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Showing posts with label cute dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cute dogs. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Monday, November 3, 2014
An Article Worth Sharing
Even though National Pit Bull Awareness Month is officially over, I was still trolling around the internet, reading articles about the month long celebration, looking for ideas for this blog. I'm happy to report, I found several sources of inspiration for new posts, so more in-depth, lengthy posts shall be arriving soon.
For now, I have to give a huge shout out to Ms. Arin Greenwood, from the HuffingtonPost.com. She is the author of this amazing article,
10 Stereotypes About Pit Bulls That Are Just. Dead. Wrong. It is one of the most well written, informative, and emotionally stirring articles I've come across in a long time when it comes to pit bulls and their unjust reputation.
The next time you have 10 or 15 minutes, please give this article a read, and pass it on.
I learned some new things from this piece, such as the American Humane Association's Hero Dog of 2013 was a pit bull. Her name is Elle, and and she is a therapy dog. It warms my heart to know that there are good people out there who are willing to give good dogs a chance, no matter what their breed.
Thanks to you all for reading this blog. Thanks to all the advocates who give their time, money, dedication, expertise, and passion to the pit bull breed. And thanks to writers like Ms. Greenwood, who publicly share their personal stories of pit bull love in order to change some minds and save some lives.
For now, I have to give a huge shout out to Ms. Arin Greenwood, from the HuffingtonPost.com. She is the author of this amazing article,
10 Stereotypes About Pit Bulls That Are Just. Dead. Wrong. It is one of the most well written, informative, and emotionally stirring articles I've come across in a long time when it comes to pit bulls and their unjust reputation.
The next time you have 10 or 15 minutes, please give this article a read, and pass it on.
I learned some new things from this piece, such as the American Humane Association's Hero Dog of 2013 was a pit bull. Her name is Elle, and and she is a therapy dog. It warms my heart to know that there are good people out there who are willing to give good dogs a chance, no matter what their breed.
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| Concobar, half asleep but still loves the camera! |
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| Cuddly Bunny pit bull, dressed up for Halloween |
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Saturday, August 2, 2014
July: The Month of Terror
For those of us that live with my pittie, Concobar, July is a distressing month. For those of you who are wondering why, two words sum up the answer; thunder and fireworks.
Ever since Con was a pup, thunderstorms have scared her. She shakes, sometimes uncontrollably, whines, follows me everywhere, getting underfoot and making me trip, and finally squeezes herself into a half sitting, half laying position in between my feet.
As I'm sure you can imagine, or have experienced yourself, that situation is bad enough. Then along came the month of July, and with it, the festivity of fireworks.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy fireworks as much as the next American. Or I did. Now, I spend the entire month of July running on two or three hours of sleep per day, with a pit bull perpetually glued to my feet. It makes for interesting dinner conversation. Especially if we try and eat out.
But really, this is a huge problem. And sadly, one I don't know how to solve.
The first dog expert I asked, a man named Frank who owns and operates Rock's Positive K-9 Training in my town, told me I was the problem. That my coddling of Con made her too vulnerable to outside stimuli, and I was turning her into a scardy-pit. Since Frank is an expert dog trainer who's dealt with thousands of dogs, and because I couldn't have that, I took his advice and began to ignore Con whenever she displayed signs of fear. No petting, cooing, or reassurances whatsoever. This seemed to work fairly well, so I enrolled my entire family in the "No Comfort" plan, and soon Con became more accustomed to thunderstorms.
All was well in McCormack land for a time. Then I made a fatal mistake. I took Con for a walk.
The fatal walk began as an ordinary stroll around the neighborhood. Con was trotting happily along on her Weiss Walkie, I had my plastic poop baggie and a pair of headphones. I certainly wasn't expecting the neighborhood children to begin throwing firecrackers into the street directly in front of us. As I'm sure you can imagine, neither was Con.
I'll admit, I don't remember every detail of that horrible walk. I remember the incredibly loud popping of the fireworks, and Con's instant and terrified reaction to that popping. She turned and bolted for home. Now, when I say bolted, I mean she almost ripped my arm out of it's socket. I don't believe that's an exaggeration. It felt like my arm was being ripped off. Somehow I managed to hang onto the Walkie, though my wrist was red and swollen for a couple of days afterwards.
