*Sigh*
I know I haven't posted for a while but I've been a little preoccupied with work and work and... well... more work.
Today, Zeke and Rave went to the osteopath so there's not much to tell on their behalves.
The entire crew has been taking it easy, due to the raging heat wave that rolled in to Montreal at the end of last week so dog-wise there isn't much news... at all.
Back to my money woes, which I am certain everyone on the face of God's green Earth has...
I've been saving up... FOREVER... for a...
*DRUMROOOOOOLLL PLEAAASSSEEEE*
Canon EOS 7D and new lens.
I've done a few minor calculations and I would (obviously) love to have it ASAP.
But you know, this so-called "instant-gratification" plan I had isn't seeming so instant.
In my typical teenage mindset I just wish I could have it now.
Wishing for a money tree...
Monday, 16 July 2012
Monday, 9 July 2012
"...B-BUT it's a Rescue"
If I had a nickle, heck, if I had a penny for every time I heard someone justify the actions of their dog by saying;
"Oh b-but he/shes a rescue..."
I would be a multi-billionaire.
Now, don't get me wrong here, because I am certain that what I'm writing and what you will soon read could be easily misinterpreted. I am not at all against rescuing dogs, truly, I believe that it is a fantastic effort that is being made by millions of people and the lives of the dogs adopted are in most cases bettered immensely. What I have a problem with, is the percentage of these people that feel the need to let their dogs do as they please solely given their sometimes unknown history.
Just because your dog has been rescued does not give it, or you for that matter, the right to bypass all the usual standards society has grown accustomed to in regards to the 4 legged, panting population.
Your dog may have been abandoned, abused, starved, forced to fight, or all of the above. What matters is the present though, not the past. What happened to the dogs before being adopted solely matters for the future you will spend together, it only tells you what to expect and how to prepare for the potential baggage your new house-mate may or may not bring with them.
Just because your dog wasn't taught the ropes of greeting others, doesn't give it the right to barge into other dogs' faces and push them around.
Just because your dog was abandoned does not give it the right to rip your house, including couch, linens, carpets, walls, pillows and anything else to shreds the minute you leave the room.
Just because your dog was hurt by people does not give you the right to let it growl, snap, and endanger the people surrounding it for any given period of time.
When dogs are rescued, a certain responsibility is inherited as well and I am sick and tired of people simply justifying the actions of their dogs as such just because of the way their new pet is labelled. There are many rescued dogs, who have had issues and probably still do, who function perfectly well in doggie society today.
However, I know for a fact, that every dog is different, and different issues come in various concentrations. What I'm expressing my obvious disdain for isn't rescued animals and their issues, its the people who haven't made an effort to lessen the accompanied baggage of their newest companion.
But as stated before, I know dogs are as unique as their owners and sometimes the baggage cannot be lessened. I can understand this seeming relatively contradictory but it is true. And again, it is not the issues accompanying the dogs I dislike but, again, its the people who use the excuse that they've rescued a dog to not teach it proper behavior.
If your dog is bad with others, no matter how much socializing you do... Don't let it go see other dogs!
If your dog is bad with people... Make sure your dog is tightly on leash while walking down the street!
If your dog doesn't like being left alone... Crate train it!
If your dog is afraid of having its food taken away... Teach it that resource guarding is not acceptable or feed it in a safe environment where it doesn't feel threatened!
This blog post was spurred by the backlog of people who have brought their dogs to where I work so that they can have their nails cut or so that they can be groomed. If the dog is covered in mats, its not because it is a rescue, its because you have neglected to brush it! If the dog tries to bite me, while I'm cutting its nails, its not because its a rescue, its because its afraid of having its nails cut, LIKE MANY UNRESCUED DOGS!!!
Another thing I've got beef with (my teenager is showing lol) is the whole "rescued is greater than bred" thing (again, this mindset obviously isn't shared by all families adopting pets). It is my choice whether or not I choose to adopt a dog. For my lifestyle, it isn't what I want and it clearly isn't what I choose, but just because I have four aussies, all coming from breeders doesn't make me less of an animal lover than you, and it definitely does not make your pet, nor you, any better than me or mine.
