This is cute! –Kim
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Five ballot-wielding puppies weigh in on the U.S. Senate race in Illinois (2:35 minutes).
Read more...
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This is a place for our best friends the big or little creatures in our lives who add so much fun and love to our world. Top Dog Blog is a safe place to find and share good information about our dogs, whether it's about health and fitness, adoption and rescue, habits and behavior, or whatever else. Take a look around....
Posted by — Kim in Dogs, foods, fun, government, news, politics, puppies, Top Dog Blog, TV, video, vote
This is cute! –Kim
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Five ballot-wielding puppies weigh in on the U.S. Senate race in Illinois (2:35 minutes).
Posted by — Kim in behavior, best friends, boredom, collar, commands, communication, Dogs, environment, fun, habits, leash, socializing, Top Dog Blog, training, walking
Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it helpful! –Kim
What Walking Means to Your Dog
Quite often, when I'm out walking the dogs, I see numerous other dog/handler teams out and about for a stroll in the neighborhood.
I see all kinds of things that I don't particularly like – dogs getting yanked around on leashes, yelled at, and constantly scolded. I can't recall a single time I've seen a dog in my neighborhood actually get a treat for doing the right thing when out on a walk.
But of all the things I see on walks, one of the most frustrating for me is seeing dogs being punished, incessantly, for being dogs.
Sometimes it seems as though owners take their dogs on a walk and forget what a walk is all about for their dog. For dogs, a walk is about sights, sounds, experiences. It's about checking "p-mail," sniffing hydrants and trees to find out where the neighbor's dog or cat last peed. It's about shoving their faces down the hole of a groundhog and sniffing until they finally pull their faces out, dirty, blissful, nostrils full of the smell of wild animals. It's about munching a particularly tender blade of grass, saying "hello" to a friendly stranger they'd like to greet, lifting a leg on every fire hydrant, sign, or tree you pass, splashing in a puddle or creek, or chewing a stick for a brief moment.
This is what walks mean to dogs. It's a chance to investigate and interact with their environment. It's mental and physical stimulation.
Many owners approach a walk with the mentality that, "We're going to walk x route in y amount of minutes whatever that takes. It will be your exercise for the day and you'd better well like it." It's a "let's just get this over with" mentality, a "you're an imposition to me and I'm doing this because I have to, not because I like to," mentality. For these people and their dogs, walking is a chore. For me, Cuba, and Mokie, more often than not, it's a game.
Let's face facts. For many, many dogs, a half hour leash walk every day barely scratches the surface of their true exercise needs. Mokie, my Chow mix, is a very active dog and for her, a walk is certainly more about mental stimulation than it is about physical stimulation. A 30-minute walk is a drop in the bucket for her. If I want to really tire her out, we need to go hiking, backpacking, swimming, or have a long and adventurous romp with some of her favorite doggy pals.
When we go on a walk, I'm walking for my dogs. It's their chance to just get out there and be dogs, to sniff and explore. If I want to go on a brisk, no-nonsense, let's-not-stop-for-anything-power walk (which happens rarely, I just can't see the point in walking without at least one dog and would feel utterly naked), I would go without the dogs.
Despite the fact that I'm a trainer, I also don't insist on perfect obedience from my dogs when we walk. A colleague once said, "well, my dogs would NEVER pull on the leash, because I'm a dog trainer." Well, la-dee-dah. Dogs are dogs. They move faster than we do and think poop is more interesting than we do. I'm not saying I let my dogs pull me around, but sometimes the leash does go tight. So what? I just stop, wait for the tension to come off the leash, and we start walking again. Easy-peasy. No mess, no fuss.
I do use equipment as a cue for the type of walk we're having. If I'm going on a training walk, where we're going to work on heeling or obedience, my dogs can wear their collars and six foot leashes. If we're going on fun, "for the dogs" walk, they get to wear front-clip harnesses and a long-line or flexi leash. (For dogs — and owners of dogs – that are not already trained to walk politely on a regular leash, a flexi leash can actually be both a safety risk and inhibit the learning of appropriate leash manners.) When they have those "clothes" on, they know they're off the hook. It's dog time – do whatever you want. Sure, I'll still call them back and reinforce them for coming, ask for a few steps in heel and reward with a chance to shove their face in a hole dug by a woodchuck, or ask for a few hand targets and reward with a stick tossed into the creek for retrieving.
