Poll Results: Who Do You Agree WIth

Like most of you, I love dogs and it causes me great pain to think that they are mistreated, abused and abandoned. I believe that most people feel the same way and that this is why they donate money to Animal Rights groups like PeTA and Humane Society of the US.

I would like to preface this key by pointing out two things.

Mandatory Spay and Neuter Laws don’t work. They drive people who can’t afford to have their dogs spayed or neutered into hiding. What does work is programs to reduce the cost of spaying and neutering so that people can afford it. An example of this is Connecticut where they are now importing dogs and cats into the shelters from other states and even Puerto Rico.

The money that people give to HSUS and PeTA does not go to help the animals. Yes, they do some high profile raids but after the publicity dies down they are gone and the problem still remains. An example of this is the “puppy mill” in Virginia where HSUS spent 6 months undercover. The only violation that the kennel has been charged with is having more dogs than they had a license. HSUS went in and reported it, garnered the publicity for their own political purposes and left. The remaining 500 dogs are still there, in the same condition and the kennel is still selling puppies. HSUS NEVER reported the kennel to USDA who would have inspected the conditions that the animals were being kept in and would have held the kennel to the 62 pages of requirements for animal care. To my knowledge, this has still not been done.

If you want to help homeless dogs and cats, find your local animal shelter or breed rescue and donate funds, towel, newspapers, etc. They desperately need your help and they are not supported by either HSUS or PeTA who use your money to further their goals of eliminating pet ownership.

1. "Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought
   about by human manipulation." Ingrid Newkirk, national director,
   People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), Just Like Us?
   Toward a Nation of Animal Rights" (symposium), Harper's, August 1988, p. 50.
   
   
2. "I don’t have a hands-on fondness for animals... To this day I don’t feel bonded to any non-human animal. I like them and I pet them and I’m kind to them, but there’s no special bond between me and other animals." -- Wayne Pacelle quoted in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt by Ted Kerasote, 1993, p. 251. (Wayne Pacelle is the current President of Humane Society of the United States)
   
   
3. "If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born." Wayne Pacelle quoted in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt by Ted Kerasote, 1993, p. 266. (Wayne Pacelle is the current President of Humane Society of the United States)
   
   
4. "We are not especially 'interested in' animals. Neither of us had ever been inordinately fond of dogs, cats, or horses in the way that many people are. We didn't 'love' animals” Peter Singer, Animal Liberation: A New Ethic for Our Treatment of Animals, 2nd ed. (New York Review of Books, 1990),Preface, p. ii
   
   
5. "The cat, like the dog, must disappear... We should cut the domestic cat free from our dominance by neutering, neutering, and more neutering, until our pathetic version of the cat ceases to exist." --John Bryant, Fettered Kingdoms: An Examination of A Changing Ethic (Washington, DC: People for theEthical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), 1982), p. 15.
   
   
6. "[A]s the surplus of cats and dogs {artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship--enjoyment at a distance." --Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA"Just LikeUs? Toward a Notion of Animal Rights" (symposium), Harper's, August 1988, p. 50.
   
   
7. “I believe that every animal should be well cared for. No animal should be mistreated, abused, abandoned or neglected. It breaks my heart to think that there are dogs who are unwanted and alone.” Me… Country Groomer, Feb 2008

Poll Results: All votes were for #7

If you would like more information on the differences in Animal Welfare and Animal Rights, please see the following website which although somewhat dated gives an excellent view of the dfferences. Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare

I believe that HSUS and PeTA could make a significant difference in the lives of thousands of pets and animals but as long as they are led by these extremists whose sole purpose is to further their own political and personal agendas, this will not happen. Help to bring them back to mainstream beliefs by NOT donating to them until they are headed by people who love animals and want to see them taken care of. Loss of income is the only thing that will bring them back to helping take care of the animals instead of their goals of eliminating them.

We've Gotten Awards!

Notes from a Country Groomer has been honored to receive 2 awards this week. The Blog was nominated for the Bloggers of the World Award by Rebecca and Spencer at Dogs Rule and Cats Drool.

We have also been awarded Excellence Award by Mrs. Mom at Oh Horsefeathers and Other Twisted Tales.

I am honored to have been nominated to receive both of these awards and want to thank them both for considering my blog.

I will be passing the Bloggers of the World Award on to the following blogs:

Fine Pet Care

Rubinman

Dog Health

And the Excellence Award on to these blogs

Kay's K9's You have got to see these handmade miniatures.

Pet Rescuer Central Good information on Pet Rescue

Paws Awhile Dedicated to rescuing the dogs of India

Cats Big and wild cats. While we are usually most concerned about our pets, let's not forget their wild cousins.