Yet another thing I'd like to touch base on is what I call the "end of spectrum syndrome" (tongue twister). Just because your rescue came from a shelter does not make its issues any greater than my dogs' or any others'!
Each one of my dogs has a certain behavior that needs to be minded: For example, Zeke, my boy, hates having his nails done, and showed signs of resource guarding at a very young age. Even given his hatred of nail trimming, THEY GET CUT. And a lot of work was put in to making him "share" as a puppy but you can be damn sure that when another dog comes to see me, near his toys or food I, or someone else, has control of him.
All I'm saying is, if a dog is a rescue, so what?! Thats great! Its found a new forever home to spend the rest of its life with, but it is still a dog and it should be treated the same as any other dog would be. Being rescued does not give your pet any extra privileges or lee-way with its phobias, problems or other-wise. What rescuing a pet does give is a certain responsibility. This responsibility is given to the owner to watch over it, and re-assure this dog that, even given its past, the future will remain constant, filled with re-enforcement of good behaviors and the rehabilitation of the bad.
P.S Kudos to all the great rescuers out there, I really do give you creds and appreciate all that you do.
"Oh b-but he/shes a rescue..."
I would be a multi-billionaire.
Now, don't get me wrong here, because I am certain that what I'm writing and what you will soon read could be easily misinterpreted. I am not at all against rescuing dogs, truly, I believe that it is a fantastic effort that is being made by millions of people and the lives of the dogs adopted are in most cases bettered immensely. What I have a problem with, is the percentage of these people that feel the need to let their dogs do as they please solely given their sometimes unknown history.
Just because your dog has been rescued does not give it, or you for that matter, the right to bypass all the usual standards society has grown accustomed to in regards to the 4 legged, panting population.
Your dog may have been abandoned, abused, starved, forced to fight, or all of the above. What matters is the present though, not the past. What happened to the dogs before being adopted solely matters for the future you will spend together, it only tells you what to expect and how to prepare for the potential baggage your new house-mate may or may not bring with them.
Just because your dog wasn't taught the ropes of greeting others, doesn't give it the right to barge into other dogs' faces and push them around.
Just because your dog was abandoned does not give it the right to rip your house, including couch, linens, carpets, walls, pillows and anything else to shreds the minute you leave the room.
Just because your dog was hurt by people does not give you the right to let it growl, snap, and endanger the people surrounding it for any given period of time.
When dogs are rescued, a certain responsibility is inherited as well and I am sick and tired of people simply justifying the actions of their dogs as such just because of the way their new pet is labelled. There are many rescued dogs, who have had issues and probably still do, who function perfectly well in doggie society today.
However, I know for a fact, that every dog is different, and different issues come in various concentrations. What I'm expressing my obvious disdain for isn't rescued animals and their issues, its the people who haven't made an effort to lessen the accompanied baggage of their newest companion.
But as stated before, I know dogs are as unique as their owners and sometimes the baggage cannot be lessened. I can understand this seeming relatively contradictory but it is true. And again, it is not the issues accompanying the dogs I dislike but, again, its the people who use the excuse that they've rescued a dog to not teach it proper behavior.
If your dog is bad with others, no matter how much socializing you do... Don't let it go see other dogs!
If your dog is bad with people... Make sure your dog is tightly on leash while walking down the street!
If your dog doesn't like being left alone... Crate train it!
If your dog is afraid of having its food taken away... Teach it that resource guarding is not acceptable or feed it in a safe environment where it doesn't feel threatened!
This blog post was spurred by the backlog of people who have brought their dogs to where I work so that they can have their nails cut or so that they can be groomed. If the dog is covered in mats, its not because it is a rescue, its because you have neglected to brush it! If the dog tries to bite me, while I'm cutting its nails, its not because its a rescue, its because its afraid of having its nails cut, LIKE MANY UNRESCUED DOGS!!!
