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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
MALAYSIA RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP DAY 2006
Note: The Pictures are finally up on Cleo's Multiply AlbumsCleo and Belle had a grand time at the MRDO yesterday, although we didn't let them in the water like we normally do... mainly because the water looked murkier than usual... yuck! Anyway we got there at about 10.45am and wandered round the grounds of the Central Park. Cleo and Belle made new friends and met some old friends too. Pacco and Amanda were there and Paccp was having a good time splashing about in the water. We finally met Kookie and Reyee together with owners Nancy and hubby. Kookie was really adorable though I was slightly taken aback by how plump she was in real life. Nancy had always said that she was, but I didn't realise the extent of it I guess. And I think the cutest thing was watching Nancy cool Kookie off with 2 bottles of ice cold mineral water by pouring the water into Kookie's mouth instead of having Kookie lapp it up from a bowl or something. And then of course dear old Kookie had a couple of ice creams too... Hmmm Nancy, maybe you shouldn't give her anymore treats and snacks... ? Cleo only took part in one event yesterday as all the "long distance" races have been taken off the list of events. She took part in the fastest recall and surprised both Douglas and I by actually charging down the race lane! She usually walks slowly when called, but she literally hurtled down the lane and came crashing into my legs at the finish line! We were so pleased with her performance that we didn't really care that she didn't win the heat... Well in fairness she lost to a giant black Great Dane that outran her easily with alot less strides! I've been trying to put pictures up all of today but haven't been able to load anything but one picture onto blogger or multiply. It's been rather frustrating... and I am not even sure what the problem is. Sigh... will try and put some pictures up as soon as I can. I really hope everyone there had fun yesterday... Well done Puppy.ComWe all went home quite tired... so much so that Cleo fell asleep in the shower! It was quite a chore waking her up to get her out of the shower... and then she fell asleep while she was being blow-dried... so as soon as I finished, I had to prod her so that she would get off my lap. She promptly crawled into bed and cuddled her brand new soft toy that Sarah bought her...
Posted at 03:31 pm by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
A PAIN IN THE NECK: IS YOUR DOG'S COLLAR DANGEROUS?
Hello,
It has been some time since I've put up a decent post. There's no real excuse except that I have been incredibly busy. Anyway here's something I found that further emphasises why choke chains and prong collars etc are bad for your dog!
Regards,
Natasha
Extracted from PETA Animal Times
A PAIN IN THE NECK : IS YOUR DOG'S COLLAR DANGEROUS?
Dogs are usually smart and affectionate. But most of them have one problem: They just can't get anywhere fast enough. Their walks always turn into a tug-of-war between their walker's arm socket and their neck. An old-fashioned dog trainer would say to teach them not to lunge by walking them on a "choke" chain collar and yanking it abruptly whenever they start to pull.
Cleo in a Harness
Sherry Fries, an accredited animal chiropractor, adamantly disagrees. "Anybody who still employs the jerk method for training their dogs ... should have the same thing done to him or her," she says. What happens? "Whiplash of the most severe kind. It can also set the stage for disc disease, neuropathy, or disease to the spinal cord and nervous system.
According to British veterinarian Robin Walker, the "yank and stomp" method was popularized by the well-known animal trainer Barbara Woodhouse, whose books from the '60s and '70s are still sold in book stores.
"Barbara had arrived with her choke chains and nasty things were happening to dogs' necks," he says. "Since then I have seen a stream of screaming dogs arriving at my surgery with dislocated neck bones and damaged voice boxes."
Sherry Fries explains why: "When a dog is jerked by a collar, his head is stationary, and sometimes the body whips around. So now we're talking about maybe 50 to 60-plus pounds on the stalk of the neck being thrown around, and the dogs can't tell us, 'Hey, that really hurts!'"
The garroting effect of a choke chain can cause bruising and damage to the skin and tissues in the neck, resulting in the formation of scar tissue. Scar tissue has no feeling, thus, subsequent jerks will require greater force to achieve an effect.
Not only can the jerk method of training cause physical injury, it cancause psychological problems as well. Kevin Behan, author of Natural Dog Training warns: "...with a choke collar, the dog has an instinctive reflex at his disposal to deal with the sensation of something tightening around his neck. He may misinterpret the correction on the choke collar as a stranglehold and unnecessarily become rebellious or afraid."
Australian veterinarian Dr. Robert K. Wansbrough has even printed a factsheet on the hazards associated with choke collars. In it he warns that chokers can cause dogs to become fearful of hands, resentful, and aggressive.