Nearly Dr Ferox Ever wonder what Vet School would be like? Find out here.


Thanks again to Rebecca, Spencer and Mrs. Mom for nominating me.

A Light Look at Pet Grooming

The following video is presented by Petside. I thought you might enjoy it.

Poll: Which Quote Do You Agree With?

The following are quotes about animals from somewhat famous people. Do you know who said it? Which quotes do you agree with?

1. "Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought
   about by human manipulation."

2. "I don’t have a hands-on fondness for animals... To this day I don’t feel bonded to any non-human animal. I like them and I pet them and I’m kind to them, but there’s no special bond between me and other animals." --

3. "If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born."

4. "We are not especially 'interested in'
animals. Neither of us had ever been
inordinately fond of dogs, cats, or
horses in the way that many people are.
We didn't 'love' animals”

5. "The cat, like the dog, must disappear... We should cut the domestic cat free from our dominance by neutering, neutering, and more neutering, until our pathetic version of the cat ceases to exist."

6. "[A]s the surplus of cats and dogs
   {artificially engineered by centuries
   of forced breeding) declined, eventually
   companion animals would be phased
   out, and we would return to a more
   symbiotic relationship--enjoyment at
   a distance."

7. “I believe that every animal should be well cared for. No animal should be mistreated, abused, abandoned or neglected. It breaks my heart to think that there are dogs who are unwanted and alone.”

These are all legitimate quotes. I'll tell you who said what when the poll ends. I can't put the whole quote in the poll but will use the first five or six words.

The Dog Blog Carnival Edition #2

Camry courtesy of laruth

Welcome to the February 17, 2008 edition of the dog blog carnival.

In honor of the Westminister winner "Uno" I have highlighted the posts that are beagle related. If you are considering purchasing a beagle, please read

Laura presents 8 Things to Know Before You Buy A Beagle posted at BeutlerBlogger.

If you are considering hiring a Beagle then this video is a must see.

John Phillips presents The AEPA must be changed. posted at The Word On Employment Law, saying, "A cause worth joining"

Again, if you are considering buying a beagle, please LISTEN to this video. This is Beagles doing what they were born to do.

Dog Care

Kathleen Marrero presents Healthy Food For your Pet posted at Healthy Dogs.

Matt M presents Why Dogs Burrow posted at The Pet Haven.

Spencer Jones presents Pets and Colloidal Silver posted at Colloidal Silver Secrets, saying, "Dogs and cats alike love colloidal silver. They seem to have an innate sense that it is good for them. If you have a sick pet, and you place a bowl containing some colloidal silver next to their water bowl, your pet will inevitably choose to drink from the bowl containing the colloidal silver every time. Here's why..."

Dog Stories

Daniel Lafleche presents Sell Sheet Sampler: Charming clip from TV series 'Animal Crackers' posted at The IPEX Blog, saying, "This is a really cute clip about an extreme sports enthusiast and his Jack Russell terrier who surf, kayak, cliff jump, and mountain climb together."


TherapyDoc presents The Heart Has Its Reasons posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "You know that dogs are good for prisoners. But have you heard THIS story? Front page, Wall Street Journal. The victims are the canines."

Dog Tips

Teri Salvador presents Parsley Water Builds Your Dog?s Immune System posted at DogHealth1.com.

Sagar Satapathy presents How to: Travel with Pets - the Ultimate Guide posted at Travelhacker.


Dog Training

Kathleen Marrero presents Training your Pet posted at Training your pet.


Lexi Sundell presents Regulating Puppy Energy Fields posted at Energies of Creation, saying, "Here is an unusual way to integrate a rambunctious puppy into an artist studio/gallery so everyone is happy!"

General Dog Stuff

Marilyn Terrell presents Pop Omnivore: Every Dog Doesn't Have Its DNA Day: National Geographic Magazine posted at Pop Omnivore, saying, "If you have a mutt and want to figure out which breeds he came from, you can get his DNA tested."

Humor

Amber presents An Open Letter to Britney Spears posted at Rubinman, saying, "A bichon frise offers advice to Britney..."

Rebecca Camarena presents Puppy Love! « Dogs Rule and Cats Drool posted at Dogs Rule and Cats Drool, saying, "Spencer's love for Amber, a yellow Labrador Retriever can only exist in cyberspace."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
the dog blog carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our
blog carnival index page.

This post was also submitted although it has nothing to do with dogs, I decided to go ahead and include it here.

