their toys, we have a guest appearance by Samson Cloud Guild.

Here you can see a couple of stuffed toys ready to double as pillows:

Here the classic rubber newspaper has been abandoned (top corner) while Sam practices his cutest-ever sleeping dog pose.

Flashback to rehab with pre-Honey dog Nadine

2006-02-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

Nadine is the only other dog I've owned. Now that I've been suckered - I mean charmed into adopting Honey, and have learned about pits and their personalities, I realize Nadine was part pit, too. She had such a pretty, deer-like face with large lovely eyes, you wouldn't have thought it but her thighs should've been a clue. She was a great dog and also rescued (I was just old enough where, when I asked the question "can I keep her, huh, huh?? can I?" - I got to answer myself "why yes, you can.") She was less intense than Honey but she was also a couple of years older so we'll see if Honey mellows.

Nadine and I walked every morning for about four miles making a large square route on the prettiest path through suburbia. One time when I was sick for a couple of days and we weren't able to walk, somehow, Nadine got out. I was completely freaked out calling for her everywhere. I dragged myself to the car (I was still pretty ill) and started driving around looking for her, calling out. At a certain point, I was coming from the other direction on our morning route and there she was in the distance, trotting along toward me. She had taken herself for our walk.

Nadine had a pretty serious back operation when she got older and needed to have a lot of care. My mother came over while I worked in the morning and watched out for her. Nadine had a super dog basket bed, her food and water were brought to her on a raised platform, and she was very carefully carried, then helped out to use the lawn facilities. Her recovery was kind of slow but she was an older dog. One day I came home and my mother said, "I think she's feeling better." I asked her how she could tell. Well, my mother had made herself a cup of tea and cut a piece of cake. She put them on the coffee table and then went into the office to grab a magazine. When she got back, the cake was gone. Nadine hadn't moved - was just lying there resting quietly in her bed and the cake had been on the table across the room. My mother started to think - "did I eat the cake and forget all about it?" "Did I really cut myself a piece?" She started to go back to the kitchen to see if somehow she had left the cake slice there but stopped to pet Nadine who was looking up at her plaintively. And there, in Nadine's whiskers, my mother could see the cake crumbs. Somehow Nadine had zipped over to the coffee table, gobbled down the cake and made it back to the bed to look in time to lie back down and look pathetic.

I know I'm far away from my travels with Honey....rehab is killing us but we're doing the best we can. Until then - Just Desserts are very good store-bought cakes.

Dogs like Fast Food, too

2006-02-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

If you aren't from California, chances are you aren't familiar with In-N-Out Burger - one of the best hamburgers you are going to get without getting out of your car. I'm not a big fast food eater but, if I'm on the road and in a hurry, I will stop at an In-N-Out Burger. Driving through, I will order a burger for myself and a plain meat patty for Honey for $.99. Honey has caught on very quickly to the concept of pulling up to the side of a building and getting food handed to you - she sits very attentively as we pay at one window and get the food at the next. The only problem is when I go to a drive up ATM now, she is very disappointed that all we get is money.

Dog Training

2006-02-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

Honey is generally good at Sit, Stay, Down, Paw, Wait, Come, Watch me.....but....if I have a treat and clicker in hand, she is THERE.

Honey is a proud graduate of the PetSmart Beginner's Training Dog Classes. This is a great, reasonably-priced, eight-week course offered at the PetSmart store in Ventura. It was a nice opportunity for additional socialization and to learn some new commands (she really had sit and stay down before we got there from training at her doggie day care.) It is a bright, friendly store and a lot of treats were involved so she was very happy.

Of course, when we walked in to the first evening class, quite a few non-pit lovers pulled their puppies close to them and sent intense body language for us to sit elsewhere but, Honey was oblivious (I'm the one that sweats it out.) She endeared herself to them quickly though. As we entered the ring, her tail wagging like mad, a French bulldog who was supposed to be restrained on the lap of its owner reached way out and bit Honey around her nose, hard enough to draw blood. Honey let out a slight whimper, pulled back and avoided this dog for the rest of the night. The owners never apologized (I think they were embarrassed) but everyone else felt bad for Honey as she sat there patiently with three little blood marks around her nose. (All the dogs have had their shots so I know there was no danger but it was pretty awful.) Then, when a nearby puppy came close enough to Honey, she gave it one of her trademark licks all over the face and everyone warmed to Honey and wanted to know more about the breed (and all the media misinformation).