But my dogs aren't always "on." They're not always performing, I'm not always rigid. I don't spend every second we're together thinking of criteria, reinforcement schedules, etc. I think of behaviors I like, and try to find ways to make it fun for them to offer those behaviors by giving them the things they want and need. Yes, dogs do NEED to sniff things and interact with their environment.
Sometimes, I'm not even a dog trainer, I'm just She Who Likes to Have Fun with Dogs.
I don't want robots, I want canines. Yes, I find their good behavior rewarding and fulfilling. It makes me proud to know how wonderful my dogs are. But at the same time, I want them to have plenty of opportunities to just do the things that they like to do, even if means that they're sniffing for 30 minutes our of a 45 minute walk and we only make it around four or five blocks instead of walking a few miles. Sometimes, I let the dogs pick the route we take on our walk. Something smells good on Fairview Avenue? Let's go that way instead of taking Riverside today!
Next time you leash your dog up for a walk, ask yourself, "whose walk is it anyway?"
Source: http://blogs.dogster.com/dog-training/whos-walk-is-it-anyway/2010/08/
Copyright 2010 Dogster, Inc.
Here's a great resource that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it informative! –Kim
Animal Planet has created an interesting series called Dogs 101. The popular video series highlights specific breeds, and gives lots of information that may prove helpful when selecting a canine companion. Season One is listed below. Lots of other breeds are featured in Season Two and Season Three.
Season One VideosSeason Two: http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-season-two/
Season Three: http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-season-3/Posted by — Kim in breeds, Dogs, fun, pumpkins, season, Top Dog Blog
Here are some really cute pix that I thought I would pass on...hope you like them as much as I do! –Kim
Cute Dog-Pumpkin Pictures
Also, see: A Dog and His Pumpkin
Posted by — Kim in books/CDs, Dogs, fitness, foods, health, Information, medication, resources, sick, therapy, Top Dog Blog, toxic, toxins, Veterinarian
Valuable Resource...
You CAN Heal Your Sick Pet at Home,
Without Going to the Vet...
In Less than 24 Hours, I Can Show You How to Examine, Diagnose and Treat Your Pet at Home.
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVMDear fellow pet lover,
If you're not ready to make some simple changes to the way you provide veterinary care to your pet, beginning today....
Here is How I know:
My dog died young, only 8 years old. He was a mixed breed dog, a specimen of health. He was given a ton of attention, exercised three times a day, fed only Veterinary Approved food, and given all his vaccines. He had the "ideal" life. Hoochie passed away in my arms from a massive tumor bleed at 12:02pm on April 12, 2003 – the saddest day of my life.
I asked myself... why?
I thought that he was incredibly healthy. I was sure I was doing all of the right things for him.But I later discovered I may have contributed to his death, because I believed ONLY in conventional veterinary medicine. You see, I am a Veterinarian.
I'm Dr. Andrew Jones, and I have practiced Veterinary Medicine for over a decade. Over the past 17 years I have treated literally thousands of pets for a whole variety of problems, and I currently own the Nelson Animal Hospital in Nelson BC, Canada (http://www.nelsonvet.com/). But, my beloved dog Hoochie is gone.
You are fortunate... it's not too late for you and your pet. Just read on and find out exactly what you must do now.
Conventional veterinary medicine may be harming your pet – and I can show you step-by-step what you must do to prevent it. "Regular" veterinary care has lost its effectiveness over the years, and in some cases is actually causing illness in our pets.
Alternative pet health care has grown over the past few years, but the truth is that Veterinarians have STRONGLY discouraged pet owners from treating their pets outside of the Vet Clinic.
The entire Pet Health Industry has a vested interest in discrediting alternative medicines which can safely, naturally and effectively allow pet owners to care for their pets at home.
STOP AND READ THIS
Lock the door, Unplug the phone, and do whatever you can to have 10 undivided minutes... Get ready to read about how you could be saving the life of your pet starting now!
"I began to notice something unusual..."
Slowly, I began to notice something unusual about Hoochie. He really just wasn't the same. He was reluctant to go for his morning dog walk, which was always the highlight of his day.
