Silly Havoc

Today, I had Havoc in the shower with me, which I do at least twice a week. I was soaking my pancake tortoise in the sink at the same time, and she had pooped right away. So after I set Havoc on her shower perch I took care of my tortoise, since showers with Havoc have a tendency to be lengthy.

I told her I'd be right back. After I shut the door so she wouldn't fly out, I hear a tentative "squawk?" I call, I'm coming back, don't worry. SQUAWK?? I'll be right there, hang on! SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK!!!! until I open the door, and she's sitting calmly on her perch. I close the door behind me and she says, "Bad Girl!!"

hehehe What a goofy bird. :)

Agility Equipment at Toys R Us!

The AKC Junior Handler's agility equipment is 40% off right now at Toys R Us. These are great if you want inexpensive equipment to practice on at home. It is a little smaller, though, so if you've got a dog 50# or more it probably won't work. They have a bar jump, weave poles that slant, tunnel with detachable chute, and a "tire" jump. It should be on sale through the end of the week.

My significant other bought us the set, and when we got home after agility class, I demonstrated Popper's newfound mastery of the chute. :)

Herding Clinic This Weekend!

I, for one, was delighted to see there was a Herding Clinic in Ohio this weekend (June 14th and 15th), just outside Cincy. Two of my pooches are booked for Saturday, and I will of course be blogging about it! Hopefully with a few pics.

Here's the info in case anyone else is interested:

There's still space available in the sheep and duck herding clinic June 14 and 15! Please email me if you plan to attend.

Here's all the info:

Sheep and Duck Herding Clinic Schedule for 2008

Mark your calendars! Below is the sheep and duck herding clinic schedule for 2008! All clinics will be taught by Kelly Malone and held at the Stocker farm just outside of Lebanon , OH . Please let me know which dates you’re interested in and send me a check at least 2 weeks before the clinic date to hold your registration.

If you’ve never taken your dog to a herding clinic, give it a try! It’s a lot of fun and most of the other dogs are beginners, too!

Check out Kelly’s website for more herding info and events: http://www.karmaperformance.com

------------------------------------------------------

Attn: Herding Dog Owners

Herding Clinics: Maineville , OH (near Lebanon )

All breeds welcome

Sheep and Duck Herding Clinics ’08 event dates:

June 14 & 15; September 13 & 14; and October 25 & 26.

We are scheduling sheep/duck herding clinics for the above dates in 2008. Charlene and David Stocker have again offered the use of their farm in Maineville (just south of Lebanon ), Ohio ( 896 E. Foster-Maineville Rd. ). Kelly Malone (http://www.karmaperformance.com) will be our instructor and she’s bringing sheep and ducks, too! Most of the dogs will be beginners. Come on out and join the fun! Sign up for one day or 2!

The cost is $60 for both days of a clinic (if you can only make it for one day, the charge is $30, please email me a to make sure we can schedule something for you). Please bring cash to the clinic to give to Kelly. There is no need to mail a check ahead of time.

All days will start at 9AM and go until about 4PM. Saturday morning will be instinct testing, and then we proceed to instruction tailored for you in the fenced areas with you and your dog. Sundays proceed the same way if new dogs join. We adjust the day for the attendees and the dogs’ abilities. We all watch and learn from one another as Kelly instructs each dog/owner pair.

If you have more than one dog you’d like to have instinct tested, there will be a $15 charge for each additional dog. However, you can only work with one dog (typically the one with the better instinct). If you also have a non-herding dog, you can bring it so you don’t have to run home to let it out.

Space is limited so please respond as soon as possible. We’ll have the clinics rain or shine – there’s a nice barn we can use in case of rain. There will be water for dogs but please bring crates – depending on the weather, we may not be able to park close to the herding area, and there may be a large number of dogs around. You will also need a crate if you use the restroom, etc. If you cannot bring a crate, please email Charlene Stocker (aussie@aol.com) to see if she may have a crate you can use for the day. You'll also need folding chairs. We’ll send out directions & further instructions to everyone who registers.

