Archive: July 9, 2022

American Eskimo dog for adoption in Fargo

I have become very picky about which dogs I will foster.

I have no interest in a high-energy foster dog. I do not have the patience for kennel training. I do not have the right set-up for working through dog separation anxiety. I don’t have the energy for a puppy. I won’t take anything that’s aggressive towards other animals, especially since I have cats.

Cosmo Kramer is the perfect foster dog for me (To foster a dog means to provide him with a loving home until he gets adopted). He is by far the easiest foster dog I’ve ever had.

Cosmo is quiet in his kennel. He prefers to lie around the house, and he could care less if I come and go.

He doesn’t bother my cats, doesn’t chew anything, doesn’t try to pee in the house. He gets along great with my mutt Ace. He does not add extra stress to my life.

Cosmo – the American Eskimo dog

Cosmo is one of those dogs who doesn’t ask for much. He’s fine with what he has.

I can see that this has worked for and against Cosmo throughout his nine years.

I didn’t get a chance to meet Cosmo’s original owner. I don’t know if Cosmo had an intense bond with this elderly person or if he spent eight or nine years as a very anxious dog – the dog he appears to be now. I don’t know if this person treated him well or treated him poorly.

I also didn’t meet the person who surrendered Cosmo to 4 Luv of dog Rescue after the owner died. I don’t know if this person tried to make it work living with Cosmo.

What I do know – it’s painfully obvious – is that no one has ever had any expectations for this dog.

Cosmo may have been a wonderful companion. He may have been a good listener or a good walking buddy or a good snuggler. He may have been someone’s best friend.

But Cosmo has never known what it’s like to truly be a good dog.

The reason for this is that he’s fine just existing.

Cosmo naps under the kitchen table or rests in various corners of the house. He doesn’t follow me from room to room, rarely asks for attention, hardly ever barks.

But because he is not needy, I haven’t taken much time to bond with or really get to know this animal yet. I haven’t trained him or walked him as much as I normally finish with my foster dogs, and he’s spent two weeks with me already.

That’s my loss, because Cosmo is a sweet dog. I see this every time he methods me and waits for a neck or butt rub. I see this every time he accepts “noogies” or belly scratches. I see it when two or three times throughout the day, he nudges me – “oh, hai.”

On the other hand, Cosmo is an uptight creature.

Physically, he’s lazy. Mentally, he’s nervous (Aren’t we all?). He doesn’t trust me 100 percent and probably never will.

He seems to be a one-person dog, as he was likely an “only child” in his previous home and in many ways, very spoiled!

From what I’ve read about the American Eskimo breed, they are very friendly dogs, eager to please and eager to learn. Cosmo is extremely treat motivated, but he is lacking in the “eager to please” department. I’m assuming he’s never been challenged to learn, so he doesn’t understand the fulfillment most dogs get from making a person happy!

Instead, he just wants treats, and he wants them now! “Bark-bark. Yap-yap. Mer!”

At nine years old, Cosmo is just now catching on that working for food is not so bad. He expects treats instantly for doing anything, but I am not amazed with a one-second sit. I am, however, amazed with a five- or 10-second sit! good boy, Cosmo! Jippi!

So that’s where I’m at with him. He’s a great dog. He could take me or leave me, probably, but I still love’m ?

If you or someone you know many be interested in adopting Cosmo, send an email to Lindsay@ThatMutt.com.

He is up for adoption with 4 Luv of dog Rescue in Fargo. He is neutered and up to date on shots. (Edit: Cosmo has been adopted!)

More details on COZ-O-MO!

Well, what do you want to know? I call him “Coz” for short. Or just “Mo.”

Cosmo is kennel trained, housebroken and just fine having the run of the place. He sleeps all day and all night, but he loves to go for walks any time. He doesn’t bark unless he sees a strange dog or person, or if you get out the treats!

He gets stressed easily – doesn’t do well with kids reaching for his face or with anyone who grabs at his collar. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but he does growl or snap when he’s uncomfortable.