Most of the dogs were about five months old which made Honey - at a year and a half - look like the kid in class who had been left behind - far behind. It also gave her an unfair advantage with a longer attention span and a great desire to please ---- or did she just want the treats?

There are specific signs that go with the words, "Sit" includes a brief swoop up with the hand while the index and thumb hold the treat. "Down" is a quick point down (if you don't want a dog to jump up - use "Off"). To train for "Watch me," you hold a treat between your eyes. You're supposed to get them to go up to 30 seconds. I believe Honey would stay there forever if the treat looked good enough. "Stay" is important - of course - and very, very useful. She was the Stay star - wouldn't move a muscle no matter where I went.

It is all done with positive training techniques and the clicker is a great reinforcement sound. They associate it with a treat and it is a really clear, distinctive cue. Only problem is when other people use a clicker, because Honey wants to perform whatever is necessary to get the treat out of that owner's hand. She will go sliding over to them in a sit position to show them that, even though their dog isn't obeying, she'll do whatever is necessary.

We will be back training in two and a half weeks. I am going to take her into PetSmart to see the teacher (she is in love with the trainer there, Rich - I think it's the sausage treats) and we'll try signing up for the Intermediate class. It will be low stress on her leg and give her some excitement. The rehab countdown begins....

Bargain Hound Dog Crate

2006-02-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with this dog crate. I put it together myself and it was just easy enough but really had to follow the directions that I feel like I've accomplished something. It was reasonably priced at PetSmart which meant I could pick it up right away (having waited for the last minute) and it's a nice black. I got her the largest which has lots of room - we both can fit in there - and Honey even gets in there when she doesn't have to. I have put some blankets and a pillow in but there is a nice bed that I am leaning toward. Honey has a very good life.

ACL injury TPLO update - Good News!

2006-02-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

Honey had her four week check up and she got the highest marks. Her leg has full range of motion, it felt strong to the surgeon and he said she was bearing full weight on both back legs - in other words, she's doing really well. Yay! One more month serious rehab to go. (Then two of limited, on-leash rehab.) He said we could add a little more activity but he had a kind of why-mess-with-success approach, basically keep on track with what we're doing.

As anyone who has been through this type of injury (and others with long rehabs), it is very intimidating. You feel like you are doing everything wrong. "Am I letting her do too much?" is the main question. And, you can ask others - as I do on the Orthodogs Yahoo Group - but, every vet has their own advice, different surgery solutions take different amounts of time, etc. So, you waver between surety and sure you're doing everything wrong.

Right now I'm feeling pretty cocky. Continuing on her regime of four short walks a day, lower food intake, some games with treat rewards to keep the mind sharp and - the one thing I've done outside the vets recommendation is give her arnica montana - a popular homeopathic for healing. Although we're trying to heal the bone here, the tissue also needs help and that's exactly what arnica is good for. My sister is the knowledgeable one so I just follow her advice but, even when I've used it myself, I have seen the effects are very positive.

And now for something completely different/Dog Daycare

2006-01-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

I was looking at the posts and getting depressed -- well, also looking at Honey's dejected expression as she realized I'm not going to chase her with her toy, she's not getting any more treats (trying to keep her weight down so there's less pressure on the knee) and I am not letting that black cat that lives here into the room so they can meet properly. Honey hasn't had a whole lot of fun since she had the TPLO surgery on her knee.

So, I thought it would be helpful to look forward to when we're all done with this. Not sure how long it is going to be 'til she's ready for some heavy dog play but when she is - the first place we're going: Bow Wow Bungalow in Burbank.

This is one of Honey's very favorite places anywhere which, of course, makes it one of mine. It's a place I can leave Honey for the day and go off to work, let her stay overnight, or even a full vacation (close to Burbank Airport) and have NO guilt. Housed in a big, multi-colored building with a large outside play yard, this is basically dog paradise.

I can drop her off as early as 7AM for daycare, 9AM for boarding. She literally drags me in, wagging her tail non-stop as she greets the office crew, and then, more excitement for the play yard staff member who comes to take her back. As I watch her through the bone-shaped window overlooking the yard, she runs eagerly over to all her dog pals that she must lick, rollover or sniff - lots of regulars she has to say hi to, although I think her best friend is Prinn.

Prinn is lying down on the left in the picture below - it looks like another dog is debating on joining them.