I dismissed it as him feeling a bit off, some mild stomach issue or maybe a touch of arthritis... but it didn't pass. In fact, it got worse.
I eventually did a blood test on Hoochie, thinking at that point that he had a tooth infection. However, much to my horror, I quickly found out that he had a spleen tumor.
Immediately, I performed surgery on Hoochie and removed the spleen tumor. But I was too late - the cancer had already spread to his liver, and I knew that very soon, he would die.
How did an apparently healthy
mixed breed dog die so young?
I did all the "right" things – or so I thought. After grieving, I came to realize that I had played a role in his dying at too young of an age.
I came to question exactly what I did to my own pet – and what was I doing to other people's pets.
Through my questioning, I came to realize that most Veterinarians (including me as well, at the time) are not "getting it" – that in the process of trying to heal pets through technological advances, we are actually making them sicker!
There are 3 mistakes that I made that contributed to Hoochie's early death...
...are you making these same mistakes with your own dog?
Click here to continue for more information!
Posted by — Kim in breeds, cartoon, Dogs, humor, pee, Top Dog Blog, trees, urine
Thought this was funny! –Kim
We have to stop cutting down trees!
Global warming is one thing, but look at what might happen if we continue to clear our forests!
We have to stop cutting down trees! This is getting serious!
Posted by — Kim in age, arthritis, comfort, disease, Dogs, health, joints, medication, therapy, Top Dog Blog
Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim
Walking an Arthritic Dog
October 6, 2010
Just like humans, many dogs experience the pain and discomfort of arthritis. For many of these dogs, because they do the same activity as their owners, they will have similar symptoms in the same joints as their humans. Arthritis in dogs is also treated very similar to human with pain relievers and physiotherapy to keep the joints from getting stiff.
Now there is recent evidence to show that walking your dog differently can actually improve their arthritis. The University of Medicine, Vienna, recently published an article in the American Journal of Veterinary Research comparing the different ways in which you walk your dog have different effects on their joints.
In this case study, a specially designed treadmill was used for the dogs. Movements of the dogs while walking uphill, downhill and over obstacles was observed. These findings were then compared to the movements a dog makes while walking on the level.
The results showed that walking uphill significantly improved the movements of the hip area, while walking downhill had no improved results. Walking over obstacles was the most effective physiotherapy bending of joints in the fore and hind limbs.
Both walking uphill and over obstacles are easy enough done with your pet and do not require any special equipment. If your pet has arthritis and is in need of physiotherapy, you may want to try these alternatives for much more improvement to your pet's joints.
Source: http://www.youpet.com/blog/article/?articleid=443
YouPet, LLC ©2010
Posted by — Kim in abuse, adoption, ASPCA, death, Dogs, fostering, HSUS, neuter, petition, shelters, spay, sterilization, Top Dog Blog, violence
Here's a well written declaration that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it motivating! –Kim
This year, over four million dogs and cats will be killed in shelters.
The vast majority can and should be placed into loving homes or should never enter shelters in the first place. But there is hope.
No Kill sheltering models, based on innovative, non-lethal programs and services, have already saved the lives of tens of thousands of animals. But instead of embracing No Kill, many shelters — and their national agency allies — cling to their failed models of the past, models that result in the killing of millions of dogs and cats in U.S. shelters every year.
No Kill is a revolution. And behind every revolution is a declaration — a statement of grievances, and a listing of rights and principles that underscore our great hope for the future. We assert that a No Kill nation is within our reach — that the killing can and should be brought to an end. Join us in endorsing The Declaration of the No Kill Movement in the United States.
It is open to every individual, every group, and every agency that wants to bring about an end to the killing by implementing the programs and services that will establish a No Kill nation. Programs like ensuring public access to affordable spay/neuter services, allowing rescue groups to save animals on death row, and communitywide Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for feral cats. These are not radical concepts, but in the current sheltering world, one can be ostracized for daring to proclaim the simple truths that population control killing is not an act of kindness and that feral cats have a right to live.
Join us in speaking for those who can't. In the length of time it will take you to read the Declaration, nearly one hundred dogs and cats will be needlessly killed.
