       |
  |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
August 8, 2003 - Volume 49 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 |
|
From the Editor's Paw Well, as you can tell by the picture, we three babes, "Pouie," "Trouble," and myself, are HOT... in a cool way! Because we spend a lot of time in the sun and canoeing around .... swimming, walking, working, etc., Marg and Peni found these Doggles .... sun protection just for the canine eyes. It took us awhile to get used to them and there are times we still want to get them off, but we're getting used to them. They (Marg and Peni) have to be patient with us as we learn to wear them, and we dogs have to be patient with our people who keep trying to protect us! In the long run our eyes aren't red and sore from the glare off the water, our eyes don't weep, and all in all, we feel pretty darn special when we have them on. Check out your local Optical store for the size and style that is right for you. woof.. "Sweep" ^..^~~!
|
|
|
Classified (To our advertisers: we'd love to hear if your ad in the Woof was successful. Please drop us a line and let us know.) Happy Birthday: A great big happy birthday to Brock... the big boy turns five on August 14th. Be sure and read his surfing story this month. Woooff from the gang. Wanted: A home. My name is Sammy and I'm desperately seeking a new home. My owners are leaving the country and I can't go with them. I'm 11 years old, a tri colour Border Collie, neutered male, loving and faithful to people, enjoy the company of other dogs, really like to retrieve sticks and balls and go for walks, and a wonderful house dog. I am very well trained, and of course I do need a fenced yard but other than that, I could be perfect for you. Even though I am a senior, I am active; being a senior is not a disease, it is a stage of life. If you're looking for a mature dog, please look at me and spend my retirement years with me. Call (250) 217 3911 (Sidney, B.C.) Announcements: It's coming up Fair Time.... Aug. 30, 31 and Sept.1 at the Saanich Fairgrounds on Stelly's X Road. All sorts of exciting exhibits, displays, and of course... most importantly... DOG SPORTS! Watch the exciting demos of Agility and Flyball!! Look for the Island Dog Sports trailer and follow the sound of barking dogs. Announcements: A Doggone Good Afternoon: An interactive afternoon of 4 speakers - a vet speaking on Emergency First Aid, a Doctor of Accupressure for people and dogs, an Animal Behavourist (any dog problems you might have) and a local author of a just released book, "50 Best Walks/Hikes with your Dog." Bring a friend or friends to this fun filled informative afternoon; all this just for the dog crowd. Dogs are welcome provided their owners are on leash. Hosted by The Canine Trail Blazers, it's at the Brentwood Community Hall on Nov.1, from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. We've got door prizes, treats from Doodle Dogs, and a Fashion Show; watch those canines strut their stuff! Admission is $15.00 (dogs free) mailto:peni@dogcompany.com for registration details. Wanted: Dogs and handlers! Canadian Chaos is a newly formed flyball club in the Victoria area, and is looking for people and dogs who are crazy about retrieving balls and having fun. Size and breeding are not important.... we accept all who fit in with our group. Call Island Dog Sports at (250) 656-1659 or mailto:info@islanddogsports.com to find out what is involved. Wanted: Homes. These two pups have been housemates but circumstances are forcing them to move. They've been to school and are well mannered (in and out of house). "I would only give them to good homes and it will be difficult to give them up; thus I will be very particular"...(owner)
Neither are familiar with cats. Phone number is (250) 709-1861 Wanted: Terrier or terrier X. Soon will be the season when mice and rats turn to rural homes to keep warm in the winter. We can't have cats due to allergy, but a nice terrier would do just right. Call (250) 743-1941 or mailto:e.l.blair@shaw.ca Wanted: A large and an extra large crate. We know dogs who are looking for these sizes. mailto:peni@dogcompany.com if you have one you'd like to sell. Wanted: Your 'articles', your 'For Sales', your 'Want Ads', your birthday wishes, your letters to Mam'selle, your names, your ......... ????? By Wed. Sept.3rd .... for the next Woof, please...... mailto:peni@dogcompany.com (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.)
