HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

I was reading through some of the pet information that they have on BuyDogBeds.org, and I came across a dog myth that was actually brought mentioned by a friend of mine over the weekend. His dog was grabbing for a treat a little too eagerly and bit his finger which bled. It was a total accident, but he felt that because his dog “tasted blood” he would be aggressive!

According to the site, this myth is busted. I was trying to find something in writing to show him, as he wasn’t keen on my anecdotes.

MYTH:

If a dog ever tastes blood it must be destroyed because it will become a killer
FACT:

Dogs are canines, not vampires. This is a very popular myth and one that has devastating consequences to dogs. There is not some genetic trigger that goes haywire if a dog tastes blood. This myth most likely got started because some aggressive dog bit several people and it was then decided that the blood itself was the what cause the dog to do this rather than the more probable cause which was likely the past mistreatment by humans. This myth is plain and simply not true.

I don’t know why people still believe this, and what perplexes me is that people who are otherwise very dog savvy still point to their grandparents’ old sayings and go with it as tried and true.  My dog had cut himself once, and licking himself certainly did not turn him into Cujo.

Are there any other common myths that you can’t believe are widely believed, or are there some that you have recently come to learn that are not true?

There has been a lot of controversy about various dog training methods lately. Some people scoff at some of the shows on TV, hosted by various experts because they feel it encourages people with no experience to take matters into their own hands. If one “doesn’t know what they are doing,” they can get hurt or confuse the dog. It is fact that dogs cannot be taught as people teach human children. While the dog is intelligent, you cannot give him or her a “talking to” about something they did six days ago. You actually can. It won’t hurt the dog, but it won’t improve things either and just make you more frustrated, which in turn “travels down the leash” and agitates the dog. The worst case of the delayed reaction concept being carried out is when someone rubs a dog’s nose where they had an accident, as it does not catch the dog in the act and only confuses and scares them, especially when young.

Recently, many of my friends have become strong advocates for Positive Reinforcement Training. It makes absolute sense, as a dog is a social creature that is so willing and wanting to please, and it is a method that the average dog owner or even someone who is new to dogs can understand. Among all the dog trainers at the moment that I have received info on, there are just a couple that stress this as a method. If you are looking for a dog trainer in San Diego a dog walking San Diego company, you can go to Expertdogtrainingsd.com to start the process of the hunt. Of course, never hire a trainer based on a website, and don’t be fooled by the allure of a glossy website alone, but a website can be valuable at weeding out candidates based on geographic location and philosophy. Once you have that narrowed down, you can start emailing and calling to find the right fit. Keep an open mind to the idea that while the dog may have come into your life with certain conditioning that has nothing to do with you, you may also share some of the root causes for the behavior issues. You and your dog may be communicating with eachother on a proverbial scratchy phone.

If anyone can understand positive reinforcement, than why do you need a trainer? Training dogs is not just training the dog to understand what is expected of them, but to also teach the owner how to communicate clearly, and even more so, to be consistent. I have seen more than several dogs that people have given up on with housebreaking or other training and the actuality is that they just didn’t give the dog a chance. If they change their expectations every single day, there is no possible way a dog will understand what is expected of him or her.

Do yourself and your dog a favor: when trouble is brewing, don’t be afraid to ask for help. That little issue may be something the two of you can overcome to enjoy many, many happy years together. Remember, only 1 in 12 dogs ever gets a permanent home. The other 11 are bounced around from place to place or are euthanized before they can know the love of a special person forever. Make sure the dogs that are in your care are the #1’s.

I’m having great fun at the moment, wrapping up the SSP twitter contest. It was an impromptu thing. I was manning (or womanning ?) their Twitter account for awhile, and started a spontaneous challenge on Wednesday.  Of course, I didn’t hijack their account, they had full knowledge! The challenge is to come the closest to guessing the number of pets that have been saved by Saving Shelter Pets in 2009 so far.

If you want to drop in a last minute guess, Go to @SSPets on Twitter and check cast your vote. Of course, read the profile page first to see if the contest is still running. The person that guesses the closest will win a pack of three SSP buttons. If someone nails the number and gets it on the nose, everyone who had guessed that number will win. So far the closest is less than 40 away from the number.  If you miss the contest, consider following them anyhow to be up on the latest.

Are you interested in following ME (as in me, myself and I?).  You can do that too. You can find me at @thesnackhound  I don’t have an individual twitter account for this blog…but I do update all the news about this blog there as well.

If you are not on Twitter and want to know what my latest update is, this is me, at left. Yes, I want to scream. Do you know why? Read all about it HERE. Lots of puppehs and kittehs need saving today and I just don’t feel like I am making any headway.  There are 50 million billion (okay, really more like 15) who are not on the page yet. It has nothing to do with SSP, it is extracurricular.