Another thing I've got beef with (my teenager is showing lol) is the whole "rescued is greater than bred" thing (again, this mindset obviously isn't shared by all families adopting pets). It is my choice whether or not I choose to adopt a dog. For my lifestyle, it isn't what I want and it clearly isn't what I choose, but just because I have four aussies, all coming from breeders doesn't make me less of an animal lover than you, and it definitely does not make your pet, nor you, any better than me or mine.
Yet another thing I'd like to touch base on is what I call the "end of spectrum syndrome" (tongue twister). Just because your rescue came from a shelter does not make its issues any greater than my dogs' or any others'!
Each one of my dogs has a certain behavior that needs to be minded: For example, Zeke, my boy, hates having his nails done, and showed signs of resource guarding at a very young age. Even given his hatred of nail trimming, THEY GET CUT. And a lot of work was put in to making him "share" as a puppy but you can be damn sure that when another dog comes to see me, near his toys or food I, or someone else, has control of him.
All I'm saying is, if a dog is a rescue, so what?! Thats great! Its found a new forever home to spend the rest of its life with, but it is still a dog and it should be treated the same as any other dog would be. Being rescued does not give your pet any extra privileges or lee-way with its phobias, problems or other-wise. What rescuing a pet does give is a certain responsibility. This responsibility is given to the owner to watch over it, and re-assure this dog that, even given its past, the future will remain constant, filled with re-enforcement of good behaviors and the rehabilitation of the bad.
P.S Kudos to all the great rescuers out there, I really do give you creds and appreciate all that you do.
Thursday, 5 July 2012
The Flipside of an Agility Teen.
I've read many blog posts about the importance of dogs and what they mean to their people. How dogs have affected the lives of their owners and how, with each tail wag and paw shake, they never cease to impress, amaze and awe without fail.
I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands of posts describing in detail how dogs can better lives, but I guess I'll just add another to the pile.
My dogs are quite obviously an extremely pertinent and influential part of my world and I find it quite stunning how people can diminish me for that very reason. I can understand your pet not being the center of your universe... Wait, scratch that, I can't. I cannot even begin to fathom a life in which dogs exist but don't, well, play a significant role. Maybe I can understand your life not revolving around your animal, but when it comes down to it, is he or she not just another member of your family? I can nod my head understandingly when someone tells me they like their dog but agility, obedience, flyball, and all dog sports alike just aren't for them. Because the amount of love you have for your animal isn't necessarily correlated to the amount of sports (YES. SPORTS) you take part in with them as a team. I can say "that makes sense" or "I get it" and I won't judge a person for it, not in the slightest. But when someone tells me...
"Whats with that? Its just a dog."
...Now that really offends me.
Sometimes a pet, is simply a pet. A family animal and something to greet you at the door when you walk in. But it isn't for me, and it isn't for my family. I would never stare down at someone for playing hockey or soccer. So why would you put me down for loving my dog and agility?
I don't want this to seem like an ignorant rant against anyone who doesn't take part in agility or anything else with their dog because I know many people who are extremely supportive of me, my family and my animals despite my "incessant animal posting" and "doggie pictures".
There are always those people though. I could just un-friend them on facebook, or not talk to them at school... But that somehow seems oh-so unsatisfactory. (Posting a rant on my blog shouldn't really be the answer, but it is somehow making me feel a lot better, lol)
I don't insult or diminish you for posting about, again, hockey drafts, or who won Euro 2012 because really, if its important to you, I respect that! And if that's what you like, follow and love, that should be enough for me to just scroll right by, like it, and to maybe include it in conversation the next time you and I chat on facebook or face to face.
But please, please, don't ask, and by ask I mean tell, me to stop posting stuff about my dogs.
I was not put on this world to please you, if you don't like it, you can un-friend me. If you don't like when I tell you something that I did on the weekend with my dog after you tell me about going out with your friends, that's fine! Don't ask me then! I understand how that could sound stand-off ish or, in some cases mean, and maybe its just my generation... But I really believe its just common courtesy to respect, and not put down something that a person blatantly adores!