|
|
ASK MAM'SELLE Dear Mam'selle, She'll snap because she doesn't want to get up and move. My husband says this is normal behaviour as she is going through the terrible two's and she would never actually bite us. I'm worried because her growling, bearing her teeth and snapping may lead to biting. Please help!!!!! Dear Cathie: Because you and your husband have not recognized or chose to ignore the behaviour and what her full intent is, put an end to her taking over the leadership. Before she became more outwardly aggressive, she did other things to let you know she didn't want to be disturbed. She "ignored you" and now she is bearing her teeth and she started to growl. All of these things have come one at a time and you still didn't mind her, so now she has to snap at you to get her message across. If he thinks she won't bite, he doesn't know dogs. Actually he doesn't, because he hasn't seen all the other warning signs. So I would say he is in for a good hard bite .... he is totally wrong to think she won't bite him. Dogs, unlike people, mean what they say and do! Snapping ..... she is missing him on purpose ... if he doesn't leave her along, she will make contact. The terrible two's? PLEASE! THAT IS nothing to do with it ... she's learned that she doesn't have to come, that she can ignore you when she wants, and how dare you tell her she has to get off anything. You're thinking in people terms ... you need to think like a dog. She's telling you clearly just what she thinks of you! There is no equality in the dog world; you're either above her in the leadership role ... or under her. First of all, consider taking your dog to training classes so you can learn about dog behaviours and how you can get her to be more obedient. It's time you laid down some rules and stuck to them. It's obvious to me that your dog thinks you're under her spell ....... well, Cathie not you, but your husband, under her paw. Rules are: ONE.........don't give her the choice of ignoring you ... Woof "Poutine" ^..^~~!
|
|
Phydeau Phun What has five hundred teeth, and says "Beware of Dog"?
|
|
Tips and Tales by Miss Trouble As well as having the usual doggy hobbies like Flyball and Agility, I've discovered I have a real talent for woodcarving. Unfortunately, most of my projects seem to disappear so I don't have a finished one to show you. Choosing the right piece of wood is important. I sometimes find one on the beach but the woodshed or woodbox is another place to look. Try not to get caught taking one from the people supply; they don't seem to want to share everything. Wood that has been soaked in saltwater has the best flavour and that also seems to make it softer and easier to work with. A piece of bark works fairly well although it does tend to break up into chunks. Cedar wood is kinda stringy, but it's also soft, so works quite well. Do avoid anything with the sticky stuff on it (think I heard Mom calling it pitch when she was cutting it out of my fur).. it gets all over your tongue and teeth and then you've really got problems. The technique for successful carving is pretty simple. Hold the wood with both paws and start at one edge. Don't try to take off too much at one time... just pull off little tiny bits. This allows you to control the shape better. Do remember to spit the little pieces out - swallowing them can lead to unpleasant after effects and have your Mom following you around checking your you know what. Don't worry about the bits and pieces left on the floor when you spit. If they don't stick to your people's socks and disappear that way, someone will pick them up or the vacuum cleaner thing will get them. Certainly not an artist's worry. What is a worry for us carvers is keeping our projects safe. As I said, mine keep disappearing. I strongly urge you to hide your work, but not in the bed. People always seem to feel any strange bumps under the covers. I successfully stashed a project under Dad's recliner chair in the living room for quite a length of time... worked just fine until the day I flyballed my ball under there and Mom had to help me get it. Funny, my art disappeared right after that. Oh, well, I've got my eye on a nice piece of wood sitting on the hearth. Mom and Dad will never miss it! HRH Trouble (athlete with attitude)
Woofs of Wisdom Women and cats will do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
|
|
