Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

1+1=7....

This...
















will get you this!!!










Astrid had her first litter of pups on the 4th of June at 11:45pm and the last one was born on the 5th of June at 2:15am. Everything went perfectly and the pups are thriving. We have only one left to find a home for. All the rest are reserved and will be going to good homes sometime in early August. This has been some of the most fun I have had in a long time. Hard work with lots of worry, but worth it all!


Enjoy the photos!

Later!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

All I Needed to Know, I Learned From My Dog

If only more people acted like dogs, this might be a better world.


If you stare at someone long enough, eventually you'll get what you want.
If at first you don't succeed, beg.
Don't go out without I.D.
Be direct with people; let them know exactly how you feel by peeing on their shoes.
Be aware of when to hold your tongue, and when to use it.
Leave room in your schedule for a good nap.
Always give people a friendly greeting.
When you do something wrong, always take responsibility for it (as soon as you're dragged out from under the bed).
If it's not wet and sloppy, it's not a real kiss.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
Take naps and stretch before rising.
Run, romp and play daily.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout...run right back and make friends.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Cool things lately...

Rather than join the cacophony of voices screaming and complaining and general negative voices on the Internet, radio and tv... I am gonna just list a lot of great things happening in my life. If you think negatively, which I am guilty of, you will create negative outcomes. Like I tell my son and daughter, "You make your own hell." Life is good and here is why it is for me....

My wife got her motorcycle license and now rides (even long distance) with me and friends! It really is cool to see her riding in the two wheeled brother-(sister) hood.

I have been on two great vacations. One to the Wisconsin Dell and one to New Orleans

I actually was able to witness really good thing happening in New Orleans when people come together with a conscious effort to change a place. In turn, they are changed themselves. Also, out of the blue, I actually got a phone call from a resident of New Orleans, calling me to simply thank us for coming to her town and making a difference. Never met her and probably never will, but we talked like old friends. One of the things I learned there is to listen to people, and really hear them. You will be amazed what you will discover if you shut up and listen instead of yammering on about yourself.

I got to see the WWII D-day Museum in New Orleans.and even met some vets from Omaha beach.

I have a new puppy. What can get better than that? Her name is Astrid Gudrun von Geiken and she is a AKC German Shepard. She is a beauty and very sweet and smart.

I am almost done with repainting my entire house.

All of my bills get paid on time. (thanks to my wife)

I have been able to game about a dozen times in the last month or two. Very Cool!

My daughter has joined the Cross Country team and seems (so far) to enjoy it! That also means she is in Jr. High now... which scares me a little but is still pretty cool in my book. She works hard to get decent grades. I hope we can keep it up in 6th grade.

My son is playing the bass drum in marching band - something that he really wanted to do! This makes me happy that he was excited about getting it. All to often he takes what is left over.

I took the Concealed Carry License for the State of Florida and passed. Now to get the Concealed Carry passed in Illinois. From what I hear, it is close to happening. That makes me really happy!

My wife loves me and I love her. So many couples around me are self destructing and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Don't people talk anymore in relationships?

My wife and I are planning a wine and dine weekend. Vineyards and nice restaurants...

Speaking of wine, I made another 3 gallons of port for the church and private consumption.

And finally, as the last big blast of Summer, the family and I are heading to GENCON! Gaming and geeky heaven!!! I can't wait!



Dang, just writing this has made me feel better!

Later!

Have a great day!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Cool dog sayings...

"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." Samuel Bulter

"The misery of keeping a dog is his dying so soon. But, to be sure, if he lived for 50 years and then died, what would become of me?" Sir Walter Scott.


Thoughts to brighten you day on a gloomy, cold, rainy Illinios Tuesday.

Later!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Thoughts on leashed dogs.