Rob Moshe presents Live Your Best Life By Serving Others posted at Rob Schaumer, saying, "This is not necessarily a fitting post for your carnival. Once the project starts, each day I will recognize a fellow blogger that "Helped""
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How To Groom Your Own Dog Series: Training Your Dog to be Groomed

How do I groom my own dog is something that I am frequently asked in the grooming shop. Most of my pet owners are very interested in keeping their pet well groomed at home and either they just don’t know how to groom their particular dog or their dog is resistant to being groomed. And I will start out by saying that this is not something I can cover completely in one post. I am going to break it up into an ongoing series.

Training Your Dog to be Groomed

The most frequent issue that most people have when attempting to groom their own dog is the dog itself. Dogs need to be trained to be groomed. Once trained and if done regularly, the grooming process should be a time for relaxing and bonding with your dog.

Optimally, you will begin to train your dog when it is a puppy and it will grow up enjoying the special time that it spends getting your undivided attention. Most dogs are not trained from puppyhood, however, and chances are that you are starting this process with a dog that is resistant to being groomed.

Dogs learn this resistance because in most cases they are not groomed until they have tangles or matts. Pulling out matts hurts them just as much as ripping tangles out of your own hair. Imagine for a moment someone pulling the hairs out of your armpits. It's not a pleasant thought and not many of us would lie there complacently without complaining.

So how do you train your dog? The most important step is to start out with a dog that is already groomed. The absolute best time to start is the day your dog comes home from the groomer. I know you are thinking that this makes no sense. You just paid money so that you didn't NEED to groom your dog. You would be absolutely correct. Your dog should come home from the groomer tangle and matt free. You should be able to comb and/or brush your dog without it being a painful or long process.

You are going to spend some time retraining your dog to think of grooming as a pleasant experience and not a painful one. You are also going to be retraining yourself to enjoy the process and to incorporate it into your routine. While few of us have time to groom our dogs daily, it should still be a regular routine and one that is rewarding to both you and your dog.

Encourage your dog to lay down on it's side. Pick a time when your dog is calm and relaxed. If your dog is small, have them lay in your lap. If your dog is large, have them lay on the floor and sit beside them. You want your dog to relax so talk calmly to them and pet them for a few minutes. I repeat the word "down" while I am doing this so that it becomes a command.

If your dog struggles against laying down this may be as far as you go for the first groom training session. If your dog is calm, take your comb or brush and run it over the dog lightly. Your goal here is to teach your dog to like being groomed. There should be no issues with tangles or matts so this should be a short pleasant session. Always speak softly to your dog while you are grooming as it will help to calm and relax him. These first few sessions should be more like stroking your dog with a brush or comb.

Try to do this daily for at least a week. The sessions do not have to last more than five minutes at a time and because you started with a freshly groomed clean dog, you can focus more on just getting you and your dog relaxed. Do not try to accomplish much more than having a quiet calm dog. If they have long hair on their ears or tail and are enjoying being brushed, you may want to be sure to comb or brush that part of them.

At the end of the first week, if you have a dog that will lie calmly for 5 minutes while being brushed you have accomplished much. You should be able to start a more thorough brushing and do it less often than daily. You can gradually extend the amount of time that you are spending and you can attempt the problem areas such as behind the ears, under the armpits and the back of the legs.

If at any point in the process your dog struggles or becomes upset, go back to the first steps of lying down and being stroked lightly. Some dogs are resistant to certain areas of their bodies being brushed and you will need to go back to stage one on these areas frequently. Get them used to lying quietly while stroking or massaging the area with your hand. Once they are relaxed, try the brush or comb lightly again.

I usually recommend to my clients that they do this while watching tv in the evening. Both people and dogs are usually more relaxed and winding down from the day. You will not achieve a calm dog if the kids are running around, people are coming in and out and things that your dog wants to investigate or be a part of are going on.

Upcoming in the series, I will cover specific topics such as

• ¨ How and when to bathe your dog
• - Health issues that regular grooming can help
  
• ¨ Double coated dogs like Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, etc.
• ¨ Long coated dogs like Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, and Havanese
• ¨ Non shedding breeds such as poodles and bichons
• ¨ Harsh coated dogs such as Terriers
• ¨ General Grooming such as ears and nails
• ¨ Grooming tools that you will need at home

You will notice that there are several different topics on breeds or coat types. This is because each different type of coats require different types of care including a different types of brushes and different techniques in brushing. There isn't a one size fits all answer and that is why professional groomers spend thousands of dollars on their tools. The brushes that work on a Shih Tzu won't necessarily work on a poodle or a collie.

You can subscribe to get future posts by RSS feed or by email in the form on the top of the page. Feel free to ask questions at any time along the way or throw in a comment about issues you have with your own dogs or things you would like to know.