He is a gentle dog, not “dominant” by any means. My cats pick on him just because they can.

Cosmo needs someone who will slowly help build his confidence, someone who will stretch his boundaries without putting too much pressure on him. He needs someone who understands how dogs really work. He doesn’t need someone who’s just going to baby him.

Cosmo needs someone to love hjeg er.

Vital essentials Raw Bar for Dogs – healthy Raw snacks

healthy pet dog Snacking at the crucial essentials Raw Bar

One of the pet food brands that gained my depend on after I switched my dogs Missy & Buzz over to a raw diet in 2015 is crucial essentials (VE).

I first came across crucial essentials at the global Pet Expo in Orlando in 2016 and really took pleasure in seeing the products they had on display. (This post is not sponsored.)

Vital essentials uses pre-made, frozen raw pet dog food meals that come in a variety of shapes (patties, chubs, tiny patties, nibblets). They also make freeze-dried raw snacks for dogs.

I gotten crucial Essential’s frozen nibblets a few times at an independently owned pet retail store when I ran low on raw food for the pups.

And last year I purchased their freeze-dried snacks on a regular basis from the crucial essentials Raw Bar at the same store (VE Raw Bar).

It ended up being one of Missy’s & my favorite activities when her progressing cancer had slowed her down to the point that she couldn’t go on longer walks anymore.

To make up for it and keep her mentally engaged, we’d go on automobile rides instead, and one of our favorite destinations was naturally Unleashed in Fayetteville, NC. It has a VE Raw Bar inside the store.

One time, Missy helped herself to a pig ear while I was checking out.

Her brother Buzz was behaving and sitting nicely, but Missy, being the slave to her stomach that she is, put up her front paws onto the VE Raw Bar display area that was ideal behind me and pulled a pig ear out of its display container.

I apologized profusely to the checkout clerk who just grinned from one ear to the other…of course I ended up paying for Missy’s pig ear and also gotten one for Buzz.

There was no way that I’d be mad about her behavior. It actually made me delighted to see she was still strong enough to do a little shopping on her own.

Different Proteins from the VE Raw Bar

As the name “Bar” suggests, crucial essentials uses a variety of freeze-dried pet dog snacks, all sourced & made in the USA:

Duck Feet & Necks
Chicken Necks
Turkey Necks, Wings & Tails
Pig Ears & Snouts
Beef Pizzles & Weasands
Salmon Skins
Cod Skins

Different sizes & price Points

As you can tell from the list above, the snacks from the VE Bar are whole cuts of freeze-dried, raw meat that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are also different price points, so there’s something in there for every size pet dog and wallet.

Smaller items like the chicken necks & duck feet are between $1-$1.50, while larger items like pig ears, bully sticks, and duck heads are between $2-$4.50.

Missy’s & Buzz’s favorites were duck heads and pig ears, and both were the best size snack for the pups.

Benefits of crucial essentials Raw Bar items

Besides being sourced & made in the USA, all crucial essentials Raw Bar items are made without the addition of any:

hormones
antibiotics
fillers
flavorings
preservatives
farger
or synthetic vitamins & minerals.

Knowing this has become incredibly crucial to me as a pet dog mommy and supplies the peace of mind that my money was well spent on healthy, single-ingredient doggie snacks rather than highly processed ones where you can’t be sure what’s really in them.

See my post on diy dehydrated pet dog treats.

I’m one of those people who wants to know what goes into my dog’s body, and who will read the ingredient list of any bag of pet dog treats or food that I purchase. The appeal of single-ingredient treats of course is that there is no list of ingredients, but only a single one!

While I didn’t need to avoid any protein sources with Buzz, I knew that Missy did poorly with lamb. I found out that she was allergic to that particular protein after having taken a bioenergetic scan from a company called Pet Medella.

It doesn’t get any much easier avoiding a certain protein source than with single-ingredient treats, so if you’re aware that your pooch doesn’t do well on lamb, don’t choose the lamb weasand but get a turkey tail instead (or any other protein).