Registration is by email should be received at least 2 weeks before the clinic date to hold your registration. Please bring cash to the clinic to give to Kelly.

Any questions, please contact me (Beth) at b_meece@hotmail.com or call Charlene or David Stocker at 513-899-4764 for more information.

Please feel free to give this info to anyone who might be interested.

Maineville is in the northeast suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio

Directions:

Please arrive by 8:45AM to have time to park your car, set up your crate and
get your dog settled in.

Please remember to bring the following:
- Crate for your dog(s) - you will not be able to park your car in the shade
nearby. There is a barn nearby where we can put the dogs in the crates when
they're not herding and a fan to keep them cool. Also, if you have a
non-herding dog feel free to bring him/her with a crate so you don't have to
run home to let him/her out. With possibly a large number of dogs, a crate is recommended. You will need to have your dog crated if you use the restroom, etc. If you cannot bring a crate, please email Charlene Stocker (aussie@aol.com) to see if she may have a crate you can use for the day.

- Water bowls for dogs and a water bottle for you. There's also a pond the
dogs can swim in.

- Lawn chair.

- Sunscreen

- Hiking boots or tennis shoes to wear in the barn and/or pasture.

- Bring your own lunch

The clinic will be held at Charlene and David Stocker's farm, which they
have kindly allowed us to use again.

Charlene's cell number is 513-479-8994 in case you get lost. If you get her
voice mail - leave a message and she'll return your call.

Directions:
(keep in mind Internet maps may be wrong due to construction)

from Dayton :
I-75 S to exit 29 Monroe OH Rte 63 E. Turn left off the exit
ramp. Rte 63 becomes Main St in Lebanon . Stay on Rte 63 ( Main St ) for
about 10 miles and turn right onto 48 S near the BP Station. Stay on 48 S
for about 8 miles until you reach the small town of Mainesville . Turn left
at the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. The
place will be on the left in about a mile. The Stockers' address is 896 E.
Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3 rail horse fencing, turn in
the next driveway. The driveway has a stone entranceway with coachlights.

from Bellbrook:
Take 42 S to 48 S. Turn left onto 48 S near Wal-Mart.
Stay on 48 S until you reach the small town of Mainesville . Turn left at
the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. The place
will be on the left in about a mile. The Stockers' address is 896 E.
Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3 rail horse fencing, turn in
the next driveway. The driveway has a stone entranceway with coachlights.

from Beavercreek :
Take I-675 S to the Rte 48 S exit. Go south on 48 for about 20
minutes. When you see the Lebanon City water tower, take the next left,
which is Miller. Stay on Miller and it will become 48 S again. Cross 42
and go under I-71. Stay on 48 S until you reach the small town of
Mainesville . Turn left at the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E.
Foster-Mainesville Rd. The place will be on the left in about a mile. The
Stockers' address is 896 E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3
rail horse fencing, turn in the next driveway. The driveway has a stone
entranceway with coachlights.

from Springfield :
I-71 South to exit 28 (Rte 48 South Lebanon). Turn right onto 48
south. Go about 5 miles until you reach the small town of Mainesville .
Turn left at the only stoplight in Mainesville onto E. Foster-Mainesville
Rd. The place will be on the left in about a mile. The Stockers' address is
896 E. Foster-Mainesville Rd. When you see the white 3 rail horse fencing,
turn in the next driveway. The driveway has a stone entranceway with
coachlights.

BRAG agility hosts agility trials THIS WEEKEND!

Well, anybody going to BRAG agility's trials this weekend in Powell, Ohio, I'll see ya there! I'm only going one day, and as a spectator (this time), but if you see a shy red and white corgi being walked around by a guy and a woman, well, it's probably me! I'll be taking photos so if your dog is competing let me know what it looks like, I'll go through my photos and see if I took one of your pooch.

Schutzhund suitability

So I was searching for the correct way to spell Schutzhund for a new design I'm creating - and I found quite possibly the best schutzhund page ever!

