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Volume 37 - February 7, 2003 Materials in this newsletter are the sole possession of the authors and Dog Company. Please do not copy or use in any fashion without written permission |
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From the Editor's Paw Thank to all our contributors for sharing their stories and experiences. This is our second year and we have become an international Newsletter! People from all over the world are enjoying the information and stories. We get emails from all over telling us that they thought they were the only ones who had "a certain problem" and how could they fix it? ..or that they loved the stories and had considered doing a canoe trip, a hiking vacation, or joining a dog sport. and now that they have read (and still love to read) the "Woof," they are going to give that new adventure a try! They also know that a behavioural problem (dogs' only!) can be fixed, etc. Keep those stories, adventures, and problem solving ideas coming in. Someone in Scotland or the Ukraine is having the same fun or dog related problem you might be able to shed some light on. Wherever you live, we would love to hear from you; perhaps you could send us a story about you and your dogs from your part of the world. We might live thousands of miles apart but the one wonderful thing we all have in common is that we love our dogs. This is a wonderful start! We have great fun putting this newsletter together and being able to bring you dog related articles and sources for your information and entertainment - from a dog's point of view!! Happy trails and wagging tails... Your Hairy Editor "Sweep"
Classified Wanted: DOGS LOOKING FOR JOBS Wanted: Lost...and looking for Love ? For Sale: Pet Voyageur 400 crate. It's made of white plastic, and measures approximately 26" long by 18" high by 18" wide. Only been used once and the price is definitely right - $45. Wanted: My name is Kayla and I'm looking for other dog-walking buddies nearby for social evening walks during the week. (Mom says that going out to the Sidney walks just cost us too much in gas.) We are in the Quadra/McKenzie -Christmas Hill area. Drop us a line at kayla_woof@yahoo.ca or phone Sheri at (250) 995-1739. |
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Wanted: My name is Boogie, and I'm a six and a half month old, male, neutered Catahoula Leopard Hound that's looking for a home. Call the Central Victoria Veterinary Hospital to meet me at 475-2495. As you can see by my picture, I'm really handsome (That's me to the left) Wanted: Your 'articles', your 'For Sales', your 'Want Ads', your birthday wishes, your letters to Mam'selle, your names, your ......... ????? (Disclaimer: Advertisements posted by the Woof are done as a service, not as an endorsement. Please communicate directly with the ad contact for further information on any items.)
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ASK MAM'SELLE Dear Mamselle: My Mom and I just got back from Island View Beach where we saw two huge piles of poo on the main trail just a few feet away from the garbage can and the sign that says "Please pick up your dog droppings." It's not proper to drop garbage on the ground, so why would you leave dog poo? The odd thing is, we have NEVER seen anyone not pick up after their dogs. Where does it come from??? Dear Concerned: Picking up after your dog, whether picking up is required by law or not, is important. It is disgusting to leave dog feces on the street or in a parks. When we don't pick up after our pets, we create two thingsŠ First off all, dog feces can cause illness and disease to wild animals and people. And secondly, in the parks or streets, it is disgusting when a person steps in it. The parks and streets are for everyone. Clean up after your pets so we are welcome in all places all the time!
Happenings! Feb. 21-23, 2003: It's the fastest flyball action in the West - Division 1. In a Flyball tournament for Division 1 Races, the time will be under 19 secs for a team of 4 dogs. It's going to be exciting! This is in conjunction with the Vancouver Island Sportsmen's Expo at Pearkes Arena (Next to Silver City).
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Tips & Tales by Miss Trouble They say you never stop learning, and I sure know that's true. I'm learning new things and words all the time. Now, since I'm "a being with a brilliant mind" as Peni likes to say, I very quickly learned the basics like "sit", "down", "no" - you know the ones I mean. (Well, I'm still having some trouble with "no jumping!") Mom would use those words and certain things would happen. I learned that the word was a command for me to do something and that I needed to do it quickly too or there was a "correction." By the way, Peni is harder to please than my Mom; after all, Peni is "she who is to be obeyed!" I think Mom is an old softee... I've got her wrapped around my paw. Anyway, on with my story. As well as these "command" words, I learned the other kind of word too. "Walk" is one of my favourites; I've got that one down so well, that Mom and Dad have to spell it out when they don't want me to know what's happening. Got them fooled though... when they start speaking slowly with just sounds, like W - A - L - K, I know that something is up, and I really start to watch them for clues. I know "car" and "truck" - yes, I can tell the difference. I love going in the truck, but you can have the car! "Park" is a fairly new word for me since I've joined the Trail Walkers Club; the problem with it is that "car" is always attached to it. "Cookie" is a great word; everyone in the neighbourhood uses it, even though they all have to limit how many I get. "Breakfast" is a word I hear on Sunday mornings; it means that Mom and Dad are going to walk up the driveway and I'm not invited, so I don't even bother to get out of bed. They disappear for an hour or two but then they always come back. "Later" is another word to not get excited about; I haven't quite figured out what it means, other than I know I have to wait for something. I know the names of people too. If I hear the names Auntie Jessie or Uncle Gary, I always look in the direction of their house, or head over that way if we're outside. If Mom says, "Where's Cleo?" I look around until I see her; if I'm on my feet and she's close, I usually give her a kiss. When I hear someone say, Grandma, I head for the door because that usually means she's coming to visit. "Find" is a new command word I'm learning - it's always with a name word. Someone hides and then another person says, "Find...." and I go looking. While I'm usually successful, sometimes I have trouble and need a few clues. I know lots of other words too, far too many to mention here. After all, my doctor once told Mom that we fur faces can have a vocabulary of a hundred and fifty words or more. I bet Sweep knows millions! My very newest word is "Answer on." I don't know whose voice it is, in fact it sounds kind of mechanical, but when I hear it, I hit the floor a-running. It means we're leaving the house and that means probably a walk!