That innocent walk set the tone for Con's reaction to fireworks to this day. Sadly, the progress we had made during thunderstorms was lost, as well. I still abstain from comforting Concobar during thunderstorms or fireworks, although sometimes it's pretty hard to maintain that tough position. But I know it's for her own good, so I stay strong.
In my neighborhood, fireworks begin the first week of July and continue pretty much through the whole month. I've come to dread July even though it's full of family birthdays, including my own and my twin daughters' (which is on the same day!).
So, dear readers, I'm turning the tables with this post and asking all of you for some advice. I'm open to any and all suggestions with the exception of the thunder shirt. We've tried that with very poor results. I'm hoping with all of your combined experiences and insights I can begin to give Con a little peace when thunder strikes and July comes around. Her human friends could use a little of that peace, as well!
Ever since Con was a pup, thunderstorms have scared her. She shakes, sometimes uncontrollably, whines, follows me everywhere, getting underfoot and making me trip, and finally squeezes herself into a half sitting, half laying position in between my feet.
As I'm sure you can imagine, or have experienced yourself, that situation is bad enough. Then along came the month of July, and with it, the festivity of fireworks.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy fireworks as much as the next American. Or I did. Now, I spend the entire month of July running on two or three hours of sleep per day, with a pit bull perpetually glued to my feet. It makes for interesting dinner conversation. Especially if we try and eat out.
But really, this is a huge problem. And sadly, one I don't know how to solve.
The first dog expert I asked, a man named Frank who owns and operates Rock's Positive K-9 Training in my town, told me I was the problem. That my coddling of Con made her too vulnerable to outside stimuli, and I was turning her into a scardy-pit. Since Frank is an expert dog trainer who's dealt with thousands of dogs, and because I couldn't have that, I took his advice and began to ignore Con whenever she displayed signs of fear. No petting, cooing, or reassurances whatsoever. This seemed to work fairly well, so I enrolled my entire family in the "No Comfort" plan, and soon Con became more accustomed to thunderstorms.
All was well in McCormack land for a time. Then I made a fatal mistake. I took Con for a walk.
The fatal walk began as an ordinary stroll around the neighborhood. Con was trotting happily along on her Weiss Walkie, I had my plastic poop baggie and a pair of headphones. I certainly wasn't expecting the neighborhood children to begin throwing firecrackers into the street directly in front of us. As I'm sure you can imagine, neither was Con.
I'll admit, I don't remember every detail of that horrible walk. I remember the incredibly loud popping of the fireworks, and Con's instant and terrified reaction to that popping. She turned and bolted for home. Now, when I say bolted, I mean she almost ripped my arm out of it's socket. I don't believe that's an exaggeration. It felt like my arm was being ripped off. Somehow I managed to hang onto the Walkie, though my wrist was red and swollen for a couple of days afterwards.
That innocent walk set the tone for Con's reaction to fireworks to this day. Sadly, the progress we had made during thunderstorms was lost, as well. I still abstain from comforting Concobar during thunderstorms or fireworks, although sometimes it's pretty hard to maintain that tough position. But I know it's for her own good, so I stay strong.
In my neighborhood, fireworks begin the first week of July and continue pretty much through the whole month. I've come to dread July even though it's full of family birthdays, including my own and my twin daughters' (which is on the same day!).
So, dear readers, I'm turning the tables with this post and asking all of you for some advice. I'm open to any and all suggestions with the exception of the thunder shirt. We've tried that with very poor results. I'm hoping with all of your combined experiences and insights I can begin to give Con a little peace when thunder strikes and July comes around. Her human friends could use a little of that peace, as well!
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Failing the Well Behaved Dog Guidelines and Why it Doesn't Matter
I have heard from many different experts that dog owners should not treat their dogs like children. That seems like sound advice, and relatively easy to follow, as well. And It makes sense, your dog is your pet, not your flesh and blood, right?
However, if any of you lovely readers are like me, your dog is kind of like your baby. You're bonded to him/her almost as intimately as you are to your own children. Your dogs mood affects you; if your dog is happy, playful, and smiley, you become happy, playful, and smiley. And your moods seem to be reflected in your canine buddy. I know when I'm sad and weepy, Con comes to me and snuggles, and it makes me feel better.