Directly from their FAQ:

Q. My dog has bitten several people and I think he'd make a great Schutzhund dog.
A. The polite answer is that it depends a lot on the circumstances that induced him to bite. The direct answer is that your dog almost certainly has temperament flaws that make the dog totally unsuitable for Schutzhund. The rude answer is that if your dog bites people and you LIKE that, then YOU have temperament flaws that make YOU unsuitable for Schutzhund.

hahaha it's so rare anymore to hear people tell it like it is. :) If you're interested in the sport of Schutzhund, I suggest you check out Big Sky Schutzhund Club, which is where I found that amusing tidbit.

Ohio wants to ban Pit Bulls

okay, now I'm irritated.

My SO's aunt's maltese was viciously attacked and killed by an off leash Malamute that was roaming her neighborhood. The dog warden, sheriff, etc all told her there was nothing they could do. Now, had that dog been a pit bull, it would have probably been euthanized, and its owners would have been charged with a misdemeanor of failure to control a dog. Sound fair? No, it's not. The owners got off scott-free even though their aggressive animal, which may go on to kill someone else's dog, took someone's loving pet away from them. I mean, at the very least, some kind of fine!

Now the Ohio government thinks it's going to solve some problems by banning pit bulls. An outright ban, not just the "vicious dog law" we currently have. So, if you have a very sweet, loving pit that you are following all the current rules for, guess what? If the bill passes, they will take your dog from you and kill it.

It doesn't matter how nice your pit bull is, if it loves kids, other dogs, or anything else. If you have five acres of 6' privacy fence all the way around, if you have a pit bull that doesn't even have teeth - they'll take the dog and kill it.

I don't even own a pit bull, and I likely never will - AND I AM OUTRAGED! How can anyone allow this to happen? I've met plenty of sweetheart pitties and even more aggressive little chihuahuas and pomeranians who have bit me - are we going to outlaw chihuahuas next? I could bend to the part where anyone wanting to own a powerful breed (including german shepherds, labs, berners, pretty much anything over 60#) should have to have some kind of permit. But to just tell people because their dog had the misfortune of being the wrong breed that they are going to take it away and kill it is just WRONG. Breed specific legislation does not work. (or as I call it, bull shit legislation BSL)


Here's the article from the AKC website:
[Tuesday, May 20, 2008]

Ohio House Bill 568, introduced by Representative Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, seeks to prohibit the ownership, keeping, or harboring of a dog that "belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog." Furthermore, if this bill is passed and adopted into law, all such dogs will be seized and euthanized. It is imperative that all concerned dog owners in Ohio contact their elected representatives and express their vehement opposition to this draconian legislation.

The American Kennel Club supports reasonable, enforceable, non-discriminatory laws to govern the ownership of dogs. The AKC believes that dog owners should be responsible for their dogs. We support laws that: establish a fair process by which specific dogs are identified as "dangerous" based on stated, measurable actions; impose appropriate penalties on irresponsible owners; and establish a well-defined method for dealing with dogs proven to be dangerous. The American Kennel Club strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be "dangerous" based on specific breeds or phenotypic classes of dogs.

HB 568 unacceptably provides that:

• No person shall own, keep, or harbor a dog that belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog.
  
• No later than 90 days after the effective date of this bill, a person who owns, keeps, or harbor a pit bull dog will be forced to surrender the dog to a dog warden.
  
• Within ten days of surrender, the dog warden shall euthanize the dog.
  
• If an officer has probable cause to believe that a dog is a pit bull, the officer may apply for a search warrant. After obtaining a search warrant, an officer shall seize the dog and transfer the dog to the dog warden, who shall euthanize the dog within 10 days.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

All concerned Ohio dog owners should contact their elected representatives and express their strong opposition to HB 568. To find your elected representatives, click here.

For more information, please contact AKC's Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.