Woofs of Wisdom "Some days you're the dog , some days you're the hydrant."
Did You Know? According to a study by Arizona State University, dogs use the same instinctive arithmetic to catch a Frisbee as outfielders do to catch a fly ball.
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Sick Call Hey, remember Monty? No, not "The Full Monty," but Monty, the springer spaniel. Remember he wrote Mam'selle back in December (Dec. 27th Woof) Well, he wrote us again, and judging by the pictures, he's still recuperating. It just goes to show that if you get an injury, get to your doctor and get it checked out! It might be more serious than you think. And remember all you furfaces out there watch where you're putting your feet. Hang in there, Monty. We're all hoping you're back on four feet soon.
Crossing Over It is with the deepest regret that we need to share with you the loss of our dearest love in all the world, our friend and handler, Karin Hart. She will be sorely missed by us - her 5 dogs, her 2 horses, her husband, two children and many, many friends. (Thanks to Ayri for putting in this notice)
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Slick's Flicks GRRR ... Wuff! Yep, it's time to pop the popcorn ( I like mine with a bit of butter) and a big bowl of water. These are all available at the video stores Family Flicks........ Adult Movies.............. Geeesh.......... I can smell the popcorn now! REMEMBER TO LICK UP ALL THE CRUMBS OFF THE FLOOR
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Cleo's Corner Now, I know I'm supposed to do the writing, but this is so "cat" that I have to share it! (Thanks, Peni) The Scene: The Pearly Gates to Heaven. St Peter is receptionist at the entrance. A cat shows up. St. Peter says, "I know you! You were a very nice cat on earth and didn't cause any trouble, so I want to offer a gift to you of one special thing you have always wanted."
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The Canine Good Neighbour Well, apparently it isn't me, can you believe it?! On Jan. 25th, my mom and I went to see if I was a Canine Good Neighbour (CGN). http://www.ckc.ca/judge/cgn.asp Those of you who have known me since I started training my humans with Peni will know that I haven't always been the nicest girl on the block. I've always been really friendly with humans, but I could be down right nasty if any four-legs looked at me the wrong way. Poor Shanu was victim to the worst of it. But my humans kept working with me and following Peni's suggestions, and by golly, I'm such a nice girl now! Shanu and I even got to be good buddies on the evening walks! (I think it helped that we were both terrified of the pet store, especially those freaky birds!) I'm still a little slow at reading their body language, but now if another dog growls at me, I just walk away. Well, my mom heard about this Canine Good Neighbour test, and she thought that this would be a fun thing to try since I had come so far in my training. She also thought it was a good idea because there are some not-very-nice rottweilers down the road from us, and she didn't want me to get blamed if one of them got into trouble. So Mom signed us up for the test, and off we went. We went on a long car ride out to Metchosin, and if that wasn't enough to get me worked up, when we got to where we were going, there were lots of other dogs there, most of them barking from inside cars and trucks. I heard we were supposed to be number eight (I was hoping for 007), but then we got bumped ahead in line. That was ok with me, because I had been waiting in the car all this time. So I was finally out, and now I was more excited! Mom took me out on to the field to start the test, and just as we were starting, my dad showed up. I couldn’t see him at first, but I could smell him when I held my nose up high "even over the doughnuts" well, that got me REALLY excited! It made things pretty difficult for Mom, because my brain got turned around and I just couldn't think straight! She said I had to listen and I tried my best; I would sit when she asked me too, but I had my back turned to the evaluator so I could watch Dad. Apparently that wasn't good enough, because Mom kept trying to turn me around. About halfway through I settled down a little and was able to focus on Mom again. We finished all 12 tests and then Mom took me over to talk to the evaluator. She told us that we received a 'Not Ready”' on two of the tests, and gave us some tips on how we could improve before we try again. The evaluator also said that I had a wonderful temperament and was such a friendly dog, and oh yeah, she said that Mom had very good handling skills too! Lots of the spectators and volunteers complimented us as well. Mom says we might try it again in March, but we'll be doing things a little differently. If you decide to try a paw at it, here is what we learned:
Even though the tests themselves are not difficult, this is not an easy test to pass. You need to be prepared. If you're interested in more information, just contact my mom, Sheri. She's gathered and compiled all kinds of info. Catch us on a Saturday walk, or send a note to kayla_woof@yahoo.ca
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