Save Our Shelters – PenPals Program

I was invited to prison yesterday. One of my clients had recommended me to the Principal of the nearby state correctional facility to teach grooming to the inmates. I went to the initial interview with a little trepidation about what I would find and how I felt about it. I was very pleasantly surprised.

This particular facility participates in the SOS-PenPals program. PenPals rescues unadoptable dogs from area pounds and shelters and places them in correctional facilities. There a select group of prisoners work with the dogs, training them, socializing them and teaching them to be good citizens and pets.

The principal at this particular facility is expanding the program to train the inmates in animal handling so that when they have served their time, they will have training for jobs in the pet care industry. They should be qualified as groomers assistants, trainers, doggie day care attendants, etc.

I got to meet both the dogs and their trainers. The dogs were happy, healthy, very well trained and obviously devoted to their handlers. The guys were very proud of their animals and took the time to introduce me to each one. I truly think that they are better trained and behaved than my own dogs.

When the dogs are brought into the program they are assigned two handlers. These handlers share a room with the dog and it is never left alone. They get two handlers so that when one is not available, the other can care for the dog. Due to regulations, dogs have to be kept on lead at all times unless they are in the exercise yard.

The dogs are well socialized and very responsive to their handlers. They use operant conditioning (clicker training) to train the dogs and you can see it in the way the dogs respond to their handlers. These are very happy dogs.

The guys were full of questions about the opportunities in the pet care industry, dog training and when I could start. They asked the type of questions that I would expect from a new class in college and it was fun to share some of my experiences with them and to talk about the methods that they use in training.

Ann Cavan, the principal at the facility’s school and the originator of the animal handler program said that there have been unforeseen benefits for the inmates as they learn to relate and train the dogs. She is excited about giving them the opportunity to choose a career in the pet care field.

All in all, I enjoyed my visit to prison. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? I am looking forward to working with them and feel like I am giving back to not only the dogs but also the men who have paid for their crimes and only want another opportunity to succeed. I hope that they find it out there.

I hope that if you are considering donating to an animal welfare organization, that you will consider SOS-Pet Pals. They are quietly going about the business of not only saving pets but also of helping the inmates. You can read more about it on their website.

I Am Planning Next Years Attack on Fleas!

photo courtesy of blmurch

In the last few years, it seems like there have been more and more fleas and they have been harder and harder to get kill. Being a groomer, my world revolves around fleas and flea control from June through November. Flea control is more of a challenge every year. I end up using harsher and harsher chemicals to kill the fleas on the dogs, in the shop and at home.

I have always been a huge natural dog care proponent and feed my dogs natural foods, farm raised eggs, goats milk and vegetables. This keeps them in glowing good health but then I sabotage it all by dousing them with poisons. This year, I am going to try something new.

Natural Flea Control

I have been studying natural flea control methods and products. Diatomaceous earth (DE) seems to be the big winner. This basically very fine crushed fossilized skeletons of microscopic organisms. They have very sharp edges. They are so small that they won’t hurt you or your pet but cut fleas up so that they dehydrate and die.

You can sprinkle DE on your pet, in your yard, your carpet, on your furniture and some people even give it to their dogs orally to kill internal parasites. DE is totally non toxic and the fleas can’t build up a resistance to it because it works mechanically (by cutting them up) instead of chemically.

With everything else that I do, I don’t have time to concoct my own so I have looked at prepared products. The product that I have decided on is sold by one of our sponsors, All Natural Flea Control for Dog & Cats at Only Natural Pet Store . The reviews seem to be mixed but I believe that part of that is a) incorrect application and b) expecting immediate results!

With any natural product, you are not going to see the immediate kill that you do with chemicals. It takes time for the fleas to come in contact with it and then to die from the exposure. You will also want to follow the directions with regard to the amounts to use on both pets and carpet. The last time I spoke with Dr. Swann, she was using DE to control fleas and parasites on her own animals.

This product covers all three zones, the dog, the house and the yard. You can't beat that.

The Dog Blog Carnival Edition 1

Photo Courtesy of YTaP

Welcome to the February 3, 2008 edition of the dog blog carnival. I enjoyed reading the articles and I hope you will enjoy them too. I have included a couple of videos for your enjoyment.
My favorites in this edition are:


If you have ever lost a dog, you will understand why this article is one of my top picks. Matt M presents TIPS ON LOCATING LOST PETS posted at The Pet Haven, saying, "Tips on what to do if you ever have the unfortunate experience of losing your dog."