People who shouldn't own pets

It has long been said that owning a bird is not like owning any other type of animal. Because of their sensitive and highly advanced respiratory system, they are extremely susceptible to all kinds of breathing problems, and you shouldn't burn candles, have oil warmers, or any other kind of fragrance enhancer in your home. They need a very special diet, because the majority of these birds eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and certain grains in the wild, which are NOT recreated in any pelleted food or seed mix. ANY. The closest I've found is bird-e-licious, which costs an arm and a leg.
What really gets me is when I log onto a bird forum, and all these owners who are supposed to know better, post that their bird drinks tea or plays with the dog. Number one here, tea can kill a bird pretty easily. That's a LOT of caffeine for a little tiny animal. Birds do perfectly fine with water. Filtered water is best. That's all they need. Maybe some 100% fruit juice if you want to add variety. But that's IT! Number two, playing with the dog is extremely dangerous... you can say all you want your dog would never hurt a fly. That's fascinating and all, until you remember dogs are carnivores, and even if his prey drive isn't particularly high (most dogs WILL go after a flapping bird), he could still step on the bird or bat at it playfully, causing serious injury. It's just STUPID to allow your dog to interact with your bird at all.
Am I saying that you're a horrible owner that shouldn't have a bird if you let it drink tea and play with the dog? That's precisely what I'm saying.

Justice for Gage!

Gage's Story

March 12, 2008 was a cool morning (45 degrees) as I drank my coffee on the way to work. Peaceful and calm, with what should have been a great day. The phone rang and my world exploded. My wife was babbling and screaming incoherently into the phone "Gage is dead". "Gage has been shot”.

Shortly after I left for work, my wife had let our Yorkies and Gage out for a quick "potty" break. My wife was at the back of the house when she heard a loud noise come from the back yard. She immediately ran to the back door but Gage was not there. The Yorkies were standing at the door frantically trying to get inside. You could see the awful look of fear in their eyes. She opened the door and yelled for Gage, but for the first time in his life he did not obey. He could not...for he was dying. (Keep in mind, our backyard is over an acre-fenced in)

Where to start? Gage came into our life seven years ago. Newly married and having almost grown children from previous marriages we found the house was getting quite (despite our loving Yorkies) so we talked and decided that we wanted to add another dog to our family. We were deploying overseas and I work nights mostly and I wanted my wife to feel safe. So precious little Gage came into our lives. Gage was not just a "dog" or just a "pitbull" to us. He loved everyone; cats, puppies, bunnies and kids. He made friends easy. He would endure great pain from a small child "as long as he was the center of attention" he was happy.

Gage was about two months old when we moved to the Azore Islands in Portugal. We worked so hard at teaching him proper social skills. We made sure that he knew what "NO" meant and we always had him in large groups so that he would be used to being around people. A stranger was never a stranger as long as he knew we approved. He was taught what his boundaries were, where he could and could not go. The house in Portugal had a three foot high wall and Gage never left the yard unless he was told he could and then he was on a leash. He never showed any interest in trying to escape the safety of “his” backyard. By the time he was six months old I knew my family was safe while I was at the base.

Gage traveled the world with us. He loved everywhere he went. Gage was an adopted brother to my troops and companion to my friends when they were lonely. The cable guy even loved him. He was loved by everyone who knew him except one person, my neighbor.

Ray Stanfill, the neighbor who had a tree cut across my fence and did not fix it. Ray Stanfill, the neighbor who asked for permission to keep his boat on my property because he did not have access to the lake. Ray Stanfill, the neighbor who asked for permission to build a small fishing pier on my land which I had no problem letting him. It was later that I learned that Ray Stanfill, overheard by my brother in-law, taunted Gage on many occasions telling him (Gage) that he was going to shoot him if he did not stop barking.

Mr. Stanfill's story for the day he murdered Gage was that he had seen a snake on his property and went to get his shotgun to shoot it. Keep in mind it was 45 degrees and snakes are cold blooded. On the way to shoot the snake he say's that Gage jumped the fence into his yard and then jumped back into our yard. He said that he was "scared" that Gage was going to jump back into his yard so he shot him. "Sorry I had to shoot your dog." was all he said to us "after" he came back outside when he saw me home. Gage had never attempted to jump our fence. In the seven years Gage was on this earth he never bit anyone, never even tried.

