Every Dog Isn't Nice!

Did you know that every year... Approximately 10,000 people receive dog bites bad enough to land them in the hospital? I'm one of them, as a teen, I was chased by a dog who took a big chunk out of me. I was one of the lucky ones. The dog was satified after only one bite. It could have been a lot worse.

Sometimes dog lovers forget that dogs do and can bite. We treat them as we would our human companions, because they are so special to us. My kids always told me that I fed my dogs better than I fed them (I hope they were kidding).

As dog lovers, we often forget that everyone doesn't necessarily see our dogs in the same light as we do; and we believe that our dogs will always respond favorably to others. A dog may be cute and cuddly, even gorgeous, so much so that one wants to reach out and pat it, but you have to remember that other people are strangers to our dogs, and dogs can be temperamental just as humans.

My two purebred Afghan Hounds had completely different personalities. Both crazy beautiful! People would flock to me in awe as I walked down the street, wanting to pat them, which was a problem, because Sheba didn't like people, while Stella did. Stella loved being patted, she longed for strangers and children, while Sheba wanted nothing to do with anyone, and was alright, as long as you kept your distance and left her alone.

As dog owners, it is easy to forget that our dogs could pose a danger to other people. Human beings behave badly, so why is it so hard to believe that occasionally dogs will too; and depending on the breed, they can grow to be very big, very strong, and can easily outweigh and overpower.
Keep your eye out for signs that may mean your dog has some aggressive tendencies such as:

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  Your dog snarls when you come close to it when it is eating.
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  Unfriendly to strangers, such as my Sheba was.
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  Doesn't listen to you and ignores your commands.
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  Doesn't come when you call without you becoming loud and aggressive.
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  Is very jittery, or easily startled by noises, or high strung.
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  Aggressively territorial.
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  Annoyed when children come to close.

Certainly, the above dispositions, one or a combination thereof, does not mean that your dog will eventually bite or attack someone, but these are things to be mindful of; and to use care, caution, and monitoring when they are around other people. I loved Sheba, she was nice "to me," and she was very loyal right up until her passing; but, at the same time, I was very careful with her around other dogs and people.

I remember the day I was bitten, and I certainly wouldn't want my dogs to inflict the same injury to anyone else. Watch out for the signs, and be a responsible dog owner.

It's A Good Dog's Life!
JVon

The Right Way To Rub A Doggie's Tummy

WARNING!

Once you begin, it is imperative that you continue the tummy rubbing practice. Abrupt ends to tummy rubs may cause destructive behavior, uncontrollable barking, and aggressive attention getting conduct, such as sneaker chews, and deliberate indoor "accidents."

Little LuLu...My Bichon Frise Shih Tzu mix... (Zuchon or Shoshon) loves tummy rubs. Reach towards her and she flops over on her back, belly up, in ready position. It's really comical. She doesn't care where we are, if she thinks there's an opportunity to have her tummy rubbed, she's on her back. My gosh, I've created a little tummy rubbing glutton.

In an effort to maximize our tummy rubbing bonding sessions, I've developed a few technique that I wanted to share with you. Tummy rubbing can take place in a number of different locations, on the floor, in bed, on the couch while watching TV, or at the park. For a more intense bonding session, put on a massage and meditation CD such as "Lifescapes;" or music for balanced living such as "Feng Shui."

To begin, locate to your favorite place, settle in and try one or a combination of the following tummy touching techniques:

Gone To The Dogs Swedish Bow-Wow Rub
Is accomplished by rubbing the tummy with long gliding open palm strokes. Begin just below the neck line and continue slowly, and gently down past the heart towards the lower belly. You can use a one-handed glide technique or combine a two-hand rotation motion.

The Dog-Gone-Good Sport Rub
Taking the front legs one at a time and raising them gently as you scratch the flank or leg-pit (if you prefer "armpit", even though dogs don't really have arms). From there stroke down from the front legs along the tummy, and down the rear legs, rolling your hands gently down each leg to the paws. You can take both hands and run along one leg at a time, or gently stroke both front legs at the same time, then both hind legs.

Hair-of-the-Dog Cranial Noogie Scratch
Here you can begin with gentle scratching on the top of the head; then with your fingers, massage the top of your dogs neck, pressing gently behind and then below the ears. Combine rotating finger massage and scratching, gliding your hands down to the outer jaw area, continuing in a circular motion down below the neck. Repeat the combo massage scratch movements, as you continue down the chest and tummy line.

Spoiled rotten and cute as a bug, LuLu knows she's in doggie paradise when her tummy is being rubbed. RubADoggiesTummy

It's A Good Dog's Life! - JVon

Heroic Dogs!

We know that police dogs, fire fighting dogs, and security dogs perform all kinds of feats from capturing the bad guy to performing daring rescues. For example, during tragedies like the World Trade Center bombing and 9-11, dogs help to rescue people trapped and hidden beneath debris. At airports, well trained snouts are used to sniff out bombs, while rescue dogs have been used to search for lost or missing children and adults.

These heroic dogs deserve our admiration and thanks. But, it is on those occasions where we hear stories about "untrained", household pets that truly amaze and bewilder us. Untrained dogs who have performed amazing acts in order to save their masters; like Maddie and Bella, two golden retrievers who woke their owners, a mother and her 9 year old daughter from their sleep, sacrificing their lives to save them both from their flaming home.

Dogs have halted burglars, cut short attackers seeking to cause harm to their masters, and saved family members from animal attacks; like Jewels, the heroic dog from South Mississippi who ignored commands to "come," after suddenly sprinting away to sneer a poisonous snake that came to close to the families two toddlers. Jewels was bitten by the snake, but lived to enjoy plenty of hugs and kisses after fending off the deadly water moccasin.

Stories like the amazing 2 1/2 year old golden retriever, Toby, who jumped on his masters chest, forcing a piece of apple that was logged in her throat to literally pop out. Even more incredible is the story of "Hero", the stray German Sheppard who helped rescue a woman whose car ran off the road in Thomasville, Georgia. During the accident, the woman, a total stranger to the dog, was thrown through the back window of her rear windshield, where she landed on the trunk of her car unable to move.

"Hero" so named after the fact, literally pulled her by her collar from the top of the trunk, dragged her to the main road, and allowed her to lean against him, enabling her to flag for help. This sounds like a figment of my imagination, but this story graced the news back in February of 2007.

Man's best friend is an understatement. Our dogs are our companions, our hearts... they are our heroes.

"We float through life in and out of relationships searching for unconditional love, when it is already beside us, wagging its tail." - JVon

Have you hugged your dog today?

Who out there has a loving pet or knows of one that has performed some heroic feat. Let's hear from you!