While choke chains and their ugly counterpart, the "prong collar" (sometimes recommended by trainers when the war of wills caused by a choke chain escalates), come in for the most criticism, regular buckle collars aren't necessarily the answer.
Chiropractor Sherry Fries dislikes all collars. "I implore people to use harnesses as opposed to any collar," she says. Like a choke collar, a buckle collar puts pressure on a pulling dog's neck. The absolute safest option for walking a dog is probably a standard nylon-web harness. However, if your dog is a determined lunger, he or she may need an intermediate tool for training.
Injuries caused by choke collars:
Dislocation and/or fracture of the vertebrae
Intervertebral disc protusion
Fainting
Partial or complete paralysis of the fore and or hind limbs dueto spinal cord injuries
Damage to the vagus nerve thus affecting function of majororgans such as the heart, lungs, liver, bladder, spleen,kidneys,etc.
Crushing of the trachea with partial or complete asphyxiation
Crushing of and sometimes fracture of the bones in the larynx
Brusing of the esophagus
Sharp increases in pressure in the head which can cause brain oreye damage and sometimes prolapse of the eye
Posted at 03:24 pm by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
Friday, September 22, 2006
Me - Chewing on Mommy's bed
Note from Cleo:
I love to chew so Mommy gives me a new milk bone every 3 days. It's also because she wants to make sure my teeth are clean. I don't like the nasty toothbrush and toothpaste that she tries to use on my teeth. And getting lovely milk bones is a much better option, don't you think?
Posted at 10:41 am by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
DOGS RESCUED FROM DOG POUNDS FOR ADOPTION
 Please help rehome these dogs... They will be at Hartasmas Shopping Centre Every Saturday from 12 - 6 pm
Ikano Power Centre Every Sunday from 12 - 6pm
Contact : 016 6070 398 / 012 2256 170
Posted at 10:38 am by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
Friday, September 08, 2006
WATCH THAT TAIL!!!
CRASH! Cleo's tail sent a porcelaine bowl and a porcelaine spoon flying off the table and onto the ground... I jumped from the sofa and immediately dragged Cleo away from the broken bits of porcelaine. Cleo was quite bewildered and was perhaps slightly shocked cause as far as she was concerned she didn't do anything... The poor thing...
We've always been really careful with leaving things on the coffee table. We usually don't have anything on it at all, cause we've experienced her tail knocking over glasses, ornaments etc... but yesterday I had just finished having some soup and planted the bowl onto the table cause I was too lazy to take it to the kitchen... and Cleo realising that I had finished my soup decided that it was play time. So she came bounding over with her tennis ball in her mouth... and that was then it happened. So to all you labrador owners out there, watch that tail!!!
Posted at 11:39 am by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
ANIMAL WELFARE: WHO CARES?
ANIMAL WELFARE: WHO CARES?
CASIM, a coalition of six organizations and the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (KL) invites you to attend a public forum that will address animal rights from religious perspectives, the inadequacies of existing laws and humane ways of managing animals.
Date: 16 September 2006 (Saturday)
Time: 8.30 am - 1.00 pm
Venue: Pure Life Society, Multipurpose Hall, Batu 6,
Jalan Puchong, 58200 KL
Tel: 03-77829391
Speakers:
1. Dr. Chandra Muzaffar (International Movement for a Just World)
2. Ms. Christine Chin (SPCA)
3. Ms. K. Parameswary (BCLAC [KL])
4. Dr. Jon S. Satyamoorthy (MARPO)
5. Mr. Anthony Thanasayan
Admission is free. To register or to make enquiries
please contact
Ms. Siti / Ms. Sheena
Tel: 03-26913005/26932072, or
Fax: 03-26930527 or
EmaiL: lacklb@streamyx.com
Posted at 11:34 am by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
STOP CHOKE CHAINS! THEY HURT!
STOP CHOKE CHAINS! THEY HURT!
