It's Like Herding Cats

Add Comment

These are Cardian Welsh Corgie puppies, isntintively doing what they've been bred for; herding. In this case, they're herding a cat, not cattle, but you'll notice that the cat is enjoying herself, and when she's tired of playing, retires.

Stop Experiments on Beagles

Add Comment

When you think about animal testing, you probably imagine all kinds of different horrors. Maybe you think about how Proctor & Gamble is famous for sewing the eyes of baby kittens shut just to test human beauty products on them. You might imagine lab rats, bunnies, monkeys, and many other animals kept in cages, unable to see the light of day, injected with all kinds of harmful chemicals and diseases just to ensure that we won’t break out by using some new skin cleanser. (Of course, studies have proven this to be ineffective at best and harmful at worst; since humans are not the same as these animals, we often still get sick—even die—though studies showed ingredients safe on animals like pigs.)

But did you ever think that man’s best friend, the domesticated dog, would be the subject of animal testing?

Read more >

The AKC's Mutt Controversy

Add Comment

In a move which is more controversial than most people might think, the American Kennel Club has approved mutts (which they have dubbed "All-American") as entrants to certain AKC events.  The skill-based contests, Agility, Rally, and Obedience, now allow mutts to compete.

This move has hackles raised on both sides of the fence.  On the mutt side, if you ask a lot of people involved in animal rescue and animal welfare, the AKC is the single worst thing that ever happened to dogs.  


Read more >

Dog Bite Prevention Week

Add Comment

The best advice I’ve ever heard when it comes to avoiding getting bitten by a dog is this: don’t mess with a dog you don’t know. That’s pretty easy to do, right? Yes, it makes a wide assumption that any dog could bite, but in reality, any dog could bite. When provoked by a young child, my dog—then in the care of a friend while we were moving—did bite.

Though she did not cause much harm, she did have to be “put to sleep” over it, something I never understood at that age (I was nine) and never really got over. I haven’t really had a dog since. (We did try to have a puppy when my daughter was a baby, but that didn’t work out and we found her a better, baby-less home.)

Here are some tips to avoid being bitten by a dog.

Read more >

Golden Retriever Puppies eat boy ALIVE

Add Comment

There are few things that are more likely to evoke "awwws" than puppies. The combination of cute puppies, with a cute kid, is fatal. In this instance, we have William Lavinger, a 10 year old with 14 Golden Retriever puppies who seem intent on smothing him with devotion.

Itchy Dogs: A Rant

1 Comment

Charlie Negranus: in a couch castle.Charlie Negranus: in a couch castle.I love my dogs. I have two Rat Terriers. Charlie and Maple. Maple is the headstrong alpha female, Charlie likes to be on the couch, sleeping. This is my rant.

Charlie has allergies and his paws, in time with spring, are turning into red itch-bombs. That is now his favorite activity: chewing on his paws. He is so bad that when we tell him not to do it, he slinks off to another room to carry on unnoticed. I feel bad for him, and last year we tried medicine, creams, powders and behavior techniques. The bottom line is, the dog's feet itch like crazy and nothing helps. As bad as I feel for him, the constant licking and juicy sucking noises always coming from his location are almost unbearable.

Read more >

Heaven's Gate Kennels - BAD BREEDER

2 Comments

Just want to let people know about my experience with Heaven's Gate Kennel (Owner Leslie Ayo).  I bought a puppy from Ms. Ayo and on the way home from purchasing the puppy I had to take it to the vet.  She was diagnosed with an UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION.  The next day we had to take her back to the vet and she was diagnosed with PNEUMONIA.  The puppy had to stay at the vet for several days.  Did the breeder pay the bill?  NO!  NOT A DIME!  The health of the puppy was guaranteed on the contract which has been taken off of Ms. Ayo's website.  Recently, my puppy was diagnosed with EPILEPSY.  As of this past Friday she was diagnosed with HIP DYSPLASIA.  She is passing on some "good" genes!!!!  Please investigate before you buy. 

Iditarod Race to the Finish - or Death?

1 Comment

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race started in Anchorage on March 6th, and the lead contenders are homing in on Nome.  This famous 1,000 mile sled dog race is as controversial as it is historic, and opinions and tempers run hot on both sides of the debate.

Although most people picture a Siberian husky or a Malamute when they think of sled dog racing, the dog which is bred and used by mushers is a landrace breed.  "Landrace" breeds arise naturally, out of the needs of their breeders.  You could call it a kind of "purpose-built mutt."  

The landrace used in mushing is called a "husky," although it is smaller and trimmer than most husky breeds.  It comes in a variety of coat and eye colors, and is bred for speed, endurance, and "easy keeping," meaning that it can go far on a minimum amount of food.


Read more >

Compulsive Dobermans: It's Genetic

Add Comment

Researchers fully decoded the dog genome about four years ago, and we have still only scratched the surface of what this means for the advancement for scientific knowledge.  Most recently, researchers have identified a particular gene as being the cause for compulsive behavior in dogs.

It must be stated up front that a lot of dogs who exhibit compulsive behavior come from challenging backgrounds.  Puppy mill dogs and dogs which have been abused often display strange compulsive behaviors.  The same can be said for dogs which are confined without enough exercise.  Dogs are meant to get exercise, and if you keep a dog cooped up day after day without regular walks and outdoor play sessions, they can slowly be driven insane.


Read more >

Xoloitzcuintli: The OTHER Mexican Hairless

Add Comment

Xula the Xolo: photographed in Mexico City.Xula the Xolo: photographed in Mexico City.This odd looking, yet noble fellow is a Mexican Xoloitzcuintli (sho-lo its kwint-lee), a dog. These dogs are native to Mexico and are mostly hairless and have skin like a pig or elephant. This dog is medium sized and is not in any way like Mexico’s other famous hairless dog, the Chihuahua. Historically the Xolo predates European explorers and its bones have been found in archeological sites dating back at least 3,500 years.

Read more >