Looking at the crime scene, Gage was dead on our side of the fence, shot through the neck, collar blown off and blood was everywhere. He did not die instantly, for my wife was holding him, trying to stop the bleeding as he breathed his last breath. He was shot at close quarters; the shotgun wadding did not separate from the shot before it entered Gage. Gage was burned from the blast. The fence was not hit from the blast. The only angle the wounds could have been made were for Gage to be standing, all four paws on the ground and Mr. Stanfill kneeling at the fence sticking the barrel of his shotgun through the fence and firing into my yard, into Gage. There were suspicious marks on the back side of his collar that led me to believe either before or after Mr. Stanfill shot him he tried to pull Gage over the fence to his yard to try to prove his story that Gage had jumped the fence. No one gets that close to an animal that they are "scared" of. They would shoot from a distance. The Sheriff's Office issued Mr. Stanfill a summons for Animal Cruelty and told him to get his boat and pier off my property.

The rest off the 12th was a blur spent building a coffin, digging a grave, and laying Gage to rest. We answered over one hundred phone calls as the word spread to former troops and friend in far off places. Everyone wanted to know what happened to the lovable goofball that was always the center of attention. There was a lot of anger and tears all over the world. A lot for a dog, especially a pitbull, but Gage was no ordinary dog to us. He did not have a mean bone in his body.

To add insult to injury, Mr. Stanfill now claims he owns the land and will not move the boat or pier from my property. The sheriff is unable to do anything about the property dispute because they cannot decide the lines without a court order. The legal deed shows none of his property comes close to the lake. If I remove the items from my property I could be at fault. He is going to tie this up in legal fees that I can not afford.

I have warned the neighbors on the other side of Mr. Stanfill to be careful. He has complained about their dogs as well. They said they have had numerous run-ins with him about their dogs.

I want him to pay for what he has done to Gage and my family. Don't take that the wrong way. I don't want money. We only want to see the right thing done. My kids can't sleep and my wife is a mess. My children want to move and I may have to get them counseling. What was a home is now a scary nightmare. If he will do this to an animal what would stop him from doing it to a human or child he does not like.

This morning I watched my wife let the little ones (Yorkies) out and saw her cry at Gage's grave. I stood there watching the scene from the backdoor not sure if they were safe to be out there. Worried about what might happen. No one should have to live this way. No one should have to die the way Gage did.

Please sign the petition to bring this murderer to justice!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/justice-4-gage

It's time for frisbee!

Okay, technically, it's not supposed to be called frisbee - it's "flying disc." Frisbee is a trademark held by Wham-O corporation. Silly, isn't it? I was under the impression that when something became a common use name like that the trademark disappeared. But what do I know?
Anyhow, Roofus is already a "flying disc" dog. He's caught frisbees for as long as I can recall. He's pretty good, too, especially if he's shaved and can see where the darned thing is. I've been teaching Popper, though not with the kind of dedication I did with Roofus, and I'm working on Merlin, too. Once I had them consistently catching from a stand-still with the heavy nylabone frisbee (which falls too fast for learning), I got out the cheapy plastic one and low and behold - frisbee dogs! I can throw it about fifteen feet away from me, they'll scurry after it and snatch it out of the air. We're going to practice that for a while, then go for more distance. After that, it's weaning onto the nylabone frisbee. The bad thing about the more durable flying discs is that they fly faster and fall quicker, being heavier. But the good thing is, you buy one $15 frisbee, and it'll last at least a year. I left Roofus's outside all winter, and we're still using it. it's got a slit in it, and it's pretty gross, but it still flies as well as it did new. Can't say that for $1 plastic ones! Those last me about a day. Unless Roo gets ahold of it. Then they last about 30 seconds.