I am one of those "unconventional" dog owners, or so I've been told. And the reason for this is simply because I treat my dogs as if they were human. (Cleo lives indoors and sleeps on my bed). As far as I am concerned they are beings with feelings and emotions, and are equal if not superior to humans. I have been told that I look after Cleo better than how alot of people would look after their child. Well I guess it's true. Cleo always comes first in everything I do. For example, I ensure that I am out of bed by 6am every morning (be it a working day or a holiday) so that Cleo can have her breakfast, simply because she has to eat at that unearthly hour on weekdays so that I can get to work, so I don't see why I should get a break on weekends while she goes hungry. I know most people would not bother to get out of bed on a holiday to feed their dogs... because to them - it's just a dog... I sincerely believe that if you won't let your child go hungry on a Sunday, you shouldn't let your dog go hungry just because you want to have a few hours of extra sleep on a Sunday...Anyway, I am also one of those who are absolutely against the use of choke chains on a dog. Many trainers that I have met over the past years have insisted that I use the choke on my darling Cleo. I have never and will never use a choke chain on any dog. As far as I am concerned it hurts. Many trainers will try to tell you that it doesn't. Some will even go so far as to demonstrate the use of the choke on your arm. Of course when they demonstrate, the force used on your arm is probably a fraction of the force that they will use on the dog. So if anyone tries to sell you the idea of a choke chain with this demonstration, I suggest that you ask them if it's possible for you to try it on them with the chain around their necks, and not their arms. See what they say to that...I'll wager that none of them would be up for that challenge!Again, my belief is that if you will not use a choke chain to discipline your child, then you shouldn't use one on your dog...Anyway here's an extract from Animals in Mind, an organisation in the UK on the effects that a choke chain can have on your dog.
*** *** ***
Choke chains have been used on dogs for many years, they are so common that few people give them a second thought.
Maybe they could become less common if people were aware that choke chains (apart from being ineffective as training aids), are the cause of many medical conditions including:
Injured ocular blood vessels
Tracheal and oesophageal damage
Severely sprained necks
Cases of fainting
Transient foreleg paralysis
Laryngeal nerve paralysis
Hind leg ataxia
When examined for damage caused by choke chains, some dogs have shown misaligned vertibrae and some have sustained permanent nerve damage. One condition called Horner’s syndrome causes nerve damage that results in recurring pain in the eye and severe headaches.
People who advocate using choke chains often suggest using them on dogs from a very young age. Using chains on young dogs is highly likely to result in much more severe and long term injuries. For example, agility classes do not allow dogs to begin training until they are one year old. Solely because of the increased risk from traumatic injury.
Fifty dogs using choke chains were studied in Germany. The dogs were followed for their whole lives and autopsies performed when they died. Forty eight had some form of injury to the neck, trachea, or back. Two were genetic while forty six of the fifty were caused by trauma.
Pain is the principle The other problem with choke chains is the training regime that goes with them. Far from preventing pain and injury the primary purpose is to cause it. The general principle is that you ‘snatch’ the chain in order that the dog learns that to disobey brings pain and discomfort.
Trainers who advocate choke chains say that once you have inflicted sufficient pain, your dog will learn to respond to just the ‘chink’ of the chain. It is true that in general dogs will respond - by flinching or cowering in anticipation of the pain that usually follows the warning ‘chink’.The National Canine Defence League does not use choke chains and advises new owners not to use choke chains on dogs they adopt.
Stopping and changing
Very often we see dogs on choke chains who are damaging themselves by pulling with all their weight and strength - their owners having been told that a choke chain is the answer.
In most cases the answer is not to rely on any devices (painful or otherwise), but to understand a dog’s motivation for pulling and how to get them to appreciate this is not what is wanted and will in fact, get them nowhere.
Dogs are usually very quick to learn. By repeatedly stopping or changing direction when they pull, then rewarding when they get it right, it is possible to get even the most determined dog to appreciate that pulling will not get them anywhere.
Never on a puppy
Never even be tempted to use a chain on a puppy, it simply isn’t necessary. Puppies from 4 weeks to one year willingly learn using very gentle methods. Any force or punishment is simply not necessary. More importantly it interferes with effective communication, making them completely counter-productive.
Older and bigger dogs For dogs that pull heavily, there is a simple device called a Walkrite or Easy Walker. These are simple nylon harnesses that pull back when a dog pulls forward. You would use exactly the same stopping and changing method described earlier, but with the added advantage that a dog finds it difficult to pull against the Walkrite.
I personally like the use of a Halti, a special head collar that helps with training your dog to walk calmly next to you with no pain inflicted on the dog. See www.halti.co.uk for details of how a Halti works..
It is possible for dogs to be taught how to walk quietly without any aids. However, if a dog already has a habit of pulling and is too strong for the owner then we would advocate using a Walkrite harness until the owner feels more confident that they have control.
Time and time again we see choke chains failing to help owners. Dogs are very determined, if they have to undergo some discomfort to achieve their goal, they will endure it. Any training that seeks to prevent behaviour by pain or discomfort has the potential to fail, especially when the dog considers it more beneficial to be defiant.
Conversely, any training method that provides a reward for an expected behaviour has zero chance of failure because the very persevering attitude that causes the defiant action will be working for us, not against us.There are thousands of trainers who can show more effective ways to teach dogs, that don’t involve force or have the potential to cause painful and debilitating injuries, but an end to the use of choke chains rests with us all.
extracted from Animals in Mind
Posted at 05:11 pm by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
DOG OWNER'S CHECKLIST
A dog is for life. No exceptions!!!