I just need to take a deep breath and remember how blessed and grateful I am to have done what I have been able to do so far.  That attitude definitely makes things go more smoothly as you can appreciate the little victories, and also can get a lot more done when you don’t panic.

There has been quite some controversy on various websites of people labeling handmade items “Native American.” There is some concern if one believes that people living on a reservation are benefiting by the sale versus something just being in the Native American style. Some feel that it is deceptive to give some or the more common sterling silver turquoise rings that label without authenticating.

Over at DoubleDeeDeals.com, there is a disclaimer that reads, in part:

The U.S. Department of Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Act prohibits passing off imposter American Indian crafts as genuine. Trusted sellers, such as Double Dee Deals, will provide a disclaimer in their listing as to whether the product they are selling is real. Be cautious of sellers representing Indian made jewelry as genuine if it is not authenticated by the Indian artist.

I did not know that if an item is marked .925 Sterling Silver it is unlikely to be Native American. I also did not know before reading that all jewelry would have an artist’s mark on it, or otherwise be authenticated by the individual maker. There is so much out there being sold everywhere from mall kiosks to jewelry shows that are in the style, that you might want to think twice about if you really are looking to buy something that supports a Native American artist.

The Tree of Tomorrow Site is something I just stumbled across. It purports to be a site of “right thinking” and sustainable ideas. I have seen many websites that have been suggested to me that have a lot of philosophy in them but don’t really have any practical information. At times, sites can be very idealistic, and almost chide the average person that isn’t “off the grid,” or make judgements about anyone who is not doing every single thing on the site. After surfing around on Tree of Tomorrow, I was pleasantly surprised.

While there is some philosophizing and I was a little off put by listing certain technology and techniques as “appropriate”, there is concrete, usable information on the site.  I was most interested in the articles on farming. Each area, such as seed saving, has a list of articles. Some are from elsewhere on the internet and some are articles unique to the site. While each article is not meant to be a length or depth to give you all the information you will need for the entire year, they are enough to tap your curiosity into looking for more. It lit a little fire under my butt to try to do some seed saving this year instead of buying all new plants.  It appears that the site is still building up steam, so I am sure there will be a larger number of resources as time goes on.

There is a section on indigenous ways, and creating building structures with earth materials.  There are not too many articles in the section yet, but I look forward to checking it out again.  I think it would be really cool if a teacher were to start a class project on the school grounds, making structures out of mud, straw, or brick.  While it may not be practical for everyone, it certainly is educational to give kids a very unique experience.  They could learn building skills, but definitely feel thankful for the sanitation systems and other modern conveniences they have.

Some of my readers are on Twitter and looking for cool and interesting people to follow.   Saving Shelter Pets, Inc. is on Twitter.   You can check out their profile at @sspets for the latest updates.   They always could use more followers and it will put you instantly in the know. They have a Facebook and Myspace page as well.

The SnackHound, a sister blog to this one, can be followed at @thesnackhound.  The account also posts updates from this blog, HoundsGood.com,  and TheSnackHound.com.   Look for tweets on animal rescue, recipes, kitchen collectibles and other disasters.  This profile will follow you back.

Are you on twitter and tweeting about a charitable cause?  Let me know in the comments and I will be sure to follow you or spread the word about what you are up to.  It’s a great way to stay in touch!

There has been much family controversy lately over the women in my brother’s life. The two women are a female woman and a cute Heinz 57 dog that decided that she belongs to my brother. The plan was for the dog to move in with them after they were able to find a place that accepts dogs. Now that they may have that choice, the human woman decided that she didn’t want the dog. It may be okay if they can’t find a place. Then the dog can stay with mom and dad a little while longer where she wants for nothing. However, the human woman decides that she wants a dog, just not THAT dog. She wants a Great Dane puppy? What?

Of course, they could have both, but of course my brother is upset. He doesn’t talk about it, but grumbles sometimes. I wonder what he is going to do. Great Danes are, in general, fantastic family dogs, but I wonder if she knows what she is asking. Females can weigh in up to 130 lbs, but there have been some male Danes that have tipped the scale at a hefty 200. That’s the size of an adult male person! In other words, a Great Dane eats many times more than a miniature schnauzer, or the 35 pound Heinz 57. Great Danes are prone to bloat, so feeding several small meals during the day are the way to go.

Also, someone who had Danes told me that you “Have to love them a lot because you don’t have much time.” Danes typically don’t live past the age of ten. Some die of old age a year or two before. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and a few may live longer, but its not the norm. It is hard, if you are used to medium sized dogs, to get used to the idea.