My family, dogs included, have been there for me when kids, teenagers, from my school and elsewhere haven't, and they have helped me through so much caused by the latter. So, no, I will not stop posting every single time my dog gets up on the counter and eats something. Because, hell, that's freakin' hysterical, to me at least (I should really work on that, hindsight), and to a lot of the "dog people" who I have grown to consider my extended family and closest friends even though they're not "my age" or don't go to my school.
So you know, having finally graduated high school is liberating in the sense that I am continuing on to bigger and better things, to cegep and eventually to university, away from the people I've been trying to escape for quite some time now. But I also find it so amazing how, without the somewhat judgemental views of others (which I thought I had come to ignore), I have really begun to realize how much more I love the things that have been right in front of me this entire time.
I thought I loved it before, but man, do I ever love it now.
I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands of posts describing in detail how dogs can better lives, but I guess I'll just add another to the pile.
My dogs are quite obviously an extremely pertinent and influential part of my world and I find it quite stunning how people can diminish me for that very reason. I can understand your pet not being the center of your universe... Wait, scratch that, I can't. I cannot even begin to fathom a life in which dogs exist but don't, well, play a significant role. Maybe I can understand your life not revolving around your animal, but when it comes down to it, is he or she not just another member of your family? I can nod my head understandingly when someone tells me they like their dog but agility, obedience, flyball, and all dog sports alike just aren't for them. Because the amount of love you have for your animal isn't necessarily correlated to the amount of sports (YES. SPORTS) you take part in with them as a team. I can say "that makes sense" or "I get it" and I won't judge a person for it, not in the slightest. But when someone tells me...
"Whats with that? Its just a dog."
...Now that really offends me.
Sometimes a pet, is simply a pet. A family animal and something to greet you at the door when you walk in. But it isn't for me, and it isn't for my family. I would never stare down at someone for playing hockey or soccer. So why would you put me down for loving my dog and agility?
I don't want this to seem like an ignorant rant against anyone who doesn't take part in agility or anything else with their dog because I know many people who are extremely supportive of me, my family and my animals despite my "incessant animal posting" and "doggie pictures".
There are always those people though. I could just un-friend them on facebook, or not talk to them at school... But that somehow seems oh-so unsatisfactory. (Posting a rant on my blog shouldn't really be the answer, but it is somehow making me feel a lot better, lol)
I don't insult or diminish you for posting about, again, hockey drafts, or who won Euro 2012 because really, if its important to you, I respect that! And if that's what you like, follow and love, that should be enough for me to just scroll right by, like it, and to maybe include it in conversation the next time you and I chat on facebook or face to face.
But please, please, don't ask, and by ask I mean tell, me to stop posting stuff about my dogs.
I was not put on this world to please you, if you don't like it, you can un-friend me. If you don't like when I tell you something that I did on the weekend with my dog after you tell me about going out with your friends, that's fine! Don't ask me then! I understand how that could sound stand-off ish or, in some cases mean, and maybe its just my generation... But I really believe its just common courtesy to respect, and not put down something that a person blatantly adores!
My family, dogs included, have been there for me when kids, teenagers, from my school and elsewhere haven't, and they have helped me through so much caused by the latter. So, no, I will not stop posting every single time my dog gets up on the counter and eats something. Because, hell, that's freakin' hysterical, to me at least (I should really work on that, hindsight), and to a lot of the "dog people" who I have grown to consider my extended family and closest friends even though they're not "my age" or don't go to my school.
So you know, having finally graduated high school is liberating in the sense that I am continuing on to bigger and better things, to cegep and eventually to university, away from the people I've been trying to escape for quite some time now. But I also find it so amazing how, without the somewhat judgemental views of others (which I thought I had come to ignore), I have really begun to realize how much more I love the things that have been right in front of me this entire time.
I thought I loved it before, but man, do I ever love it now.