I have been reading the book, "Merle's Door" by Ted Kerasote and am at the chapter called Looser Leash. In it, he details the need for looser leash laws or at least areas where leash free dogs can roam and play. The San Fransico SPCA advocates loose leash laws in its area, stating that:
"Off leash areas are essential to the well being of dogs. Regular off leash play makes for healthy, well adjusted dogs. It burns off pent up energy, builds confidence, improves a dog's social skills, and helps prevent aggressive behavior. Conversely, limiting dog play results in under-socialized, under excersized, under stimulated dogs and often leads to behavior porblem." (could this be talking about people too?) The New York dog advocacy group FIDO states pretty much the same thing. Kerasote even challenges the reader to this thought experiment.
"Put a collar around your neck, attached to a six foot lead. At the other end of the lead is a dog who is at least twice and perhaps four to thirty times your size. Now go to a party, and try to talk with an other human being while your dog pulls at you, barks at you, and, through the leash that connects the two of you, transmits its annoyance, impatience, hurry, and concern, Is it any wonder that there are so many neurotic dogs?

But yet, there were 4.7 million dog bites occuring in the US in 1994 alone. So where is the logic of having more dogs off leash?

Of those bites, 75 percent of the dog bites did not occur between an off leash dog and a pedestrian. As a matter of fact, only 1.1% of the dog bites occured in the outdoors where a off leash dog might be met. Rather, the majority of the bites were in the family home were the bitee knew the biter!! You run a better chance of going to the ER for cutting off your toe with your own lawn mower than you do from getting bit by a dog, leashed or unleashed.

The threat to the public from dogs comes not from supervised free-roaming dogs but from solitary, caged or chained dogs that spend their entire life in what is a red-zone that they call their territory. Cross that red-zone line and you have trouble. Living like this makes a dog depressed and aggressive. What is needed is an area that dogs can be leash free for hours at a time and release this anxiety and spend time with their own. Kerasote claims they need four things. Green space, safety from cars, exercize, and conversation with their own kind. And if you think about it, so do humans. As these criteria decrease in availability, you get stress, depression and psychosis sets in. In humans, we treat it with drugs and what not and wring our hands on how to deal with it. With dogs, we sequester them so that they are virtual prisoners in solitary confinement or we "euthanize" them.

Whether by instinct or accident, I have allowed my dog Gunnar to have a very loose leash from the beginning. I have taken him on as many family vacations as I can, I play with him EVERY day in an open space where he can run, jump and go silly. And while I have worked very hard to teach him to walk on a leash properly, I have let the leash go more and more and now he walks, under my command with out a leash. He is still a dog and has his territory (house and yard), but both in and out of that territory, he is a very well socialized dog with many friends and he has very polite manners. Maybe if more humans got off of their leash, went to a green space that was safe from cars, got a bit of exercize, and conversed with more of their own kind, maybe we would not bite each other so much.

And the next time your local park district is going to make another bare open field into another baseball diamond, step up and suggest a leash free dog park.

TAKE OFF YOUR LEASH!

Later!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Service dog!

Gunnar is not really a service dog, but he could be! We visited at the home my dad is staying in while he get therapy and recovers from an amputation. The residents there were incredibly happy and thrilled to have a big friendly dog like him come to visit. One, as you see, even gave him her ice cream. Gunnar was in olfactory heaven with all the scents in the place... especially after meal time! Gunnar was very well behaved and was friendly to everyone me met. It was a neat experience for everyone.

Later!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Cool things about dogs...

My dog Gunnar recently celebrated his 3rd birthday on the 14th (valetine's day!) and I was just thinking about how cool dogs are. If you have never owned one, I feel sorry for you. You are missing out on a special relationship that you can never find in any other person, place or thing. So, here is a short list of some of the things that I think are cool about dogs. If you would like, comment and add it to the list!

1. Everyone who has owned a dog, had the priviledge of having the best dog in the world.

2. Dogs can pee and poop outside and no one, (mostly) really cares much.

3. Dogs don't care what you do for a living, what you are wearing or what you look like, as long as you are alive and you are with them you are a god in their eyes.