If it's at all warm, she will then make a mad dash for the water. She jumps in the pool tempting other dogs to follow and then, sometimes she'll climb the waterfall mountain. Lots of labs are available for water fun and everyone has a blast.

The play yard crew - all dog lovers, of course - throw balls, offer toys and otherwise entertain them. All the dogs have been pre-tested for dog aggression and there is a lot of dog play going on. It is so funny to see how they love to chase each other, bowing in play pose to get the game started. It is a great way to keep a single dog socialized in a very safe environment.

The office team is very helpful on nutrition, dog behavior, safety and training. There is also a talented trainer on staff, Carolyn, who will work your dog while she's there for the day, or help you in the group classes that are offered after hours.

When I come to pick up Honey (six hour half-day, or twelve hour full-day stay), you couldn't find a happier dog. She jumps up into the back seat of the car, throws herself down and promptly falls asleep - dead-tired and blissfully content. Fantastic If you've had some really busy work days and aren't quite up to a dog who has spent the day resting in anticipation of big entertainment when you come home....

HAPPY YEAR OF THE DOG!

2006-01-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

You know it's gotta be a good year.

What could go wrong?/Dog confinement

2006-01-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

I wanted to be completely ready for Honey to come home and start the 8 weeks of minimal activity. I purchased a dog ramp, an x-pen, prepared a small bedroom by taking the bed down to one mattress, and was fully armed with my notes from the veterinary technician. The biggest danger is the explosive move - jumping up on furniture, dashing after squirrels (a big one for dogs) so I knew to avoid that at all costs. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell Honey.

She'd done well in her x-pen all day. After dinner, I closed up the pen with a blanket, toys, a bowl of water and some bones and she lay there happily and went to sleep. I tiptoed out of the room and went quickly to a friend's house to pick up some things I'd left there. When I got back Honey was out of the x-pen and limping. How was it possible? She's not a tall dog, it's a three foot fence with a small interior space so no way to build up speed but....somehow, she jumped it. There is no other explanation and nothing could be worse.

I called the vet (open 24 hours, thank you) and he said the best thing to do was bring her right down for an xray to see if she damaged anything. One hour freeway driving and $175 later, I saw the xray results which showed the surgery was still firmly in place but her leg was swollen. I refused the pain medication for her this time. The start of this adventure was Honey thinking her sore leg was not longer sore. Now I want her to know there's a problem. She's already pretty impervious to pain so I'm hoping this gives her some sense she is not superdog.

Recommendation: I would like to point out carecredit for those of you who don't know about it. If your pet is trying to break you, counter their move with a credit card that will help you take care of their bills. Honey's next xrays - two weeks.

Bringing the dog home from the vet

2006-01-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

This really isn't the travelling Honey or I had in mind but things are going to be different for a couple of months. Since successful TPLO surgery requires COMPLETE rest for approx. eight weeks, there are all kinds of challenges.

A big one you face is, where do you keep a dog that is used to free roam of the house and yard? Ideally, they should be crated or kept in a pen although some people move all the furniture that is seductively jump-up-on-able and use baby gates to section them off from activity. Whatever the arrangement, the dog isn't going to be thrilled about it. A picture says it all. Here is one of Honey's fellow TPLO-patients, Chloe, sitting in her xpen.

Yes, it is a little cold under the circumstances, that x-pen is actually short for exercise pen.

Recommendations: Look around quickly to see what kind of adjustments you are going to have to make. Think of the route you will take them out to take care of business, if there are stairs, how will you confine them, etc. If you work it out quickly, you'll be able to get a better deal on anything you have to buy or, you might even have time to make your own ramp, for example.

Dr. Schulman, Star dog vet pt. 2 and Dog ACL injury

2006-01-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury in dogs? I hadn't and I was in for a big surprise. A slight limp becomes a more continual limp which becomes more pronounced until an xray confirms it is a problem that has to be dealt with.

The ACL is a knee ligament and is a common and often ignored site of problems. One site said "approximately 50% of all dogs have partial or chronic tears without obvious instability" and one of the signs they talk about is a dog sitting on one leg with the other one outstretched - and I thought it was so cute when Honey sat exactly like this photo example they used.

From what I have been learning, there are a couple of different options for surgery which include traditional, TPLO and a new surgery called TTA. There is also a program of conservative management which, unfortunately, in the long term, isn't that successful in larger, young dogs.

