February 2008
My Thoughts On Breeding Dogs
Posted by jennifer on February 26, 2008.
You know, I have so many shelter dogs as clients these days which is on one hand fantastic that these dogs are being rescued left and right. I have other clients who choose to pay for expensive dogs and have gotten what they paid for in temperment and well-bred physical traits. The problem is unfortunatly, there are a lot of people who either disagree with breeding as a whole or people who are not responsible in keeping the good breeders in business and the bad ones out of service. Growing up around dog and horse people all my life, I don't know if there is any other field that brings upon so many arguments, so many rights and so many wrongs. Everyone always has to know something more than the guy ahead of him. Truthfully, we are not dogs. We are human which can be the biggest downfall and yet at the same time, be the greatest gift.
Instead of banning responsible breeders as a whole, concentrate on the puppy mills and pet shops that are ruining these breeds. If you are not in need of a dog with a particular purpose, go out and rescue one. My rescued street cat is that best cat I think I ever met and she even helps me at work!
Unless we are going to go back to a primitive state with wolves, breeds of dogs are always going to be here. Shelter dogs will always be here, feral dogs are on the rise and with the economy and housing market these days, people are abandoning not only their house but their pets too!
If we are to make breeders responsible, make co-existing with these animals from the streets to our bedrooms, it starts at the goverment level. It starts with responsible pet ownership, responsible breeding, laws and not a black & white attitude. Well bred dogs that serve a particular purpose are remarkable. They assist with everything from assisting the blind to taking down a suspect. I have also seen mutts from the humane society appear in car commercials, be wonderful best friend's to kids growing up and remarkably save an owners life by detecting cancer. A dog is a dog is a dog.... But a human can always open their mind to learning and improving from everyone else to make the lives of the animals we long ago created, the greatest.
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Behind the Scenes...
Posted by jennifer on February 21, 2008.
O.k. folks, here's a little insight for you as to what goes on when I'm not working with you and your dogs. Many people around me know that when I'm working, I can be extremely focussed almost to the point of obsessive about my research and bringing everything I can into my sessions and classes. For instance, It's now 10 p.m. and the last three hours I've spent on the computer researching sensory systems in animals, audio frequencies and reviewing Monty Roberts techniques on Natural Horsemanship. Now you may ask "What in the world does this have to do with dog training?" Actually, it has everything to do with dog training. This is what seperates me from the competition and probably why you didn't choose to go to a local chain store for advice on a behavioral problem. Something I may have learned from a person trained in studying the human brain just might be a link to a case with an aggressive dog who has an owner with a panic disorder.
Out of box solutions is my way of re-inventing a service that has many years of tradition and hence has lead me to profound results that have been proven to work time and time again. The foremost way to a dog's brain is to comminicate with them on their level. Once this is done, the rest is easy. There are so many animals (not just dogs) that are looking for ways to work or have a job to do. Many dogs prefer to be of assistance to the pack just as they naturally would in the wild.
This year in 2008, things are only going to get better. You can read here on my blog my attempt to re-introduce myself to a wolf who bit me several times in the face. She was only doing her job- protecting her adoptive pups but the last time I saw her, she still hadn't forgotten. Will this opportunity prove that she can forget the past and move forward into the future? I hope so as it will once again show me these creatures are truly remarkable.
Yellowstone will be calling me back into the wild and as my journey continues, I will be doing more research into the stray packs of feral dogs that roam the dangerous city streets of Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more and keep your mutts happy & healthy!
All my best,
Jennifer
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Lucky Dog of the Month
Posted by amy on February 12, 2008.
Posing together to continue to hype and promote their new movie, The Other Boleyn Girl, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman grace the cover of this month's W Magazine. Could that be Scarlett’s little doggie, Maggie with her?
The Other Boleyn Girl hits theaters February 29th.
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February events in L.A.
Posted by amy on February 12, 2008.
Do you live in the Los Angeles area and want to do something fun this month? Check out these events that benefit pets...
Wednesday February 13th: How would you like to save a dog or cat's life just by playing Bingo? The Bark Avenue Foundation is holding this "Fun Raiser" in WEST HOLLYWOOD at Hamburger Mary's, 8288 Santa Monica Blvd. There are unique prize baskets for each game, with a full menu of food and beverage. visit: www.BarkAvenueFoundation.org
Saturday February 23rd: Join another great musical event at KULAK'S WOODSHED in NORTH HOLLYWOOD. This "Animal Night" is an evening of music, entertainment and fun for animal fans! No cover charge, but all donations benefit the PEPPER FOUNDATION. Bring your sociable & housebroken dogs, & log onto: www.KulaksWoodshed.com
Sunday February 24th: SPAY Day LA will be held again this year in conjunction with HSUS, LA ANIMAL Services, the Amanda Foundation, and the Sam Simon Foundation. Free spay & neutering will be offered at 5 locations around Los Angeles for dogs, pet and feral cats. The public must have an appointment; to make one, call Rebecca at 310-831-0222 ex. 302.
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NEWSDAY: How Come A Wolf's Howls Aid Canine Communication?
Posted by jennifer on February 11, 2008.
How come: A wolf's howls aid canine communication
BY KATHY WOLLARD | Special to Newsday
February 4, 2008
How come wolves howl? asks Christina Scammon, a student in Holtsville.
If you were hiking in the woods and got separated from your friends, would you yell out their names? If two of you became separated from the rest of the group, would you both yell louder and longer, feeling braver and less self-conscious? Would you find it especially satisfying if your yells echoed off rock formations, magnifying your efforts?
Of course, if you and your pals brought your cell phones - and they worked in the middle of nowhere - then you wouldn't need to yell. But wolves don't carry mobile phones (and just try to imagine punching those tiny buttons with that big paw). So howling comes in handy.
Wolves hang out in packs of about five to seven, although groups can be smaller or larger. Each pack usually lives and hunts on its own territory, which may cover from less than 20 to hundreds of square miles, depending on the pack size and the land available for roaming. Wolves bark, yip, growl and whimper, just like domesticated dogs. But although some dogs howl occasionally, wolves howl more frequently and elaborately, either alone or in chorus.
Scientists who have studied wolves - recording and analyzing howls, observing behavior, broadcasting prerecorded howls and noting reactions - say howling helps a pack stick together and fend off rivals.
Some studies show howling increases before the breeding season, when animals pair off to mate. The howling may drop off sharply when pups are born, with adult wolves keeping a lower profile to protect pups from predators. Howling increases when wolf pups are several months old.
One study in Poland found that wolves did most of their howling between 6 p.m. and midnight. They tended to howl when they were in the center of their territories rather than on the more dangerous boundaries. The researchers estimated that 43 percent of the howls were back-and-forth yells between separated pack mates.
About 22 percent of the howling was a noisy buildup to setting off on a hunt. Howls by lone wolves or pairs lasted about 34 to 40 seconds. But group howling went on for one to nearly four minutes.
Wolves seem to recognize other pack members by their individual howls even at long distance, just as we recognize the voices of friends, relatives and classmates on the phone or from across the street. Though most howling is communication within a pack, wolves also howl to publicize their presence to other packs.
Wolves howling in chorus frequently vary the pitch of their sounds. As the ever-changing mix echoes, it makes the group seem bigger, helping wolves avoid a nasty fight with another pack.
One study noted that wolves use howling as a spacing mechanism. When they are at home in an established territory, howling marks their settlement. Howling also signals packs to give each other a wide berth when migrating.
To hear and see wolves using howling to communicate, visit pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wolves/ howl.html.