Of course, these snacks also keep your dog’s teeth clean and help entertain him when you need a little break, especially the bull pizzle and pig ear.

They’ll last even longer if you pop them into the freezer overnight, or even for just a few hours. They might also make a good motivator for crate training if your pup is food motivated.

Vital essentials is terrific for transitioning to raw pet dog food

The crucial essentials Raw Bar items are a terrific option to dip your toes into raw feeding waters.

You won’t have to deal with thawing, cutting and portioning out larger cuts of raw meat and can get used to managing feet, heads, hearts etc. in a firm, dry shape.

I don’t think the VE Raw Bar items existed back in 2015 when I made the switch to raw; at least I don’t remember seeing them anywhere. I absolutely would have started feeding them to make the transition much easier on me!

By the way – tHan appellerer til frysetørkede godbiter er at de ikke trenger å bli rehydrert i det hele tatt. De kan mates som den er, så det blir ikke rotete.

Hvor du kan få VE Raw Bar -varene

Jeg sjekket Amazon for å se om noen av VE Raw Bar-varene er tilgjengelige på nettet, men den eneste jeg fant var frysetørkede mobberpinner.

VE Bar -varene er generelt en detaljhandel, så du må sjekke selskapets butikklokator for å finne et detaljhandelsted som bærer merkevaren og deres rå bar snacks.

Jeg fant imidlertid flere andre frysetørkede avgjørende Essentials-godbiter på Amazon:

Minnows (en liten fisk, valpene mine likte dem virkelig!)
Kyllinghjerter og bryster
Oksekjøtt (deres pose på 1 pund er en veldig god avtale, jeg har fått den før)
Kyllingnibber (også tilgjengelig i storfekjøtt, kalkun eller and)
Kaninbitt

Sannheten blir fortalt og alle helsemessige fordeler til side, jeg gleder meg ærlig med å ødelegge valpene mine, og å se dem sikle i påvente av deres deilige doggie -snacks gir meg den største gleden.

Jeg er alltid i ekstase når jeg finner ut om et merkevare av kjæledyrhund, hvis produkter mine valper går bonkers for, og avgjørende nødvendigheter har sjekket av den boksen stor tid.

Lær mye mer om merkevarens produkter her. (Dette innlegget er ikke sponset.)

Hvordan ødelegger du hunden din?

Har du en favoritt rå kjæledyrhundemat eller merkevare -merkevare? Gi oss beskjed i kommentarene!

Barbara Rivers skriver ofte for den mutten. Hun er blogger, Raw Feeder og Pet Dog Walker og opprettholder bloggen K9s over kaffe.

Relaterte innlegg:

Hva er grønn tripe for hunder?
Hvordan lage dehydrerte rå godbiter for hunder
Dr. Daltons Premium Treats Review

How to prevent Separation anxiety in Dogs

We have a tendency to treat our pets like babies, and sometimes that creates separation anxiety in dogs.

Humans have a desire to nurture anything small, cute or helpless.

When a newborn human baby cries, the right thing to do is go to her and offer comfort, food, warmth or whatever she needs, right?

It makes sense that we also want to carry our pets around, keep them near us at all times and go to them when they cry.

We shower them with affection whenever they display signs of neediness. This is a way for us to express love and feel loved back.

But loving a puppy or dog in this way can actually do some harm. It often (not always) results in an anxious, overly dependent, needy and annoying dog.

Puppies and dogs are not babies. They are animals, and they have a right to be treated as animals.

How to prevent separation anxiety in dogs

This post has been expanded into an ebook filled with tips on how to stop a dog’s separation anxiety. order it here for $4.

What is dog separation anxiety?

Dogs with separation anxiety have not been conditioned to being left alone and therefore go into a frantic state of mind when separated from their owners (even when their owners are simply out of sight).

What is NOT dog separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety in dogs is overly diagnosed.