I. Preamble
One hundred and fifty years ago, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals and other humane organizations were founded to establish standards for humane treatment of animals, to promote their rights, and to protect them from harm. This marked the formal beginning of the humane movement in the United States.
The scope and influence of these early humane organizations were testament to the public's concern for animals. It did not take long for them to set their sights on the abuse of homeless animals and cruel methods of killing by public pounds. It was common practice at the time for city and town dogcatchers to beat, drown, or shoot homeless animals.
Many humane agencies responded by entering into animal control contracts with towns and cities to ensure that the killing was done more humanely. But in taking on municipal animal control duties, these agencies abandoned their lifesaving and life-enhancing platforms when those beliefs conflicted with their contractual responsibilities. In the current era, where laws require killing by even more “humane” methods, these contradictions have become starker.
Increasingly, the practices of both humane societies and municipal animal control agencies are out of step with public sentiment. Today, most Americans hold the humane treatment of animals as a personal value, which is reflected in our laws, cultural practices, the proliferation of organizations founded for animal protection, increased per capita spending on animal care, and great advancements in veterinary medicine. But the agencies that the public expects to protect animals are instead killing more than five million animals annually.
Lifesaving alternatives to the mass killing of animals in shelters have existed for decades. These lifesaving methods are based on innovative, humane, nonlethal programs and services that have proven that the killing can be brought to an end. Too many of these agencies, however, remain mired in the kill philosophies of the past, unwilling to or hampered from exploring and adopting methods that save lives. This is a breach of their public trust, a gross deviation from their responsibility to protect animals, and a point of view that we, as caring people and a humane community, can no longer accept or tolerate.
We assert that a No Kill nation is within our reach — that the killing can and must be brought to an end. It is up to each of us working individually and together to implement sheltering models that have already saved tens of thousands of animals in progressive communities. If we work together — with certainty of purpose, assured of our own success, with the commitment that "what must be done, will be done" — the attainment of our goals will not be far off.
II. No Kill Resolution
Whereas, the right to live is every animal’s most basic and fundamental right;
Whereas, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals and other humane organizations were founded to establish standards for humane treatment of animals, to promote their rights, and to protect them from harm;
Whereas, traditional sheltering practices allow the mass killing of sheltered animals;
Whereas, every year shelters in the United States are killing millions of healthy and treatable animals who could be placed in homes, and are also killing millions of feral cats who do not belong in shelters;
Whereas, life always takes precedence over expediency;
Whereas, the No Kill movement in the United States has successfully implemented new and innovative programs that provide alternatives to mass killing;
Whereas, lifesaving change will come about only if No Kill programs are embraced and further developed;
Whereas, failure to implement No Kill programs constitutes a breach of the public’s trust in the sheltering community;
Now, therefore, be it resolved that No Kill policies and procedures are the only legitimate foundation for animal sheltering; and,
It is incumbent upon all shelters and animal groups to embrace the philosophy of No Kill, to immediately begin implementing programs and services that will end the mass killing of sheltered animals, and to reject the failed kill-oriented practices of the past.
III. Statement of Rights
We acknowledge the following:IV. Guiding Principles
No Kill is achieved only by guaranteeing the following:
These conditions can be achieved only through adherence to the following:
V. No Kill Standards
The implementation of these lifesaving procedures, policies and programs must be the immediate goal of every shelter, and animal control and animal welfare agency:
- High-volume, low- and no-cost spay/neuter services;
- A foster care network for underaged, traumatized, sick, injured or other animals needing refuge before any sheltered animal is killed, unless the prognosis for rehabilitation of that individual animal is poor or grave;
- Comprehensive adoption programs that operate during weekend and evening hours and include offsite adoption venues;
- Medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs;
- Pet retention programs to solve medical, environmental or behavioral problems and keep animals with their caring and responsible caregivers;
- Trap-Neuter-Return or Release (TNR) programs;
- Rescue group access to shelter animals;
- Volunteer programs to socialize animals, promote adoptions and help in the operations of the shelter;
- Documentation before any animal is killed that all efforts to save the animal have been considered, including medical and behavioral rehabilitation, foster care, rescue groups, neuter-and-release, and adoption.
Sign the Declaration HERE: www.nokilldeclaration.org
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