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Volume 64 - March 26, 2004 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: SERVICE DOGS AND PROPER DOG ETIQUETTE Peni and I have worked for many years with Service dogs, and I myself have been trained as a wheelchair dog. I can also work for the deaf. But, we are experiencing more and more, that other dogs we meet on the street have no manners at all. Everyday we are charged at, bitten and otherwise mistreated, even by humans. Right now I am assisting a seeing-eye dog in recovering his trust and confidence, which he lost due to being attacked by dogs. Four times a week, we go on the local streets here in Sidney; we do normal things like shopping and banking, having coffee with friends and just walking. Everytime, yes, everytime, we are charged at or jumped on. Even at a local store, a dog from another store saw us, charged out and bit my working dog partner on his back flank! Then he ran away back into the store. We are charged and growled at by dogs on leashes with people or by dogs that are tied up. Their people are right there and they allow their dogs to charge out at us as we go by. Even at the crosswalk where we must sit and wait ..... we have been attacked. These people say, "Oh, he was attacked by a (whatever dog) when he was a puppy." But I say, "So? that is no excuse for your dog to do it to me." PLEASE CONTROL YOUR DOGS! Our Dog Company gives this training as a regular part of basic obedience. Please come and take part in our classes - be a part of the solution not the problem. Are we Service Dogs fed up with this bad behaviour...you bet we are! We still have to do our job; help us by behaving as well as we do. Yes, it is posssible and the solution is an email mailto:woof@dogcompany.com or a phone call 656-1659 away. Making a difference starts with you ! woof..Sweep.^..^~~!
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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.) Belated Happy Birthday: Finnegan slipped one past us... He turned 13 on March 16th. A very big wwooooof and rrrruuuffffs from all the Woof gang, the Strait Chuters, and the Trail Blazers, Finn! Wanted: Your 'articles', your 'For Sales', your 'Want Ads', your birthday wishes, your letters to Mam'selle, your ......... ????? By Wed. April 7th .... 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.)
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ASK MAM'SELLE Dear, Mam'selle, I'm shy, and really, really afraid of nearly everything. When we meet new dogs, or new people, I try to hide behind my folks or even run away. And if those strangers try to smell me or pet me, I nearly have a heart attack. I'm shaking right now, just thinking about it! Have you any suggestions for me? Scared Silly Dear Scared Silly, Well, it isn't silly for you to feel that way. If you are scared, it doesn't make you feel less scared when your people keep tell you, "It's O.K."! 'Cause you don't feel that way no matter what they say. You need to come to see us at our training classes. You are the perfect example of a dog that needs to have some training to build up your confidence in yourself and your people. We need to train you both .... that's the fun of being in dog school. It is for both you and your people. Call us at 656 -1659 or email woof@dogcompany.com woof.Poutine ^..^~~!
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Sick Call The Woof is very pleased to announce that Mindy T is on the mend. She's had her surgery and her doctor says that things are going well. She's ambulatory (short walks on leash only) and is chomping at the bit to get back to all her regular routines. We miss you and your mom Judy, so follow the doctor's orders, Mindy. Wooooffff from the Woof gang.
Woofs of Wisdom "Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." |
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Tips and Tales by Miss Trouble Last weekend was a brand new experience for me. For starters, I spent a lot of the time in my crate but in between, there were lots and lots of things that were new and different. It was something called an Expo, and we, the Strait Chuters, got to do an Agility demo there. In fact, we did it four times, so that's why there was time in the crates; we had to wait until it was our turn, 'cause other dogs and animals were doing things too. The days started pretty early. We got there before the show opened so the human people could get the booth area ready for people to look at things. Swift, Chinook, and I were walked around a bit and then plunked into our crates. Poor Chinook - he found all this kind of stressful and would rather have stayed home except for when he was in the show. That part he liked, 'cause he got to play with George and have little kids pet him too. Anyway, back to my story. We'd wait in the crates for awhile and then it would start to get noisy. There must have been some wolves behind our crates - we could hear them howling, but I never did see any of them. Our people didn't seem too worried, so neither were we. What we furfaces were interested in were the funny things across the way from us. One of them was hard to see because it was behind bars. Good thing too, if you ask me, 'cause it was sort of squirrel sized but way, way noiser, and it was wearing something called a diaper, I heard Helen's Mom say. If it had come over our way, I'm sure one of us would have used it as a snack to shut it up, if nothing else. There were two other things near this one; they sort of reminded me of cats, except they were much much skinnier and had long long tails. Actually, they were quite pretty, and certainly quieter than that other thing. Then there was the bird. It was about the size of a crow but sort of white and it made lots of squawks and other noises. It even started talking like the little squeaky toys our people had on the table. The smells and sights of this place were unbelievable. When we got taken for business trips outside, it was pretty hard to concentrate going past some of the places. There was the smell of dog food and cat food all over - bags and