All dogs need a reasonable amount of time to adjust to a new home. most dogs will cry in their kennels for a bit for the first couple of nights or weeks, but then they settle in just fine once they adjust to the new routine.

Some dogs are said to have “separation anxiety” when really they just need:

trening
rules & training
a routine
time to adjust

A dog that is given little or no exercise, no mental stimulation (training or puzzle toys) and no time with a “pack” is going to be bored out of his mind.

Of course he’s going to bark, destroy property or rip apart his kennel when left alone. He has nothing else to do!

How do I know if my dog has separation anxiety?

In a past post, I outlined the symptoms of dog separation anxiety and the steps on how to help a dog with separation anxiety. Please check it out HERE.

In this post, I want to focus on preventing separation anxiety.

How do I prevent dog separation anxiety?

1. Do not carry your puppy everywhere.

A lot of small dogs develop separation anxiety because they are carried around all the time. They are literally treated like babies.

They never have to think for themselves. They are not encouraged to explore or be independent. They never learn proper socialization skills because their owners pick them up when the dogs are faced with anything new.

Some of these dogs become insecure, fearful and anxious without their owners in sight. Others become overly possessive of their owners and bite anyone who comes close. This can be prevented by treating the dog like a dog.

2. teach your puppy to “stay” for long periods of time.

All dogs should be able to lie down and stay for at least a half-hour, especially when there are no distractions such as when you are watching TV or checking email.

This helps drain some mental energy, builds confidence and self-control.

Teach your dog to stay on her “place” or “bed” while you leave the room.

If your dog doesn’t have the most reliable down-stay quite yet, keep working on it.

Start with just 2 seconds while you’re right next to your dog. then try 5 seconds and over time you can increase to 10 seconds, 15, 30. eventually you can take one step away and she should remain staying. then two steps.

It helps if you can give your dog a special chew toy like a Kong toy or a puzzle toy while she stays on her bed.

2. Do not pick your puppy up if she cries or jumps on you.

This is the kind of behavior you do not want to reward.

Unless she is truly in danger, completely ignore your dog when she cries or jumps on you for attention. Do not look at her. Do not scold her. get up and leave the room if you have to. Your attention is a reward, and she only gets it when she is being calm and quiet and respectful.

By the way, I’m not saying it’s wrong to pick up and cuddle your dog! but if you are worried she is becoming too dependent on you or if she’s showing signs of separation anxiety, setting these boundaries will help her gain confidence in the long term.

*Enjoying this article? get realistic dog training tips emailed once a week. Klikk her

3. Reward your dog with attention when she is calm and quiet.

A reward can be something as simple as eye contact, a pat on the head or a treat. but this is also a good time to pick your dog up!In the meantime, work on other ways to create temporary separation:

4. Purposely separate yourself from your puppy.

You and your dog will naturally want to be together, but you can’t be together all the time. It’s important to help puppies learn to feel comfortable being separated from you. Make sure you are creating these scenarios, even when you are home.

Some ideas to try for short periods:

Tether your dog to a chair or table and walk away.

Return only when she is quiet. This could take a few minutes. Heck, it could take an hour! If your puppy won’t stop crying, just wait her out and return when she has been quiet for even 3 seconds.

If she starts celebrating and barking as you approach, turn around and ignore her again until she is quiet. having your attention is the greatest reward for your dog.

Kennel your dog when you are home.

This could be for 10 minutes or an hour. It’s the same concept as above.

Only return when your dog is quiet. Kenneling your dog when you are home will also help her feel more comfortable in her kennel because she won’t associate it with you leaving the house.

Make sure to stock the kennel full of goodies like Kongs filled with frozen peanut butter and treats.

Shut doors behind you.

If you have a pup who follow you into the bathroom, then close the door in her face and make her wait for you. This is an easy way to create temporary separation. If she scratches at the door or cries, do not open the door. opening the door is too much of a reward.

Create boundaries.