Renaming Popper "Pooper"

At noon yesterday, I went into the backyard to play with the dogs, when I noticed Popper was behaving pretty strangely... He'd go out to poop, and then as he pooped, he'd suddenly jump up, tuck his tail between his legs, and run to the door, and sit down looking scared. I saw that his poop was liquid and black. Where he sat on the deck, there was more. And it trailed off as he ran off the deck. He would not retrieve his ball at all (a SURE sign something's wrong!!).

I looked black diarrhea up on the internet - and made an emergency appointment at the vet. (not our regular vet, nor our backup - BOTH were unavailable!) Turns out, Popper has colotis, which is inflammation of the colon, probably from eating something (he eats everything). He's on two different meds and a special bland diet. I'm very upset with the brand of the prescription diet, it is something I swore I would NEVER allow into my house, it's so crappy. I would have been happier feeding him some California Natural canned, at least it doesn't have corn or soy in it (and never used BHT in its food either).

Popper was enjoying all the attention his illness got him, and last night he produced a semi-firm poo. YAY!

Another example of owning a bird...

This morning I got my Severe Macaw, Havoc, out for a little TLC before we had our shower together. I had been rubbing her belly through the cage (tickle tickle tickle!) and rubbing her head (at her request, I might add), so I got her out and told her what a pretty girl she is (she tries to anticipate what I'm going to say - but usually goes with "Pretty Boy" instead). As I was withdrawing her from the cage, she suddenly lunged upwards and grabbed my bottom lip.

Long story short, she pierced both my inside lip and the outside of my chin. It bled pretty good for a while, and now I have a fat lip. I had been expecting a serious bite for some time (though this still isn't what I'd consider serious, since many bird owners get sent to the hospital if their bird feels like it). A lot of avian behaviorists will tell you that it's the owner's fault for not correctly interpreting the bird's body language and other tells. Having now experienced the bite myself (and I've been bit other times, just not on the face), I can tell you that's USUALLY true. But keep in mind that animals are capable of deceit. There are plenty of books on ethology that will give many examples of animals lying, most noticeably, of course, in primates. Owning as many pets as I do, I can assure you that lying, cheating, and scheming occurs in nearly all animals.

I do not let Havoc near my face, ever, and she knows it. She is NOT a shoulder bird (though she tries to sneak up there) and she wasn't what I considered close to my face as I removed her from the cage. She purposefully leapt up at my face with the intention to do SOMETHING. Perhaps it wasn't ill-will, I don't know. Maybe she just wanted to grab my juicy looking lip. Maybe she wanted me to shut up. Maybe she just was so overcome with wanted to do something she lashed out. And it doesn't particularly matter to me - I do not harbor any bad feelings towards her. Granted, I did not take my shower with her today - but I think that's understandable. I was a little worried about stemming the blood flow at the time. She is a bird, and birds bite.

I think that's a HUGE part of bird ownership that most people don't understand. There are NO domesticated parrots, no matter what the pet store tells you. Some of the larger birds are only a few generations removed from the wild. You can't expect them to act like a dog or a cat, not only because they are NOT a dog or a cat (and are many times smarter), but because they retain pretty much all of their instincts and behaviors. Parrots allow us to live with them - but every day is a challenge. Body language is a big thing, learning to interpret it correctly can help you tremendously in bonding more closely with your bird, as well as avoiding a lot of bites. But one day, when you're not expecting it, your bird will bite you. It will hurt. You may be bit again. You might have had your pet for years, and you're saying, "This chick's crazy, Baby would NEVER bite me." Toots, you're wrong. It might not have happened yet - but it will. The trick is to minimize the damage by keeping your bird away from your face at all times. And, as I said in my story, even that may not protect you. But it was better for my lip to get bitten than, say, my eye.

You cannot effectively punish a bird for this behavior, though it is conceivable the bird may feel "regret" (I apologize for my anthropomorphizing). Birds are pretty emphatic, and pick up on your emotions fairly easily. Yelling at the bird is also pointless, and may encourage further acts of "aggression." I put quotes around aggression because while we may interpret it as aggression, as I stated early, there are any number of reasons why Havoc might have bitten me. Frustration, rough play, just being Havoc....