bags and bags of it. Some of those bags kept coming into our area too, and once, Lee, Elvis's Mom, brought back a bunch of really tasty treats. Not only food smells surrounded us, but dog smells - dog strangers and stranger cats and other furry things and some that weren't furry too. The whole reason we were there was to show human strangers how we could do Agility. When it was our turn, our people would head out into this red carpet area (that sounds impressive, doesn't it?) and set up our agility equipment. They got really quick about it too - guess even people get better with practice like we do! Once everything was ready, they'd get us, "warm us up" on the equipment, and then work the crowd by talking to the strangers and letting them pet us. It's so nice to have an adoring public. Then it was show time! Our music would start, Peni would start talking and we were on!!! Gypsy Rose Lee once said, "Let me entertain you," and that's what we did too. We entertained!! We each run to our own music, and do our own course through the equipment. That really makes it interesting for everyone. It gets especially interesting for our people when we furfaces decide to change our course a bit, without telling them! I did that to Mom..... she said A-frame but I wanted to do the Dog Walk instead. She finally caught up to me, but she sure had to do some quick thinking to figure out where we were going to go after that. I wasn't the only one. Several of us made interesting little changes - just reminding the humans who this Agility thing is really about! When the show was finished, we'd visit with the crowd a bit (and there always was a big crowd), wait around while things got broken down, go outside for a bit of a walk, have a drink, and relax in our crates or vehicles again until it was time to do the next show. We all enjoyed it - it was scary and exciting all at the same time. Do we want to do it again? You bet we do. Check out our pictures on the Agility Time page on my website. HRH Trouble (athlete with attitude)
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Phydeau Phun The evolution of the mixed breed dog: Part 1 
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Agility Trialing with Spencer Mum and I started going to agility trials last summer and just in case anyone thinks you have to be perfect before you trial - think again! On our very first run, Mum was so nervous that she forgot to take me for my little walk. Well, I was pretty uncomfortable and couldn't concentrate on my part of the work. Finally I just had to stop for a pee. We were asked to leave the ring and Mum was quite embarrassed. Funny thing about trials; when something goes wrong, lots of people come over to sympathize and tell about the times they too made mistakes. This helped both of us feel better and our next run was a Q! That means a perfect run - within the allotted time and with no faults. I knew we could do it! Since then, we have taken part in lots of trials and fun events and we've found that it's the greatest way to practice. In some of our trials we get Q's and in some of them we just get good training. Mum is coming along nicely and I've got her in the Advanced level. This is more challenging, but the good thing is how much Mum has relaxed. I don't have to worry about her and can pay more attention to my part of the game. Trials have become one of my favourite routines and I can tell when we are going to one because the day before Mum starts getting our gear ready. Then I get really excited. The morning of the trial, we always get up a lot earlier than normal and I know; this is it! It's hard to eat my breakfast, but I do try. Mum's excited too and she also has to work hard to eat. Then we look at each other and it's time to go. She has made us a Spencer's Trial List to help us remember all the things we'll need for the day: leash, collars, TREATS, TOYS, kennels, water dish and lots of water for both of us, a tarp for the ground under my kennel and some lunch and a chair for her. She also takes some things that I just don't understand at all. A pad of thin paper and pens for tracing our course so she can study it. People are always doing strange things with paper, but hey! If it helps her feel better, it's OK with me. Toys and treats are what make me feel good. And of course having a glorious run with Mum. Some of our runs are better than others (for Mum), but I think all of them are great. Before our group starts, Mum studies that paper. Then she and all the other human team members go out and walk the course to make sure they understand it. After that we go for a little walk - we're not getting caught by that mistake again! 
When it's finally our turn, we just have a wonderful time. It's so great to have a whole course to our selves. It's also very exciting to have an especially good run when we each know what the other one is thinking and we're a real team. No matter how our run goes, we are always proud of each other and go out to celebrate by playing with my ball or squeaky toy and settle ourselves down. Then it's time for Mum to forget about that run and start studying the next course and for me to go to my kennel for a rest - I can't possibly sleep! By the end of the weekend, we are really tired and ready for some rest. Mum has lots of new ideas to try and things for us to work on and I can hardly wait for the next time. Super Spencer - Agility Star
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Monty's Movies Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat Staring Mike Myers Myers plays the role of Dr. Seuss' title character The Cat in the Hat from Seuss' children's book. This film was a highly anticipated adaptation of the beloved literary classic. Although the plot of the film is based on the original book, the movie has extra padded scenes and a lot of special effects. This movie did not receive great reviews. With all the hype about the movie before it was released, the actual movie was a bit of a disappointment. This Live action version of the famous story is good for a few good laughs, but perhaps not worth buying.