Don’t let your puppy crawl into your lap unless she sits quietly first. Don’t let her sleep in your bed until she is a confident and well-trained dog. Puppies do not belong on the bed.

6. stick to the same routine before you leave your dog home alone.

Sticking to a routine when you leave will really help your dog feel secure. before you head to work, maybe you go for a 30-minute walk with your dog, then shower, then eat breakfast, then put her in her kennel and then do your makeup.

Dogs really depend on a routine to help them feel secure.

7. ignore your dog 20 minutes before you leave and 10 minutes after you return.

Making an event out of coming or going confirms that being apart was bad.

Being apart is not bad, it’s normal.

So, completely ignore your dog before you leave the house (just for 10 minutes or so). Don’t talk to her. Don’t make eye contact. Don’t even look at her. Drawn-out goodbyes will only make her feel anxious. She will pick up on your feelings of guilt.

When you return, do the same. Do not look at her or acknowledge her at all (this is hard!). If she is barking in her kennel, that gives you even more reason to ignore her.

If you don’t kennel your dog and she greets you by jumping and crying, walk into another room like she doesn’t exist.

Return when she is relaxed. If you know she can’t relax, then simply have a Kong toy filled with peanut butter you can drop on the floor as you walk in the door and into another room, ignoring her.

Return in 5 or 10 minutes. This is the perfect time to take her for a walk.

8. Leave your puppy with a friend.

If you have an understanding friend who loves dogs, sometimes it helps if you can leave your dog with a friend for an hour here and there. This helps the dog associate positive experiences with people other than you.

If you are the primary caretaker of your dog, it can also be helpful to have other family members step up and take over some of the important roles like feeding the dog, training sessions, play or walks.

This is especially important if your dog seems overly attached to you vs. other family members or roommates.

Tip: Dogs usually love whoever takes them for walks!

9. Leave your puppy at a dog daycare occasionally.

I’m not saying you have to take your dog to dog daycare every day or every week, but it’s good for dogs to get out and stretch their boundaries every now and then without their owners hovering.

It’s good for the owners, too! It’s so hard for me to leave Ace somewhere overnight, but I know it’s good for me! I’m probably the one with separation anxiety.

10. Make sure all of your dog’s needs are being met.

Dogs that are not given any physical, mental or emotional challenges on a daily basis will likely be very anxious, hyperactive and “crazy” dogs.

Be fair to your dog and provide her with the daily exercise and training she needs. spend time with her. stretch her boundaries. and never assume that small dogs or “lazy” breeds do not need exercise. De gjør.

I fostered a Pomeranian mix named Elli who came to us with severe separation issues.

HoW hjalp jeg Elli?

Jeg tok henne sykling hver dag for å bli kvitt hennes opphentede energi. Hun var omtrent 9 kilo, og hun ville løpe 2 mil ved siden av sykkelen min uten problemer! Hun elsket det!

For mer informasjon, se innlegget mitt om vanlige kilder for hundeangst og hva jeg skal gjøre!

Hvilke ekstra tips har du for å forhindre separasjonsangst hos hunder?

Separasjonsangst er veldig tidkrevende for å korrigere. Det er stressende for eieren, hunden og alle andre familiemedlemmer og kjæledyr – og naboer!

*Koser du deg med denne artikkelen? Få realistiske tips om hundetrening e -post en gang i uken. Klikk her

Lindsay Stordahl er grunnleggeren av den Mutt. Hun skriver om hundetrening, hundeøvelse og fôring av et sunt rå kosthold.

Is it Cruel to Dock a Puppy’s Tail?

Is it cruel to dock a puppy’s tail?

No, it’s not cruel, but it is unnecessary for most dogs.

Docking a puppy’s tail indicates to remove a portion of the tail, normally when the pup is only a few days old.

Breeds such as cocker spaniels and Rottweilers generally have their tails docked in the United States. (Tail docking is illegal in some countries.)

I bring this topic up because we have a Weimaraner puppy. His tail was docked when he was just a few days old.

