The Dog Company: Newsletter

October 31, 2003 - Volume 54

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

CARRY A MESSAGE

This is a most useful trick even if you are a very small family or pack. Well, there have to be at least two people! You can send a love letter or perhaps the cheque book and then the pen!

Try not to send a sandwich or anything edible...it is way too soon for that! I am sure it will be devoured and not delivered. Your dog will not feel exploited doing this, because he loves pleasing you and loves to work. Once he catches on he will really love this game! You need to have done your ground work and all the previous tricks to build up to this one. "Goalie," your trick dog, will be the hit of your family and friends with what he can do.

Start off at a short distance from the person you want to get the message to. Kids especially love this trick. Give the command, "take it to Maddie" or "give it to Maddie" Have Maddie call the dog. Place the emphasis on the person's name. It is important the message gets to the right person. "Goalie" will trot right over to Maddie, get pats and "good dog" and lots of loving up. This is the perfect reward for the "Mail dog"! Now Maddie can send back a different item to Mommy. Extend the distance between you until you are in different rooms. Now take a break and try it with another family member or friend.

"Goalie" must lean to listen to the NAME in the command.

Think of practical applications for this trick! You are working in the garden and forget your hat on the porch...send "Goalie" for the hat. You are walking and look back to see that you have dropped your glove..."Goalie" goes back and picks it up and brings it to you. Your child has had a bad day; send them a cheery note inviting them to a movie. Your significant other has been in "the mood;" send them a note telling them WHEN you will meet them in the shower/bedroom ...you're getting the picture! Whenever possible, think romance!

Woof...happy deliveries......."Sweep"

(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.)

Announcements:

Birthdays - A great big Woof happy birthday to Winston on Nov. 2; Winston turns 6. Belated best wishes to Slick who had his birthday on Oct. 26; he's now the ripe old age of 15.

New Arrivals: - Shanu is proud to announce the arrival of his new baby person, Jonathan. Proud parents are Kim and Tony. Congratulations to you all from the Woof gang, the Trail Blazers, and the Strait Chuters.

And another new family member: The Lewis family is excited to announce the arrival of Peaches, born August 24, 2003 - a sister for Blu, and a new friend for Winston, Sage and Susan. Barks from the Woof gang too.

Wanted: Your 'articles', your 'For Sales', your 'Want Ads', your birthday wishes, your letters to Mam'selle, your ......... ????? By Wed. Nov.12 .... 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.)

Dear Mam'selle

You know all those extreme sports you see talked about on TV? Well, if I were a human, I'd be right in there. I love to push the limits, break the boundaries, climb the peaks ..... I don't ever worry about the danger .... it's exciting. But, and there is a but, there's a downside to all of this. I seem to keep getting hurt. Any suggestions for me?

Big, Black, Beautiful,& Reckless

Dear B.B.B.& R.,

Like 99% of all dogs, we love to do everything with Reckless Abandon!

I've seen this with dogs who get to the park in the car/Van/ truck and they come flying out ....all juiced up on adrenaline and going like a scalded cat - running, leaping, barking, etc. All that on cold muscles with no stretching before hand leads to pulled and sore muscles or even worse, torn tendons, etc. After all the fun and games (or during ) the dog goes home limping, or after they're home and had a rest, they get up all stiff and sore. They don't come back for a few days and then it's the same story all over again. Some dog parents just don't get the connection.

Foot injuries and non-specific lameness constitute the majority of injuries seen in canines. Foot injuries are the most common injuries of all - erosion of foot pads, inflamed feet, web cracks or erosions of the interdigital epidermis, broken or cracked toenails, broken and dislocated toes, strained tendons and foot lacerations constitute the majority of problems.

Dislocated and fractured toes will require veterinary attention.....actually all of these should be looked at by your Vet. as he/she is the best judge of treatment. Everytime you land on your forepaws after jumping, you compress your spine. When you are chasing prey or another dog in play, you give it all your RECKLESS ABANDON efforts and put tremendous exertional stress on the lumbar spine by twisting and turning while chasing. It is not uncommon to lose your footing on a sharp turn or corner and have your back legs come out from under you or somersault three or four times before recovering to keep in the chase. Geesh; how many times have we seen that or even done it ourselves. The shearing forces applied to the spine doing this and all those spills that look spectacular to onlookers (all those OOOOO's and ahhhhh's) as you keep going in all your canine athletic splendour take their toll over time. That doesn't mean you will grow old gracefully. It means that well before you should, you will be arthritic and old before your time.

Dog Parents of competitive dogs in sports learn how to avoid the injuries and if they do happen, they learn how to be aware of symptoms and how to assist and get immediate treatment and most of all, how not to let it happen again! There is a lot more but I don't want to get into too much ......................

On the other Paw, you need to listen to your parents when they call you back or tell you to stop. You need to get into Dogs Sports so your parents can learn how to help you get what you want without the PAIN! I know that sometimes they don't see it either but that's when it's time to get them involved with you in Dog Sports. They will learn all about how to avoid repetitive sports injuries, have fun while burning up those calories, and give you a chance to use your brilliant brain by learning and listening to commands and watching for hand cues.

I wish all you Sporty canines, "Clean runs in Agility and good passes in Flyball!"

Woof "Poutine" ^..^~~!

Rules for the Dog

1. DOORS: Do not allow closed doors in any room. To get door opened, stand on hind legs and hammer with forepaws. Once door is opened, it is not necessary to use it. After you have ordered an "outside" door opened, stand halfway in and out and think about several things. This is particularly important during very cold weather, rain, snow, or mosquito season. Swinging doors are to be avoided at all costs.