4. Dogs always forgive, unlike most humans.

5. Dogs think everyday is an adventure.

6. Histories are full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends. (Alexander Pope)

7. A dog never questions who he is or what he is all about. He just knows.

8. Every dog is decended from wolves... that is cool. It even helps make Chihuahuas cool in a very small way.

9. God spelled backwords is Dog.

10. Dogs can sleep anywhere.

Friday, November 07, 2008

The Rainbow Bridge

Yesterday I went to the visitation of a beloved veterinarian from my hometown. This man was a wonderful person to meet and to have as a vet. He truly cared about the animals and the people he served. He helped me put to sleep two of my beloved dogs when the time came to do so. I struggled at the idea but he helped me to see that my love of the dogs was selfish and only prolonged agony for them. He did this with a compassion for both myself and my dogs that I will always remember. And I am sure he did this for every client that was faced with the same decision. Our town vet was active in the community and a huge supporter of our school system, especially the local FFA chapter.

He was only 58 years old. He had survived brain cancer years ago and returned to work as if nothing happened. He was a good man.

Yesterday while walking to the visitation, my wife and I were stopped in our tracks by an absolutely beautiful sunset which was accented by a huge, bright, completely full, 180 degree rainbow. It looked as though it were spanning the entire east end of our town. After admiring this beautiful site, my wife and I went into the funeral home for the visitation and to pay our respects. We moved along the line to the casket and family, but when we got there the family was not present. Apparently they too had been told of the rainbow and went outside to see it. I thought it a nice thing for the family to see on a day that was for them, very depressing. They returned with huge smiles and it was then that we were told of the poem that was in the memorial card printed up for the visitation. In it was this:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....


Author unknown...


Pretty neat huh?

I don't know what you might think of it, but I am pretty sure that there are alot of happy pets greeting Doc right now.

Later!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Not even a Ninja (wannabe) can stop a dog!

More proof of the superior quality of dogs! To quote Frederick the Great of Prussia: "The more I see of men, the better I like my dog."

http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/351106.html


Full Story:
Pit bull saves owner from Samurai-sword-wielding boyfriend

Updated: 05/20/08 8:45 AM

A domestic dispute that included the use of a Samurai sword and a pit bull led a Jamestown man to jump out a second-floor window Monday night, before he was apprehended hiding between some mattresses on a nearby porch, Jamestown police said.

The incident began at about 8:10 p.m., when a concerned neighbor called 911 to report a loud domestic dispute on West 10th Street. Police later learned that a 27-year-old man had punched his girlfriend in the head and put the sword to her throat, before her pit bull bit him several times, police said.

As officers were interviewing the 28-year-old woman, a neighbor told police that the man had jumped out the bedroom window. Wearing only jeans and socks, he was tracked down by the Jamestown police K-9 Unit and found lying between several mattresses stacked vertically on a West 10th Street back porch.

Officers charged Nicholas Clark of North Main Street with assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Dogs are good... no matter what 3rd world country they are stuck in...

Another reason that third world countries should stay third world and more proof that dogs really are man's (and woman's) best friend... WOOF!!!! Dogs ROCK!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080422/od_nm/child_dc_1

PATNA, India (Reuters) - Hundreds of villagers have flocked to a remote Indian village to see a baby girl who was saved by stray dogs after she was abandoned in a mound of mud by her mother, officials said on Tuesday.

Villagers in the eastern state of Bihar saved the newborn on the weekend after they saw three dogs barking near a baby covered with mud.

"The dogs removed the soil around and began to bark and the baby started crying which drew attention of the local villagers," Ram Narayan Sahani, a senior government official, said on Tuesday from Bihar's Samastipur district.

"The girl is crying but is safe in the lap of a childless couple who have adopted her."

Police said they were looking for the girl's mother, who they think had left the girl to die.

Female foeticide, though illegal in India, is widespread as boys are traditionally preferred to girls as breadwinners, and families have to pay huge dowries to marry off their daughters.

The United Nations says an estimated 2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day in India.

(Writing by Bappa Majumdar; Editing by Alex Richardson)