So in the opinion of many dog experts, some famous, some not, my pittie fails, in an extraordinary way, their well behaved dog guidelines.
Those guidelines include things like:
However, if any of you lovely readers are like me, your dog is kind of like your baby. You're bonded to him/her almost as intimately as you are to your own children. Your dogs mood affects you; if your dog is happy, playful, and smiley, you become happy, playful, and smiley. And your moods seem to be reflected in your canine buddy. I know when I'm sad and weepy, Con comes to me and snuggles, and it makes me feel better.
So in the opinion of many dog experts, some famous, some not, my pittie fails, in an extraordinary way, their well behaved dog guidelines.
Those guidelines include things like:
- Not allowing the dog onto the living room furniture
Con loves, loves, loves laying on the couches! She's so spoiled about comfort that she, literally, will not lay on the floor without some sort of cushion. She's been known to drag a blanket off the couch, and work it with her paws until she's satisfied with the comfy lump she's formed on the floor. Then she lays on it and takes a nap.
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| Con, the Queen of Comfort, sleeping on top of pillows on the couch. |
- Not allowing the dog to sleep in the bed with you
Again, the Queen of Comfort, as I affectionately call Con, loves her soft and comfy bed, A.K.A. my bed. While she usually won't go lay on the bed until I call it a night, she races me up the stairs and is waiting, not so patiently, for me when I reach my bedroom. Her favorite place is underneath the covers, so I spend a portion of my night holding the covers up as she goes back and forth between going under the blankets, and laying on top of the blankets. I think she gets a little toasty under there after a while and needs to come up for air!
- Not allowing the dog to play tug-of-war
Yeah, tug is the only game Con really likes to play, and during the winter months it can be the only exercise she gets. Without regular exercise my pitbull turns into an explosive bundle of energy that drives me crazy. So I think tug stays.
- Not allowing the dog to lay on your lap
This no-no actually makes sense to me. The theory is that your dog is claiming ownership of you when he/she lays on top of you, therefore stopping anyone else from getting too close. Since Concobar gets a tiny bit jealous when anyone, and I do mean anyone, tries to hug or kiss me, I can see the truth in this theory.
That being said, I still let Con lay on my lap. We have cuddle time. I like it. Sue me!
- No "baby talk" allowed when interacting with the dog
While I don't really use the cutesy baby talk tone when I talk to my pittie, I do find myself saying, "Who's my good girl? Con's my good girl! Yes she is!" I think she likes it, I think it makes her feel special. Okay, maybe that's me projecting on my dog, but does it hurt her? No, then baby talk continues!
The point of all this is simple. My co-worker and friend, Cheryl, really put this into words for me one day while we were discussing this topic. Her comment was, "It's all about what YOU find acceptable. If it doesn't bother you, then what your dog is doing is just fine."
Wow. Imagine that! All those experts, and it comes down to what I want? Now there's a new concept!
But Cheryl was right. If you don't mind your dog being on the furniture, then let him/her on the furniture! If your dog is as well behaved as you want, then you've done a good job. If he/she listens to you when you order them off the couch, then all is well in doggie/pitbull parent land. Being happy with your dog is what matters. That's the beauty of being the owner, you get to decide what you're going to train your dog to do. If you don't want your dog sleeping in your bed, then don't let him/her in the bed. Done deal.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Still Seeking Your Companions
I'm still looking for pictures of your dogs to add to my Pitbull Parents Showcase. If I get enough pictures, I'll spotlight a different dog each week, accompanied by a story you'd like to share about your favorite companion!
Blogger has added a great new gadget, a contact form. If you'd like to see your dogs pictures on this blog, please use that form to let me know! I think this could add a fun, and personal, element to my blog, and give all of you wonderful readers a chance to show off your best bud.
I want them all!
Blogger has added a great new gadget, a contact form. If you'd like to see your dogs pictures on this blog, please use that form to let me know! I think this could add a fun, and personal, element to my blog, and give all of you wonderful readers a chance to show off your best bud.
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| Goofy Pictures |
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| Pictures your dog wishes you wouldn't share! |
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| Sweet pictures |
.JPG "Con with only her head buried under a blanket") |
| Pictures that'll make others laugh |
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