2. CHAIRS AND RUGS: If you have to throw up, get to a chair quickly. If you cannot manage in time, get to an Oriental rug. If there is no Oriental rug, shag is good. When throwing up on the carpet, make sure you back up so that it is as long as the human's bare foot.

3. BATHROOMS: Always accompany guests to the bathroom. It is not necessary to do anything --- just sit and stare.

4. HAMPERING: If one of your humans is engaged in some close activity and the other is idle, stay with the busy one. This is called "helping", otherwise known as "hampering". Following are the rules for "hampering":

a. When supervising cooking, sit just behind the left heel of the cook. You cannot be seen and thereby stand a better chance of being stepped on and then picked up and comforted.

b. For book readers, get in close under the chin, between eyes and book, unless you can lie across the book itself.

c. For knitting projects or paperwork, lie on the work in the most appropriate manner so as to obscure as much of the work or at least the most important part. Pretend to doze, but every so often reach out and slap the pencil or knitting needles. The worker may try to distract you; ignore it. Remember, the aim is to hamper work. Embroidery and needlepoint projects make great hammocks in spite of what the humans may tell you.

d. For people paying bills (monthly activity) or working on income taxes or Christmas cards (annual activity) keep in mind the aim -- to hamper! First, sit on the paper being worked on. When dislodged, watch sadly from the side of the table. When activity proceeds nicely, roll around on the papers, scattering them to the best of your ability. After being removed for the second time, push pens, pencils, and erasers off the table, one at a time.

e. When a human is holding the newspaper in front of him/her, be sure to jump on the back of the paper. They love to jump.

5. WALKING: As often as possible, dart quickly and as close as possible in front of the human, especially; on stairs, when they have something in their arms, in the dark, and when they first get up in the morning. This will help their coordination skills.

6. BEDTIME: Always sleep on the human at night so he/she cannot move around.

(Thanks to Lynn and Cricket for this)

So our people did it to us again. They had a costume party for Agility ... but once again, it was mostly dogs who got dressed up. A few brave people did, like Winston's Mom and Chinook and Monty's girls, Carina and Brianna. The girls looked very elegant in their capes and caps. But for the most part, it was us, the furry ones, who got put into all manner of costume. Even the furfaces in the Beginners' Agility classes got into the act. It was certainly different to see them galloping through the tunnel or over the A frame. Trixie was a jailbird dressed in stripes and she was certainly trying to escape..... turns out it was from the costume. Halfway up the A frame, she managed to lose most of it, so her person took pity on her and helped her out of the rest of it. Most of us wore the costumes long enough to get the picture taking done, but then we let the humans know that we'd really rather be running around naked.

The costumes were really creative. Chinook and I both were dragons, but I was green and he was purple and yellow so we looked quite different. Some dogs didn't get dressed up, but that was okay. They were probably laughing at those of us who were.

The best thing about parties is that there is always food... and this one was no exception. The people had doughnutty things but we had Doodle dog treats. I don't know how come Heston isn't absolutely huge, 'cause his Mom is the one who makes the treats; I wonder if he gets any at home or if he only gets them on special occasions like parties.

The pictures that Mom took will be up on my web page when we figure out what we're doing wrong. Give us awhile. Here's one to whet your appetite.

HRH Trouble (athlete with attitude)

Our dogs, like our shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well.

..... Bonnie Wilcox

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there". The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."

How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them. "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," he answered.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."

(Thanks, Meredith and Finnegan)

According to CKC guidelines, the 1 person year being equal to 7 dog years is out the door. A 6 month old pup is approx. equivalent to a 10 year old human; a 1 year old dog = a 15 year old teen; a 2 year old dog = a 24 year old, and each year after that adds approximately 4 years to a dog's maturing. So, a dog that has lived 21 calendar years is equivalent to a 100 year old person.

(Thanks to Susan for this)

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 store)

Adult: IDENTITY (88 min) John Cusack, Ray Liotta .. mystery/suspense. I was hardly able to eat my popcorn; I was on the edge of my pillow the whole movie.

P.G. ON THE NOSE (comedy) Hilarious story about a Janitor of Ireland's Trinity medical college (Robbie Cochrane) and the Dean of the College (Dan Akryod). It is fast and funny! Sometimes predictable..but that is just being human.

Geeesh.......... I can smell the popcorn now! REMEMBER TO LICK UP ALL THE CRUMBS OFF THE FLOOR!

See... those dogs don't have a monopoly on costumes. When we cats get going, we've got a purpose behind our getting dressed up... camouflage! This smart cat was after dinner and I wouldn't want to bet on whether he got some or not.

Latest word on Blu is that he's still waiting for his trial. He's been joined in his house by a new sister, Peaches, so I'm hopeful that she can help persuade the judge that it really wasn't his fault that the telephone book got ripped to pieces. After all, here's how it was, I'm sure. Picture this - a desperate cat, being pursued by two ravenous dogs, hot on his tail. He runs, he leaps, he climbs and as he's frantically clawing his way to the top of whatever it was, the telephone book, in league with the dogs, flies out under his panicky claws and tumbles to the floor. The merciless dogs, thwarted in their diabolical efforts to have catburger, tear it to shreds. The human arrives home, the dogs fawn and whimp the way dogs do, and poor Blu, simply because he managed to save his fur, is put on trial. It just isn't fair.

Hang in there, Blu. We're still rooting for you.

Cleocatra

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