The 5th of July, Canadian Style :-)
So today, well the part of it that's over... was awesome!
Got to Guides Canins pretty early, walked the trails twice with the entire crew; Mojo and Zeke close behind while Rave and Fiji scouted up ahead as usual :-).
Did that while my mom taught her first class, of course on our way back they had to stop and make sure that mom was okay :P Y'know, she could have left them behind! lol!
So then from 11 to 12 I trained Zeke and got some wicked video footage! Kept it short and sweet, doing sequences of well... 1 to 3 obstacles, which he absolutely ADORES! And it was freakin' hot too! But he gave me 110% the entire time... must've been the cheese ;-) (which he stole at the beginning, he was very pleased with his naughtyness, lmao!)
Then mom worked the beebee, Rave, who is coming along so well, got wicked pictures in the weaves, on the teeter and on the frame. Then, while she was chitchatting, I did some cik/caps with him, sends to tunnel, but he much prefers to work with my mom so he decided to take a break, major cuteness alert!!!! :-)
So my baby-boo can be very sweet when he isn't being whacy-ptaky! heehee! Love my dogs!
Today :D
OKAY!
So today, I'm planning on making my hopefully kickass video, training Zeke and running all the pups into the ground while my mom is teaching her agility classes, for some odd reason I'm really looking forward to this! MORE LATER :D
So today, I'm planning on making my hopefully kickass video, training Zeke and running all the pups into the ground while my mom is teaching her agility classes, for some odd reason I'm really looking forward to this! MORE LATER :D
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Tricks!
So I've been inspired by another agility junior Megan and her dog Motley to elaborate my trick repertoire!!!
Here's a list of tricks I'll be working on in the coming days :-)
-Take my socks off
-Get the remote/toilet paper (very handy in... dire situations)
-Open/Close the door
-Turn on/off the lights (Already taught to Mojo, have to proof it!)
-Crawl (aka. CALL OF DUTY!) [Zeke is already in the process of learning this one]
-Cross your paws
-Hide your face
-Smile!
-Dance
-Walk on my feet
-UH OH!
-Carry this
Ready, set, GO!! :)
Here's a list of tricks I'll be working on in the coming days :-)
-Take my socks off
-Get the remote/toilet paper (very handy in... dire situations)
-Open/Close the door
-Turn on/off the lights (Already taught to Mojo, have to proof it!)
-Crawl (aka. CALL OF DUTY!) [Zeke is already in the process of learning this one]
-Cross your paws
-Hide your face
-Smile!
-Dance
-Walk on my feet
-UH OH!
-Carry this
Ready, set, GO!! :)
Timmies, Planning & Musica!
I have 9 days off this summer, 4 of which are this week.
Just for the record I work in a dog kennel at a dog school which has 9 agility rings, and two indoor training facilities. The job is not without its perks :-) lol.
So planning what training I'm going to be doing with Zeke in the future, as well as the videos that will undoubtedly follow...
New tunes as well which I am totally in love with:
demons - imagine dragons
raioactive - imagine dragons
no light, no light - florence + the machine
and tons of other that i can't seem to think of at the moment because im busy obsessing over my sandwich <3
Just for the record I work in a dog kennel at a dog school which has 9 agility rings, and two indoor training facilities. The job is not without its perks :-) lol.
So planning what training I'm going to be doing with Zeke in the future, as well as the videos that will undoubtedly follow...
New tunes as well which I am totally in love with:
demons - imagine dragons
raioactive - imagine dragons
no light, no light - florence + the machine
and tons of other that i can't seem to think of at the moment because im busy obsessing over my sandwich <3
Okay 1st post!
So this is, obviously, my first blog post...
Working on designing my blog the way I want it so this is just kind of like a test run to see how things work and how things will look once I've actually posted!
Yaaaaay for experimentation :-)
Working on designing my blog the way I want it so this is just kind of like a test run to see how things work and how things will look once I've actually posted!
Yaaaaay for experimentation :-)
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