His tail meets the American Kennel Club’s breed conventional for the Weimaraner:

“Tail: Docked. At maturity it must measure around 6 inches with a tendency to be light rather than heavy and must be carried in a manner expressing confidence and sound temperament. A non-docked tail shall be penalized.”

I knew our breeder would be docking our puppy’s tail (she does it herself). If that were a problem for me, I would’ve gotten a puppy someplace else.

Why are some dogs’ tails docked in the United States?

You’re going to get a different answer depending on who you ask and what breed you’re referring to.

I’m no breed expert, but here are some straightforward reasons for docking a dog’s tail:

To meet the AKC’s breed conventional (see the Weim example above)
To help a working pet dog do her job or to stop injury on the job. For example, a Weimaraner’s thin, whiplike tail could be split open while working in heavy brush.
Americans like the look of a docked tail on some breeds because that’s what we’re used to seeing (cocker spaniels, Rottweilers, etc.)

If you’re an expert on a certain breed, I’d appreciate it if you could share why your breed generally has a docked tail.

Every breed is different. Here are a few examples:

Tail docking for vizslas as working dogs

The vizsla is a reddish-colored hunting pet dog bred for pointing and retrieving. The breed has a lot of similarities to a Weimaraner.

According to breeder Florence Duggan, the vizsla’s tail is generally docked in the united states for safety reasons.

“A long tail could easily get broken while running through thick underbrush and in a heavily wooded area,” she said. “The same reasoning is used for the removal of dew claws.”

Now, injuring the tail in the field might sound silly if you never take your pet dog hunting. Until you’ve seen a severe tail injury like I have, I think it’s hard to understand this can be a real worry for some breeds. a lot more on that below.

Tail docking for Parson Russell terriers

Annette Gilliam is a breeder of Parson Russell terriers, another breed with a generally docked tail in the united states due to its history as a working dog. Her dogs are not pictured, but you can view her web site here.

She said historically the Parson Russell terrier was developed to go on fox hunts in England.

The “terrier-man” would carry the terrier in a bag while riding horseback running with the fox hound, she said. When the fox would go into a hole in the ground to hide, the terrier-man would take the terrier out and it would run into the hole after the fox to make it come out.

She said if the fox and the terrier did not come out of the hole, the terrier-man would dig and pull the terrier out by the tail. This is why they wanted the tail to be as long as a man’s hand.

Today, it’s illegal to use dogs for fox hunting in England, and Gilliam said she doesn’t know any individual who goes fox hunting in the U.S.

“It is not physically needed to dock tails now anywhere,” she said. “Some people like the look so they still do it.”

How is tail docking usually done?

Gilliam said she docks the Parson Russell terrier pups herself when they are between 3 and 5 days old, although she often leaves tails undocked depending on who is getting the puppies.

“You clamp a hemostat where you want to dock, wait 1 to 2 minutes for circulation to cease, then cut with sharp scissors below the hemostat,” she said. “They never bleed.”

Is this uncomfortable for the puppies? Jeg spurte.

“Some puppies yelp when the hemostat is first applied, but then they stop,” she said. “Some don’t notice. They don’t feel the cut because the nerves are numbed by the hemostat.”

This isn’t the only way it’s done.Our puppy’s breeder sends me pictures of the pups every day, and by day 3 the little person had a band securely bound around the idea of his tail.

I have to say this was a bit traumatizing for me at first. but a few days later, the idea appeared to have already fallen off (or maybe it was cut off), seemingly no big deal.

She sends me videos of the puppies snuggling with mommy nearly daily, and they always appear peaceful, fat and happy.

Tail docking through a veterinarianDuggan said some vizsla breeders also dock the tails themselves but a lot of use the services of a vet and have tails docked and dew claws removed at the same time.

I asked her if vets usually use anesthesia for the tail docking procedure.