I went to see Dr. Schulman, a very talented veterinary orthopedic surgeon, heading a practice at Animal Medical Center on Sepulveda in Los Angeles. His recommendation was for a TPLO which is a big decision. It is expensive and there is a very long rehabilitation program which is the scariest part. When you have an extremely active dog that only knows two speeds (0 and 60) the idea of keeping them still for two months, followed by limited activity for two to three more months - well, it seems overwhelming. I went to the internet to look for help and there it was - a yahoo group called orthodogs. After reading about other successful surgeries and rehabilitations - including on other very active dogs - and lots of encouragement from the very supportive members, it became do-able. One recommendation was to keep the dog mentally stimulated which led me to another very helpful site, lauriebryce.com where I found suggestions for games and tricks to help me, oh yeah, and Honey, through this.

Honey had the surgery and everything went well. It will be a long time until she will be running again but I know it will all be worth it when I see her trying (and failing) to chase down a squirrel.

Recommendations: No one without a medical background can really make recommendations on this but, after going through it with Honey, this is what I would've wanted someone to say to me. At the first sign of trouble, go to a vet you trust (if you don't have one, start asking around. It is a more common situation than you think - seems especially so in pits and Aussies.) This is a situation you want to take care of sooner rather than later. Then, sign up for the orthodogs group and start reading about other dogs and their owners who have been or are going through it.

Hollywood: Batcave/Dog Park West LA: Dr. Schulman/Star dog vet

2006-01-10T22:24:00.000-08:00

Honey and I had been working out of dog paradise: a client-now-friend's house in LA where there are three other playful dogs, bones and treats for all and lots of squirrels hanging from the trees. And, to top it off, every morning we would take a quick drive up Bronson canyon (above Franklin) ending up at the park and some off-leash running around the former Batcave (used during the old TV series. ) It was all dog entertainment galore.

Bronson Canyon park, itself, is a great place to take a dog no matter what their activity level. For older, slower pups who like to take a stroll, there's a steady but not too intense uphill fire trail hike; it's a short walk up to the flat grassy area where the ball-aholic mutt hangs out (where you can watch him carefully put down one ball to have thrown to him while keeping another one in his mouth at all time); a little higher up is a variously-sized (depending on time of year and rainfall) waterfall to drink from or walk in; and, my friend's dog disappears for up to an hour at a time answering the off-road, slightly urban call of the wild. The dogs seem most dog-like running up and down the hills and paths chasing the unstoppable cotton-tailed rabbits who flirt with disaster. The rabbits are fast and the cause of quite a desperate and eventually frustrating animal chase. I have the feeling they return to their underground homes laughing at the incompetence of the city dogs.

Unfortunately, Honey tried to do the most squirrel/rabbit chasing AND exploring AND dog play and I watched a slight limp become more serious. I had her calm down for a couple of evenings and everything seemed okay so I wasn't too concerned.
I did have to bring her to the vet, Dr. Schulman, for an update on her bordatella so I asked him to take a look at the limp at the same time. He had already saved Honey's life once when there were complications after her pregnancy, (I found her that way - I would NEVER let a dog have a litter with so many great pups out there that will never get a home), so I trusted him. When I told him about the limp, he was concerned and asked to do an x-ray. The news was not good. More to follow.....

Recommendation: Park in the top lot and go for the uphill hike first. If feeling ambitious, you can hike up and walk all along the upper crest with the Hollywood sign in sight. If you want an easier time, come back down, put your dog back on leash as you pass the lot, walk the short piece of road down, then back up to your left to the Batcave. Come early if you want to see the rabbit show.

Silverlake: Sun, gourmet sandwiches and lots of ice tea/Dine with dogs

2006-01-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

Meeting a friend for lunch? Your dog determined to go along? Your friend's dog might show up, too? If you want all that and something really delicious, too Say Cheese on Hyperion is the perfect choice. Outside dining with great food, potent caffeine pick-me-ups and dog-friendly waiters and clientele.

When I dine out and I have Honey along, I sometimes end up at places that aren't my food favorites but - they allow dogs so they'll do. Say Cheese is so much better than that. I started going to it before I had Honey because the sandwiches are everything a restaurant sandwich should be. They are made on crusty french baguettes or fresh rosemary bread or walnut bread or whatever works with the great cheeses, sliced meats and tasty toppings. The side salad is actually delicious, mixed lettuce salad with balsamic vinegrette, so it's part of the meal and not a garnish. The ice tea with refills makes it easy to enjoy the sidewalk dining, sitting out, soaking up the sun and your choice of coffee drink after the meal is better than any dessert (although I've had a bite of one or two of those and they were quite good) with the latte getting the most rave reviews.