My point is, always be cautious when playing with your bird. Do not intentionally allow it around your face and head. Remember that your bird may injure you at any time, it simple chooses not to. This doesn't mean your parrot is a jerk, or aggressive. It means it is a PARROT!

Dogster's GOFA Contest Over

We sponsored the prize for 8th place in the Annual Go Orange For Animals photo contest on Dogster! We are pleased to present our prize to Luckee who won 8th place with a really groovy photo. Congratulations Luckee.

Flyball at Home

We've stopped going to flyball classes for several reasons, and now we are doing this great dog sport only at home. It's going VERY well! The dogs will completely do it all on their own - including triggering the box. At classes, they wouldn't even do a dead retrieve, which they do marvelously at home. Merlin, because he was terrified of everything, Popper, because he is a bit ADD and was constantly worried about where Merlin was. We tried having Merlin and Mickey both leaving the room, but then Popper ran over to the door and would not focus on anything.

So we've been doing it at home, with just three jumps because of the room issue, and they love it. If it can stay dry for more than a day at a time we will move all the jumps outside and do it there. Our backyard is a big mud pit when it rains (and sometimes a pond!) so I CURSE THIS BAD WEATHER!

Happy Adoption Day!

Which just happens to also be April Fool's Day. :) Six years ago I brought Blossom home from the Capital Area Humane Society. She had been waiting for someone for two months, passed over for younger dogs (she was seven at the time) and many were wary of her dalmatian side. I, however, enjoy the company of older dogs, have no problem handling bad doggie behaviors, and brought her home with me.
She's now 13, almost totally deaf, but still as active and spry as she was those years ago. I found her on PetFinder.com, so if you are looking for a dog, purebred or not, look there first! They even have puppies. One might be waiting there for you!
So Happy Adoption Day Blossom! She has a bully spring waiting for her to celebrate. :D

Flyball Box Training

Well, thanks to the good folks over at Dogster.com, I've gotten a few ideas on how to get my dogs to use the box. They were doing great, and then we set the trigger so that they'd actually get the ball sprung if they stepped on it right (which they do). The noise scared them senseless and they didn't want to have anything to do with it again.

Essentially, we're desensitizing them to the noise. We've been working on it in short spurts and it's been great so far. It helps to have three other dogs that aren't bothered by it at all. A person with a lot of treats slowly moves closer and closer to the box, which the other person triggers repeatedly. Treats are constantly given, and no human reacts to the box noise or to the dog's reaction. We've managed to work to within a couple feet with no reaction at all!

We're also putting duck jerky and treats like that all over the box so the dogs get back into the "flyball box is goooood" mode. One has no problem with that at all - the other is still iffish. Our class instructor told us to just not use the box - how silly is that? Can't get used to using something that you never use!

The progress is pretty amazing considering the corgi is a HUGE wimp. Any little noise sets him scurrying away. He has adapted the best to the sound of the trigger mechanism, and yet he's the same one that won't touch the box anymore. Oh well, we're working on it. It's only been two days!

Yay for Squidoo!

I just started using Squidoo, and here is my very first lens: http://www.squidoo.com/flyingsheepdogs

it's all about Old English Sheepdog disc dogs. For all I know, Roofus is the only one, but I figured in case any one else was interested, there you go. I also have an OES Disc Dog design in my online store, which I also wear all the time.

Annual Go Orange For Animals Photo Contest (GOFA)

Menagerie Mayhem is proud to sponsor one of the prizes in the third annual GOFA photo contest. You may submit up to two photos PER DOG, and they must have the dog, you, and orange somewhere in it. You can photoshop them or not. For more details, head over to Dogster.com and sign up your dog for an account. Check out the forums under "Other Barks and Woofs" for a complete list of prizes. Add your dog's pictures to his account using the tag GOFA 08 to be entered. You must submit your photo(s) by April 8th, prizes will be announced April 10th.