“Some vets do use a local anesthetic,” she said. “But lots of feel that if it is done at 3 days of age the pain is minimal and there is no need for anesthesia. The risks of being anesthetized outweigh the minimal pain.”

Gilliam also knows of breeders who like to go through a veterinarian and some who like to do it themselves.

“I think that people who don’t breed much are a lot more likely to go to a vet or have an experienced breeder pal do it for them,” she said.

In her case, she said she had a pal and mentor who would come and do the tail docking until she learned the technique herself.

The time I witnessed a tail injury

One of the reasons frequently cited for tail docking is to stop injury in the field for hunting dogs. I think this is a legit concern, depending on the kind of work you plan to make with your dog.

I’ve never witnessed a pet dog being injured in the field (I don’t hunt), but years ago I worked at a boarding kennel and one of the dogs there – a yellow lab with a whip of a tail – would hit her tail on the chain link sides of her pen until it bled.

We tried to secure her by hanging blankets, but one afternoon I walked by her pen and observed blood anywhere and as I got closer I saw she had split the tail so that the top 3 inches was dangling, split ideal through the bone.

Imagine if you were to chop down a tree, striking it through the middle and for a split second it hangs before dividing in two.

The top 3 inches of her tail was dangling, bone exposed.

I took her to the vet of course, trying to hold her tail at the base in the lobby to keep her still.

The vet took one look at the pup and right away said the tail would have to be amputated; that was the first time I heard the term “happy tail.”

I’ve heard it lots of times since.

My own pet dog Ace hits his tail on the walls by the front door and about every two years or so blood splatters everywhere. It’s never a big deal and never requires veterinary attention, but he does tend to injure his tail.

Maybe it’s a lab thing. Funny, Labs are not a breed with traditionally docked tails.

My opinion on tail docking

I’m not trying to justify tail docking one way or the other. I think it’s a matter of individual opinion and checking out your lifestyle with your own special dog.

Most of the time, tail docking is purely cosmetic (and silly). but like I said, our puppy’s tail is already docked, and I really could care less. If it were up to me, he’d have a long tail but I respect our breeder’s wishes.

To each her own.

Update: I do want to mention one final point. one of my regular readers Sean pointed out in the comments below that dogs use their tails to communicate!

Their tails are so crucial for expressing probably even a lot more than we realize, especially when they’re greeting one another. I agree with him this is an crucial aspect to consider and a strong reason lots of pet dog lovers oppose tail docking.

OK, now I’d love to hear your thoughts …

Hva tror du? Is it cruel to dock a puppy’s tail? Or is it still important?

Let me know!

Relaterte innlegg:

Do rescues spay/neuter puppies too young?

Should I have my cat declawed?

Is spaying and neutering the ideal choice for my dog?

What you need to know about ear cropping – (from PuppyLeaks.com)

Hundens første tur til havet

hundens første tur til havet

Familien min og jeg flyttet 2000 mil over hele landet forrige uke fra Fargo, N.D., til Solana Beach, California. Hvordan reise i tre hele dager med en hjørnetann og to katter (i en liten bil) må være et kommende innlegg.

Foreløpig er her noen bilder av Mutt essens første gang på stranden. Han er selvfølgelig en ekte vannkan og elsker å dykke hodet først inn i enhver vannkilde – den røde elven, Lake Superior, et kiddy basseng eller Stillehavet.

Mens mange av dere kjenner meg som løper, svømmer mine sterkere idretter og rugby. Jeg spilte for Minnesota U-23 Rugby-teamet på college, og jeg var en konkurrerende svømmer på videregående.

Da jeg adopterte ess, ønsket jeg spesifikt en hund som elsket vannet som meg, og ung gutt fikk jeg en! Han og jeg har hatt mange vanneventyr i Midtvesten, og vi kan ikke vente med å legge nye eventyr på listen vår.

God gutt, ess. Takk for at du er en så god reisekompis, eventyrsøker og venn.

Er hunden din en “vannhund”?

(Jeg synes drittvesken på bildene er en god touch.)