And, best news, Honey can hang out, too. There are only a few outdoor tables so you have to time it right - probably easier to do during the week. But, with a little patience, I can usually get a table where Honey can have a view of the sidewalk traffic while I slip her a couple of tastes of prosciutto or turkey. She also likes to have room to fit partially under the table for a little shade if it is a sunny day. The wait staff will help with some water if you ask and you will usually see one or two other dogs there (besides those on parade.)

There is parking in back and on the street and, if it's a lure, I hear this is a some-time celebrity hangout. Honey and I are usually busy with unknown celebrities and their dog friends so I admit we've missed them if they have been around. For me, this is the place to meet a friend who wants to meet your dog but also wants to get in some deep discussions and do some extensive catching up. The sun, the food, the caffeine, the happy dog and before you know it - hours have gone by - this is vacation-style dining.

Recommendations: If you have the schedule that permits it, I would try to go during the week or toward the end of lunch on weekends. On-leash and be prepared to share your lunch. Dogs know good food, too.

Oxnard/Ventura: On the Beach/Dog Run

2006-01-01T04:29:00.000-08:00

Most people know Southern California has beautiful beaches - long stretches of clean sand to lie on, seagulls and pelicans dive-bombing the dark blue surf, dolphins and sometimes even seals swimming close to shore as surfers take the waves. Most dogs have no idea. They aren't allowed anywhere near the water and sure don't get an opportunity to see how to have any fun there.

In Ventura, there is a huge stretch of beach called Mandalay Shores where dogs are swimming, dogs are playing. And, even more unusual, they are welcomed there by the mix of surfers, sunbathers and weekend tourists. Mandalay Beach can be found off of Harbor Blvd., between 5th Street all the way down to Channel Islands Harbor although I usually stay toward the North.

Access to the water is at various points of the streets and alleys closest to the water. There are dog litter bag dispensers scattered near these entrances and trashcans for quick disposal. Dogs are to be kept on leash but during the week when the beaches are emptier, the dogs have more leeway and can be seen sprinting around in the sand. Labs and other water-loving dogs are jumping in, getting soaked, then returning to their owners to share the fur-water shakeout.

This is a great place to have a dog companion. Honey and I walk farther than I ever would on my own, playing the whole way. She runs into the edges of the surf. She does love the water but this is quite different from the wading pools she's used to. One time a small but strong wave caught her so I quickly grabbed her collar to offset the pull of the tide back. I'm glad it happened because, it wasn't deep enough to do any harm but, it was scary enough to teach her not to run in.

Honey also likes to stroll along and eat some of the seaweed that gets washed up. I watch this pastime of hers pretty carefully. I met a woman with a nice young basset hound that had developed a taste for sand crabs. She let the dog feast on them and then found out the shells were lodged in his intestines and he had to have an operation to clear it up.

There's also some stick chasing, some ball retrieving (but not much because the sandy taste of the ball does seem to interfere with some of the pleasure of that) and sometimes we're just lying down in the sand and watching everyone. Honey is a big people watcher - especially if they're a little distance away so she can't see them very well. One woman was buried in the sand turning her head this way and that to talk to her companions. Honey went into a rigid sit pose and couldn't take her eyes off her. She really wanted to know what that was about and wasn't truly satisfied until the woman got up. Since Honey is an AmStaff aka Pit Bull, her stare seems initimidating to some people but the only thing she is interested in is if there is a dog around for her to play with....she loves people but dogs trump people any day because they know how to play! (Some pits ARE very dog aggressive and their owners need to be responsive to that - luckily, Honey is one of the sociable ones.) Okay, and I do believe she is constantly on alert in case there is an abandoned piece of buttered toast or perhaps a nice breast of chicken.

Recommendation: Park on a side street. Start off on-leash. If you don't bring water, have some in the car in case it is a hot day. Look around for a doggie bag dispenser (or bring your own), and find one of the many signs that point to coastal access. Walk on in and start exploring. Weekends during the winder - morning, noon and right before sundown, this makes a great dog day.