The only answer to the question ‘When is it acceptable to give up a dog?’ is ‘Never.’
Dogs are pack animals.
It is unnatural for them to be alone. Do everything in your power to minimize the amount of time they spend alone.
All dogs can be trained.
Age, breed, size…none are an impediment to a well-trained dog.
Aggression is learned behaviour.
Aggression is not the same as dominant, submissive, or fearful behaviour, and it is not an inheritable trait. Aggression is the cumulative result of inadequate training and poor socialization.
There is no need to punish a dog.
Concentrate on what your dog is doing right and praise that, while ignoring or redirecting the behaviours you don’t want.
Obey all local by-laws pertaining to dog ownership.
Breaking the law makes life difficult for all dog owners.
It is important that your dog be adequately trained AND socialized.
You don’t need to compete in obedience, but your dog should not do anything that infringes on the rights of other citizens.
Without exception, pick up after your pet.
Whether it’s your own yard or beside the trails in the woods, you’ll keep the area clean and enjoyable for everyone who follows you.
Dogs do not exercise and socialize themselves.
Even if a dog does run around her yard, she certainly isn’t gaining any socialization experience there. Running around your yard is about as interesting to your dog as going for a jog in your living room would be to you.
Your dog should not be left unsupervised outside the home.
Any number of things could happen if you aren’t there to watch out for her, from escape to theft to abuse by strangers. extracted from www.goodpooch.com
Posted at 05:09 pm by natasha_fernz
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BE A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER!
BE A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER!
I am still deeply upset with my experience over the weekend. Visions of the poor puppies and the 2 adult females keep playing in my head and I have not been able to even sleep properly. I am at the moment seriously contemplating reporting the matter to the SPCA. My only reservation is that my friend may get into trouble if the breeder suspects that it was him who made the report...I am not sure that this particular breeder is a nice person considering that he can be so horrid to those poor animals. Has anyone reported animal cruelty to the SPCA? What exatcly happens when you do? Anyway I have extracted an article from www.goodpooch.com on responsible breeding. I hope that everyone reading this will think twice before breeding your dog and ensure that the Code of Ethics for breeding is adhered to when doing so...Thinking of breeding your pet?Even if the breeding and birth were successful, there are other important issues you should consider first.
As much as 65% of available puppies come from “one time” backyard breedings. It used to be believed that puppy mills were the main source for irresponsibly bred dogs. Sadly, they’re second only to backyard breeders. These people aren’t experienced show veterans who enlist the help of other knowledgeable professionals (I.E. dog show judges and reputable breeders) in determining whether or not a given adult dog is breeding quality. Backyard breeders will pretty much mate any two fertile dogs together. It is rare to find a backyard breeder who does any kind of pedigree screening or health tests to reduce the risk of passing on inheritable defects. Many of them feel that because it’s “just one time” they’re not having an impact on the pet overpopulation problem. But all those “one time” breedings add up.
There is a Breeder’s Code of Ethics for every breed. Do you plan to follow it? If not, there is a good chance you’ll create substandard animals. You’ll be harming the breed you claim to love by producing inferior specimens.
It is extremely rare to find one responsible breeder who owns both the sire and the dam in a well-planned mating. The sire's specific faults should be balanced by the dam's specific strengths, and vice versa. More often than not, one breeder owns the championed dog and another breeder owns the championed bitch, only coming together briefly for the purpose of mating. When one person owns both the sire and dam in a union, it is usually an indication the person is a backyard breeder.
Dogs do not have to be purebred to be loved. However, it is far more difficult to find homes for unpredictable looking puppies. At least with purebred puppies, there is a built-in market of breed-specific fanciers and enthusiasts. Most people want to know if the puppy will grow to be 5kg, 20kg, or 50kg. Will it be long, medium, or short-haired? Can it stand the cold or take the heat, or both? Because of the inability to predict the characteristics of the adult dog, mixed breed puppies are much harder to place, and have very little monetary value. So much for that profit you thought you’d make.
It is estimated that as much as 60% of dogs are re-homed at some point during their lives. Responsible breeders do everything in their power to screen potential buyers. It is one attempt to reduce the likelihood that a dog will ever find its way into a shelter. Responsible breeders require the dog to be returned to them in the event the buyer encounters ownership challenges. Individuals without significant investment of time or money in a given dog are much less likely to make sacrifices, should problems arise. With each re-homing, a dog ultimately faces euthanasia.