The Surf Sisters & Brock I had an interesting adventure I would like to share with my fellow canines. It started out last weekend when we went on a road trip to Long Beach. My owner's niece came over from Vancouver to participate in a "Surf Sisters Weekend" That's a bunch of woman who get together to go surfing. I was honored to be included in the "female bunch." The trip up was a little crowded as I'm not used to having others in the back seat when we travel in the car; I had to share my space with two females but they were cool with it. It turns out that my owner's niece is attending some place called UBC (University of British Columbia) She is enrolled in some program there to become a VET; that word kinda scared me a little, but she was very nice to be with, so maybe she'll be a good vet. It was a long twisty drive; we stopped for pee breaks and to stretch our legs. It was nice to mark untouched territory; I can say that I left my mark from here to Long Beach. I started to get really excited about five hours into our trip as I could smell this familiar smell of salt water. I was thinking to myself, 'It never took this long to get to that smell before.' We turned onto this road and I could see beach for miles and miles but it was very different from the beach I am used to seeing. We all piled out of the car and these three other woman who joined us on our trip and my owner took like, forever man, to change into these space suits (darn they were scary). We finally got to the water and let me tell you, I have never seen waves like that before. We started out very slowly into the surf; my owner was being very paranoid about the whole thing and had me tied to a long rope. What did she think - I was going to swim away? We played for hours in the surf; she tried many, many times to get me on this thing that looks like an oversized piece of Styrofoam. I got on once but really didn't enjoy the ride. But what I did enjoy was the body surfing. I know I'm just a "big black beautiful male" but I finally figured out how to ride the waves myself. I just stood there and they would come up from behind me and carry me to the sand. A few times, I did some tricks for my owner (she didn't know it was by accident) I did a few somersaults in the waves - it was actually fun. She finally pulled me out of the water to take a rest; boy, what a party pooper she is. We were sitting on the beach taking 'five' as she says and this nice gentleman approached us to ask if I had been doing this kind of thing for a long time, as I looked like I knew what I was doing. She could have lied to him and said YES, but oh no, she tells him this is the first time I've been up here. He said that he wished he had brought his dogs with him, that he had left them at home because the resort he was staying at didn't allow dogs (what kinda joint is that?) Anyway this nice gentleman introduced himself as Steve Spielberg; he's some kind of movie producer. He joined us in the water and he was a lot of fun to hang around with; we played fetch for a while, then he gave me a nice cuddle and then went on his way. The only drawback to body surfing is the water in the butt; I had gas for a few hours after we had finished and when I passed wind, they were a little wet, so the ladies in the backseat made a diaper out of a beach towel. How embarrassing that was! Thank God no one saw me. I sure hope we do that again; it was a BLAST. "Brock" (tired surfin' dog) Dog Note *
|
|
The Saga of Sophie Once upon a time, a dog named Sophie (me) got chosen to be a new addition to a family - I am a six year old German Shepard/Golden Lab Cross. My family and I went for training classes with the amazing Peni et al. While we learned that "meet and greet" with other dogs was not one of my strong points :-), I did discover that the family loved the trail walks as much as I did. Since the family LOVES hiking and camping, they decided to bring me along on one of their annual trips. Every year they take the kids (of the 2-legged variety) to Mystic Beach which is the start of the Juan da Fuca trail. It is heaven on earth! So, they bought a dog back pack, filled it with my food, cloth fold up doggie dishes and water and set off on the trail. So far so good - we all remembered the trail rules Peni taught us. Once we reached the beach, however, I discovered something new - beaches turn me into the energizer bunny on amphetamines. My first time camping, I did not eat, sleep or do anything other than chase sticks and swim. Three days later, I limped home with shredded paws, exhausted and dehydrated. Later that year, we went hiking in Strathcona Park. No beaches there - only very cold lakes. I can tell you I went equally insane, refusing to do anything but swim. A sopping wet, large dog is not a welcome visitor in anyone's tent!!!! Go figure that! Year two - well, finally my family remembered the most important lesson Peni ever taught us - humans need to be trained more than us dogs! So we thought about the lessons learned from year one and invested in some boots, my own "Pup tent" and a doggie thermarest. The boots prevented bleeding paws and the tent and bed provided a nice quiet place away from the excitement (as well, I think they wanted to keep everyone else dry!) Creating a sanctuary helped me really relax, so I ate, slept and even played nicely with other dogs! And we all camped happily ever after! Sophie (camper par excellent)
Did You Know? In ancient times, in both Egypt and Persia, killing a dog was a crime meriting severe corporal punishment. Cases of certified cruelty were even punishable by death.