Great Danes are wonderful dogs, but you have to make sure that you are willing to make the financial commitment to their food, and their care.  If you can, you will be rewarded with the loyalty of a true gentle giant.  As for the family situation, we are definitely working on that.  I’ll update you later about what ends up happening.  The dog is not going anywhere, that’s for sure.

After a recent major life change, a friend of mine told me “Only keep things that make you smile.” What I have now is a couple of my very favorite objects, and when I need to buy something new, I have used that philosophy as a rule of thumb. It makes debating about what to keep, or what to bring in, very easy.

In my recent internet browsings, I found that Alessi offers some of the most interesting and whimsical, yet functional, items for the home. They have been creating interesting things since 1921, and today, the items that the Lumens website has for sale by Alessi represent some of the most unique items available.  One of my favorite finds is this whistle topper for the Michael Graves teapot.

For under ten dollars, $9.95 to be exact, you can add a definite upgrade to your morning.  It just makes me smile, and will certainly start a conversation amongst your guests.  The little bird is available in two colors, including this bright and chipper red.

There was a photo on the website featuring a perplexed looking doggie that put a grin on my face. Apparently, he or she spotted an interesting looking kitty bowl in their room.  The Tigrito cat bowl is a two section bowl with a whimsical cat in between.  It is offered in three different colors and was designed by Miriam Mirri in 2005.

Even though there are all sorts of interesting household items, where Lumens excels is its offering of lighting.  These portable lights look like little aliens to me.  In the past, I have not been able to find portable, rechargeable lights that don’t look like I am stealing them from the garage.  These little guys sit on a special base and are at the ready for when you need them.  In fact, they light up automatically during a power failure, and are much safer than candles, of course. The price is very reasonable, at under $40.00 for the whole set up.

Whatever you choose for your home, don’t forget to check off the criteria list.  If it is useful to you, and makes you smile, go with it!

Many for profit businesses use promotional items as giveaways at events, or even sell them on their website. They service two purposes. Sure, there is a little bit of money generated for logo merchandise. First and foremost, however, is the potential publicity it could give your company or cause. When people walk around in shirts that state your website or name, or plop one of your promotional mousepads on their desk at work, it works for you. While one shirt may not cause someone who passes them on the street to donate to your charity, it works on the principle that people need to see something three times to act on something.

Brava Marketing has a variety of unique products, where your satisfaction is guaranteed.  The most unique item that I found is a Seeded Gift Card.  The Gift Card will include your Charity’s name on it, and typically a web page for them to go to.  They can take a survey that will help your market research, or simply register to receive your email mailings.   What’s in it for them?  The gift card is redeemable at thousands of restaurants, for one.  Secondly, when they are finished with the gift card, they can toss them in the ground.  The paper biodegrades and the seeds embedded in the cards take root!

You could use these cards as rewards for volunteers, prizes for your drawing or auction, or a “just because.”    Once someone has one, they will be sure to talk about it to their friends, as it is so unique.  Surely, you will receive phone calls from others wanting to obtain them.  It will give you another chance to explain your cause to just one more person.

Another idea is to sell them at cost or just above cost, and ask one or more of your sponsors to foot the bill.  In exchange, you share the spotlight on the card with them, and make your raffle more attractive in the meantime.

In the past, if people didn’t feel secure in their home, they got a dog.  I can fully understand that a dog can alert people to when someone is at the door, etcetera, but some people take it farther than that.  They want a dog to protect the property with more than just the fact that a dog lives there.   They want a dog who chases other dogs away.  That confuses me, because many dogs end up in shelters because they are not good with other dogs.  Is it because people “made them that way” with their ideas and rewarding dogs for that exact behavior?  Of course, it is not that in every case.  Sometimes it is a matter of early socialization.

Times have changed, and instead of a dog deterring all but the most determined criminal from a property, there are stories where the intruder harms the dog to be able to get passed them.  This could be as simple and temporary as locking them in a room, or as terrible as poisoning them or hitting them.  Now, many of my friends that have pets and have a home or neighborhood with a history of break in are turning to a home security system.  It is not just for them, but to protect the very dog that acts as their warning signal.  Of course, a dog may be more protected if he or she is crated and contained, but they don’t want to take any chances.

Right now, security company Protect America  is offering two keychain remotes with any order if you call them at 877-470-2751.  I don’t know how long the special will last, but it is worth calling to find out what your options are, or at least researching what it costs.  I know a few animal shelters and rescue groups have installed security systems in homes, especially when the foster dogs are Pit Bulls.  There have been shelter break ins where people try to steal them to sell them.  It is so heartbreaking when it happens, especially since the rescued dog may be a sweetheart and will be harmed when the person finds out they won’t fight.  Since, a couple shelters and foster homes I know about have installed systems and there have been no further incidents.  It is as if the potential criminals can sense that they won’t get past it, thank goodness.