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And more Phydeau Phun The evolution of the mixed breed dog: Part 2 
In the News TAILS OF WOE - Pets are front and centre in custody battles. We all know couples who fight like cats and dogs. Increasingly, there are couples who fight over cats and dogs for custody. In one such case handled by Montreal lawyer Helen Sanders, each of the spouses in a divorcing couple was seeking sole custody of their two young children. Both also wanted the dog. "My instinct was that the dog was not wanted by the parties out of sentimental considerations for the dog, perse", observed Sanders, a partner in the firm of O'Hanlon, Sanders, & Cheng. "In this heated litigation, the parties considered that if they got the dog, they would get the children, as the children were so attached to the dog." Ultimately, the parties agreed the dog would go where the children went. When they settled on joint custody for the children and the dog, it probably made the transition between two homes easier. In another file, a couple was having a tough time separating amicably. They were arguing over their property, which included their dogs. "The problem was that both the client and her ex-boyfriend had come into the relationship with a dog each. And these were big dogs." The dogs had grown close. At the heart of the dispute, Sanders explained, was whether each dog would return to his original owner or whether the owners could share them. Her client wanted joint custody "as she didn't want the dogs to pine for each other." The ex-boyfriend wanted a clean break. Ultimately, they came to a detailed agreement that provided for joint custody on a three month trial basis, with a proviso that if it didn't work, both dogs would go and live with the ex-girlfriend. If she in turn couldn't handle both dogs, she would transfer custody of both to her ex-boyfriend. Fortunately, Sanders recalled, there was "A very nice and canine friendly lawyer on the opposite side who took the concerns of the client seriously." She believes both cases were resolved by good and sensible agreements. And she is relieved both were settled out of court. "Thank goodness. I don't know what a Superior Court judge would have made out of a canine litigation." Although most pet litigation is, in fact resolved before a judge gets involved, these cases are becoming more common place in the United States and to a lesser degree in Canada. Gigi, a pointer-greyhound adopted from a San Diego shelter, became the centre of a two year custody battle costing more than $100,000.00 in legal fees. The court awarded custody to the husband, with weekend visits to the wife.... a decision reversed after an animal expert was hired to observe the dog spending time with each spouse. Following a trial featuring a "day-in-the- life" video of Gigi, the wife was granted full custody. Last year, a divorced Saskatchewan couple ended up in court over their dog. Judge Gerald Kraus awarded joint custody of their 11 year old Husky, rejecting the husband's claim that the dog was "pre-marriage assets" and legally his. Gerald Heinrichs, one of the lawyers who argued the case, said it could signal a trend. "It is quite possible we will see a new area of litigation cropping up in the near future." He told this to 'City Dog' a Toronto publication. "Some people are prepared to fight very hard for a pet they hold as dear as a child." There are some people who say they feel closer to their animals than they do to human friends. Yet in law, it's not entirely clear whether a pet should be treated like a child or as property. And the difference determines whether the court considers the pet's best interests or who paid for him. Rover may sleep on your bed and cry when sad, but companion animals are considered property here in Canada. (Thanks for this insight from Susan Schwartz, Can. News Service)
Did You Know? 62% of U.S. dog owners sign letters or cards from themselves and their dogs, and 7 out of 10 British dogs get Christmas gifts from their owners.
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Swift's Books Introduction to Agility - Margaret Bonham Mutts: America's Dogs - Brian Kilcommons and Michael Capuzzo
Pheline Philosophy "Dogs come when they're called;
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The Purrrrrrr It seems that we might finally get some word about Blu. You'll remember him... he's the poor guy who's standing trial on charges of willful destruction, framed by two cunning canines. They're also up on charges, but he shouldn't be there at all. Word on the street is that the trial has resumed and there should be a decision by the time the next Purrrrr comes out. On other matters, I found an interesting ad in a book about us. The book was quite old, so I don't imagine the offer still stands... and that might be a good thing! It was all about a cruise for cats, offered by American Cruise Lines. It was a seven day cruise up the Mississippi River, starting in New Orleans. It was suggested that you could take your swinging feline down to Bourbon street to catch some good jazz, or perhaps into one of those terrific French Quarter restaurants for - what else? - fish. The ship would carry 65 pets and 125 people. I guess that was to accommodate those extra humans who insist upon hanging around to clutter up a cat's life. Every suite (get that, suite, not stateroom) would have its own private verandah so there would be no chance of offending the royal felines by forcing them to associate with any lesser beings. Price?? $1,995.00 per puss. That's the bad news. The good news was the person got to go free. Oh, one other detail that they mentioned - Dogs could come too! There ought to be a law. Cleocatra |
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