Haven't we all learned something from our pets? I wish that more people would learn the things that Shirley did. Shirley presents Things I’ve Learned From My Dogs. posted at Fun Spirit, saying, "My two little fuzzy bundles of joy have taught me many great lessons over the years. Here are just a few:"

Pet Care Tips

Annette presents China, poisons and dogs toys posted at Maholia, saying, "with the scare of poisoned toys from China, what does a person do who wants to give their pet toys? Make your own! :)"


Riayn presents Puppy Preschool posted at Petulance, saying, "A post about the benefits of puppy preschool and some important questions to ask before enrolling your puppy."


Raymond presents Buy Pet Food In Bulk Online To Save Money posted at Money Blue Book, saying, "Applicable to dogs too!"



A Dog's Life

Karen Shanley presents No Hurries, No Worries. posted at Karen Shanley.
Karen talks about helping her rescue dog along the road to emotional recovery.

Mogley G. Retriever presents A Dog's life, the real story!: Better Homes and Dogs posted at A Dog's life, the real story!, saying, "I am a young Golden Retriever that writes his own blog to keep in touch with his friends back at the rescue kennels. If you are a dog, you know how hard it is to communicate with humans. If you are a human, you need to learn what us dogs think! Read my blog and love a dog."


WhatWorksForUs presents Ball? Someone? Anyone? posted at What Works For Us. You will recognize this look.




Tony Clements presents tuesdays: chase and bunny posted at tuesdays, saying, "a shaggy dog story about my childhood buddy CHASE and the neighbor's...bunny."


Rebecca Camarena presents Millionaire Mutt « Dogs Rule and Cats Drool posted at Dogs Rule and Cats Drool, A Cat's look at why some dogs are luckier than cats.

Cindy S presents A Day In the Life of A Farm Cavalier posted at Not Again! Farm. A view of farm life from a non-farm type dog.

Just For Fun




Waldo presents WALDO For President posted at Waldo's World, saying, "Waldo runs for president!"

Day presents How it all started posted at Today's Day. If you have a dog, I'm sure you will relate to this story.

Gourmetxpress presents Dog Pictures posted at Website, saying, "Everyday a new dog is featured on the website. Also has homemade dog biscuit mix for sale.


That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition ofThe Dog Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on ourblog carnival index page. The Valentines Edition submissions are due by 2/16/08.

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Pets Lose Homes and Families in Foreclosures

You have reached the end of your financial rope. The bank takes your house back or sells it at auction. You are suddenly faced with finding a place to live and no money to move. Do you move in with family? Rent an apartment? What do you do with the family pets?

For too many pets, it means being left in the home. Shut up in a room or tied in the back yard, people are being forced to abandon their pets when they lose their homes. Banks legally cannot release personal property for a certain period of time and are resisting having the animals removed. It's a bad situation for the pets involved.

Abandoning a pet to starve in an empty home should NOT be an option. There is no way to predict how long the pets will be there before someone finds them and it's almost a given that they will go to the local pound. Here are some suggestions that may help you re-home these pets or help the ones who have or will lose their homes.

1. Check with your friends and family to see if there is someone who can keep your pets temporarily while you get back on your feet. Perhaps co-workers or one of the local rescue groups.
2. If you know someone who is having financial difficulty, ask them if they have made arrangements for their pets. This may be somewhat futile as people facing the loss of their home, don't go around shouting it out.
3. Put an ad on Craigs list. While you don't go into the gory details of your financial life, you might want to say "forced to move, these dogs will go to pound". Looking for permanent or foster home for .... Many times, people will take the dogs in on a temporary basis while you are looking for a home where you can keep them. It is a good idea to ask some kind of small fee to protect your pet.
4. Put an ad on Petfinder. Again, mention that you are forced to move and that the pets are desparately in need of a home either temporarily or permanently.
5. For those of us who are aghast that people would abandon their pets, step back for a moment and realize that these are not necessarily bad, irresponsible or uncaring people. These are usually good people in a bad situation and it's happening A LOT right now. We can help.
6. If you can find it in your heart and room in your home to help, consider fostering a dog while the family gets back on their feet. Realize that it may be a longer term situation until the family can get settled and that you may end up re-homing the pet yourself if you choose not to keep it.
7. Check Craig's list, pet finder and offer to help. Post lists of shelters of no kill shelters in your area.
8. Contact your local shelter or rescue group and offer to foster a pet. Shelters are already over flowing but may be able to help out with the vet expenses for a pet. This will at least help to make room for the pets who are facing foreclosure.
9. Donate to your local shelter or rescue group. If you have been donating to Humane Society of the US or PETA, take those dollars and send them to your local shelters where they will be used to help the animals and not to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobbyists.
   

Maybe we should start a National database of people who are willing to foster pets on a temporary basis. I would be willing to start organize this if people are interested and would be willing to help out.

Photo Courtesy of Katayun