|
|
GOIN' POSTAL: The complex relationship between your dog and your Postie. (mail delivery person) My name is Rabbit; I'm a border Collie X, very good looking, and my dog trainer says all dogs are brillant so I guess I have it all. My mom is a letter carrier and she's told me a few things about meeting other dogs on her walk (delivery route) that have me worried. I am writing this in hopes it will help people and dogs get on well together. Picture this: The dog thinks: Now I know the letter carrier knows about me because I always bark when I'm safely inside the house. I wonder if the postie is nice to dogs? The Postie thinks: Hmmm, I knew they had a dog but we've never met because it's always been in the house. I wonder if he'll be okay ? NOW what could unfold.... when the postie walks up to your front door and as he/she puts the mail in the box, the dog quickly snaps at the hand, arm, satchel, or whatever he can grab first. The postie reacts by kicking your dog and injuring him. This is an all too common occurrence, especially as summer approaches and we start spending more time outside. Every day Canada Post reports some kind of "dog incident"; that is, a situation between a dog and a letter carrier which, albeit, may not have resulted in a bite, but nevertheless impeded the carrier's ability to deliver the mail. These incidents can sometimes lead to harsh words being exchanged between carrier and customer, lost work time for the carrier who may need to visit a clinic for treatment, photo documentation of the injury, workers compensation forms to fill out..... the list goes on and on. Fortunately, my loving humans, these incidents can easily be avoided. If you have never taken the time to meet your postie, or you have just got a new one, take the opportunity to introduce yourself and me, your dog, to him/her. Contrary to some beliefs, Posties do enjoy meeting and talking to their customers and pets. Be there for the initial introduction so that I know that the carrier is friend not foe. After all, I depend on you to let me know what's okay in other situations, so why should this one be any different? Most Posties carry cookies. You may want to ask your postie if he/she carries cookies or not so he/she can give me a treat, although most carry a generous supply anyways for their other dog customers. Case in point: Mom was telling me she recently had a new dog move onto her walk. The dog would bark at her every day whether she had any mail for his/her owner or not. Then one day the owner was home, so mom got him to come out with the dog and allowed them to meet. Mom gave him a treat, the dog knew tricks and did shake a paw, they played a little bit, and then mom continued on her way. The next day the dog didn't bark when she went to the house. In fact, I think they both look forward to greeting each other now. So try it! It's easier than you may think and your dog will love you for helping him make a new friend! Rrruffffff "Rabbit"
|
|
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.) Adult: 25 HRS....Well, it was slooooooow, not much of a story line and just plain boring! The best parts were the trailers for the movie. Family: At a theatre near you! Geeesh.......... I can smell the popcorn now! REMEMBER TO LICK UP ALL THE CRUMBS OFF THE FLOOR!
|
|
The Purrrrrrr My adoring public is clamouring for more from the feline side of things. I can't do it without your help though, so keep those cards, stories and letters coming! I know you're out there.... why, just the other day I heard about a Himalayan named Blu. Seems like he lives with two dogs (poor guy) and on this particular night, things got wild. The dogs were tearing around the house but of course Blu wasn't part of that. All he ever did, from the sound of it, was kinda pat at one of the mutt's tail when it went past his nose. Now, how he wound up in the bedroom, purring happily as the owner eyed the bed which had been completely torn apart, is beyond me. No feline would do something like that... had to be the dogs. And speaking of dogs, mine was absolutely no help to me at all the other morning. I happened to be out on the deck around 4:00 a.m., when a handsome fellow named Milo, from two doors down, came visiting. Naturally, I told him off, as a lady doesn't receive visitors at the hour of the morning. Did Trouble come out to help me? Not on your life... she stayed cowering on the bed behind Mom! I heard her mumbling but she sure didn't make an appearance. Just wait until the next time she needs me! Cleocatra
|
|
Creative Corner: Haiku, one of the most important forms of Japanese poetry, had its modern beginnings in 1892. It maintains two of the tradtional elements, 17 syllables divided into three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables and in true poetic form, a seasonal word which might not always be obvious. (You'd be hard pressed to find the seasonal word in the following but the syllable rule is followed.) As well, a haiku should have two parts, which, while independent of each other, should also enrich the other. I love my master; I sound the alarm! So, your challenge - unleash the creative hounds in your imagination and write some doggy haikus. Or, to keep Cleocatra happy, it could be a feline haiku! mailto:peni@dogcompany.com
Dog Note: We have no interest in propagating unwanted email. If this has reached you in error or is unwelcome, please let us know, and we will take you off our mailing list. |
|
|