It was once said, “The world doesn’t need more (insert breed name here). It needs more (insert breed name here)’s who are healthier and live longer and who more closely match the breed standard.” Are you breeding just to create more (insert breed name here)’s? Or is your goal to truly improve the breed by passing on the genes of your physically, mentally, and genetically superior animal?
Millions of dogs are euthanized every year in North America. Every puppy purchased takes a potential home away from an abandoned dog in a shelter. Unless you have a truly exceptional animal and guaranteed, qualified, responsible buyers lined up for as many as 12 puppies, please do not breed your dog.
© 2000-2005 GoodPooch.com
Posted at 04:58 pm by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
STOP IRRESPONSIBLE DOG BREEDERS IN MALAYSIA
STOP IRRESPONSIBLE DOG BREEDERS IN MALAYSIA
A very close friend of mine has been bitten by the dog bug... I think Cleo (my rambunctious yellow labrador) has won his heart in one way or another, and so he decided that he would like to have a dog of his own. After much thought and deliberation he decided that he would like to have a German Shepherd which would basically be a family pet and a watch dog at the same time. As I have had German Shepherds in the past (I practically grew up with German Shepherds), I knew a decent amount about caring for German Shepherd puppies and adults. So I was asked to help with choosing a suitable puppy. I don't proclaim to be an expert, but I guess a dog lover would generally know what to look for in a puppy and also how to care for a dog. Anyway my friend found a breeder in Ipoh that claimed to have German Shepherd puppies from the working bloodline and was free from hip problems (this guy actually advertised in the papers). We were rather excited and we set off early Sunday morning to take a look at these puppies. The breeder met us at the Highway Exit and led us to where he kept the puppies and 2 of his bitches. I was absolutely horrified at the conditions of the dogs... They were kept in some sort of factory/warehouse (where these people roasted suckling pigs for restaurants and hotels in Ipoh), and the enclosure that they were in looked more like a chicken coup. The area in which they were kept was quite hot (considering all the roasting of pigs that were being carried out there).There was a litter of puppies (about 3 weeks old) with the mother, lying on the dirty floor in one of the enclosures. I didn't see a water bowl or any food anywhere... The puppies were quite dirty and when the mother dog got up, we didn't even realise that it was a German Shepherd. It was so scrawny you could see all the ribs sticking out of the poor girl, we thought it was some mangy mongrel until we got a better look at her... and she was obviously very frightened of the breeder cause she went into hiding as soon as she saw him. I do not believe that the bitch has been given proper care or even proper food. The puppies were rather inactive and looked malnourished, not to mention dirty. I guess the quality of milk that they were getting from the mother was rather compromised. Then we noticed that there was another dog in an enclosure at the back. According to the breeder that was another female of his. This dog was also in a very sorry condition. It was incredibly thin and her ribs were also protruding. Her hind legs were also terribly bowed and she was walking with a funny gait. I was certain that her bones and joints were in a bad state.We were shown a puppy that was about 8 weeks old, from another bitch apparently that was not at the premise. The breeder informed us that he had brought this puppy from his other premise... I have handled German Shepherd puppies from when I was a young kid, and I knew that this one was not normal.. it was very quiet and it's eyes were dull and had quite a bit of matter flowing from her eyes. Her coat was dull and dirty. She was also quite smelly. She was a sorry little thing. She was practically whimpering in my arms. The breeder wanted RM 4,000 for this puppy. I thought that he was just being ridiculous. I have no idea how he thought that anyone in their right minds would pay that amount of money for a dog that was in such a bad condition. I was also surpised to hear that these puppies have been certified by MKA??? How on earth did this chap get the certification? I would presume that MKA would need to have some assurance of the condition of the puppies, the bitch and sire before certification??? Perhaps he was lying about the certification...? We didn't stay long enough to find out. We were so horrified with all that we saw that we left in a hurry. We went home with a sick feeling in our stomache knowing that those poor dogs and puppies will continue to suffer in the appaling conditions in which they were kept. As much as we wanted to take the puppy, so that we could give it a better life, we just could not buy from this guy cause it would just encourage him to breed even more puppies irresponsibly... and then the vicious cycle would just continue. I would like to urge everyone not to buy puppies from irresponsible breeders. If you do you would only be encouraging them to mistreat more dogs and puppies, and you would be contributing directly to these dogs suffering. Breeders such as these, in my opinion, are merely out to make money, and have no feelings for the dogs at all. They should therefore be stopped from continuing their trade. "When they buying stops, the suffering can too..."
"A puppy is for life, not just for Christmas"
Posted at 04:45 pm by natasha_fernz
Woof Woof
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