Matchbox dog tees and Flyball Updates

In my travels I found a website that takes old matchbox covers and turns them into t-shirts - a very novel idea! I have one on the way for myself, called "The Dog" matchbox label. If you're looking for a cool retro tee you might want to have a look. There are other animals available too, a giraffe, panda, tiger, seal, elephant... basically a bunch of neat stuff. Check it out, the place is called Dream Dogs Art.

In flyball news, Mickey's been working on a flyball box so we can run flyball properly. To buy one online costs between $300-600, which is just obscene since we do this sport for fun, not competition. Right now we use a bucket with a notch and just set the ball on top of the bucket (which we have to weight at the bottom so it doesn't go flying). The dogs run down, grab the ball, and run back. I just introduced my old english sheepdog to it yesterday and he did it correctly on the very first run! Well, he had trouble finding the ball... I need to cut his bangs again. And he's not the brightest animal either. If you're interested in the box plans, we found them at Chakotay's Flyball Equipment Page. We did make a few modifications but it's a good starting point. I don't advise using PVC pipe jumps... there are plans out there for the real wooden ones and they aren't hard to make.

School Defies Agency Order to Admit Service Dog

I'm curious to know how a service animal poses a safety risk to students. I could see where the dog's paws might get stepped on during a class change, but considering service animals have been used in public for decades, I think these school officials are just on a power trip - and it's going to come back to bite them in the butt.

Read on:

BY CARL MACGOWAN |carl.macgowan@newsday.com

March 12, 2008

Defying a state agency's order to comply with New York's human rights laws, a Westbury principal yesterday refused to allow a deaf student to bring his service dog to school.

Principal Timothy Voels stood outside the main entrance of W. Tresper Clarke High School yesterday morning when John Cave, 15, of Westbury, arrived with his hearing dog, Simba. Voels and a sign language translator spoke to the teenager, his mother, Nancy Cave, and family attorney Paul Margiotta as reporters watched from a distance.

John Cave left and did not attend classes yesterday. The minute-long confrontation was the latest salvo in the yearlong battle between Cave and East Meadow school district officials, who have said the Labrador retriever, trained to alert Cave to noises and oncoming vehicles, poses a safety threat to students.

The school's refusal to let Simba attend classes with Cave sets up a possible showdown with the state Division of Human Rights, which on Monday told the district to change its policy on service animals.

"I don't think they know what they're doing," John Cave said of district officials. "I think they're going to be in big trouble with the state."

The human rights agency yesterday did not immediately seek a court order forcing the district to allow the dog into school. "At this point, we are not ready to comment on what, if anything, we may do," spokesman Thomas Shanahan said. Generally, the agency's orders are carried out without having to resort to a court order, state Human Rights Commissioner Kumiki Gibson has said.

On Monday, Gibson said the district's refusal to allow Cave to bring Simba to school constitutes discrimination. East Meadow Superintendent Leon Campo said the district would appeal.

Campo said yesterday the district would allow the dog inside the school if a court orders it to do so. "Whatever the state courts decide, how they rule on this matter, we will abide by," Campo said. "We'll continue to make the arguments that we're not only acting in the best interest of John Cave ... but all the 8,000 students that we are responsible for."

Cave, a sophomore, has hearing implants but doesn't always wear them because he says they are uncomfortable. During the long-running conflict, he has been attending school without Simba, though his family believes separating the two during school hours will cause the retriever to forget his training.

"This has been a terrible, stressful year-and-a-half for our family," Nancy Cave said. "I'm tired of people discriminating against my son."

With Simba lying at his feet, John Cave told reporters he was nervous before school yesterday. "I didn't get enough sleep last night, so I'm going to go home and rest," he said.

New Website Up!

It's not quite done, but I want to get it crawled by google ASAP so it's mostly up. :) It's called Corgi Chaos. It's essentially the same store I have on Cafepress, but I found a lot of other peoples' designs i wanted to offer as well. I didn't get the domain name I wanted, which technically I COULD get since I've had a store called corgi chaos for years... but I'll just wait for this guy's domain to expire and then buy it as it's not worth the trouble at this point.