Good Dog, Smart Dog

 After reading this article, I have a new found appreciation for my little man.  I have always known that he was special, but I really never thought he could be as special as the dog in the article.  However, it seems I have very low expectations of my little man.

I only included an excerpt from this article.  There is more than what I have below.  Please go to the original site to read it in full.  Then, won't you come back and tell me if you agree or disagree with the article?
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By SARAH KERSHAW

Published: October 31, 2009

Life as a Labradoodle may sound free and easy, but if you’re Jet, who lives in New Jersey, there is a lot of work to be done.

Ross Macdonald

He is both a seizure alert dog and a psychiatric service dog whose owner has epilepsy, severe anxiety, depression, various phobias and hypoglycemia. Jet has been trained to anticipate seizures, panic attacks and plunging blood sugar and will alert his owner to these things by staring intently at her until she does something about the problem. He will drop a toy in her lap to snap her out of a dissociative state. If she has a seizure, he will position himself so that his body is under her head to cushion a fall.
Jet seems like a genius, but is he really so smart? In fact, is any of it in his brain, or is it mostly in his sniff?
The matter of what exactly goes on in the mind of a dog is a tricky one, and until recently much of the research on canine intelligence has been met with large doses of skepticism. But over the last several years a growing body of evidence, culled from small scientific studies of dogs’ abilities to do things like detect cancer or seizures, solve complex problems (complex for a dog, anyway), and learn language suggests that they may know more than we thought they did.
Their apparent ability to tune in to the needs of psychiatric patients, turning on lights for trauma victims afraid of the dark, reminding their owners to take medication and interrupting behaviors like suicide attempts and self-mutilation, for example, has lately attracted the attention of researchers.
In September, the Army announced that it would spend $300,000 to study the impact of pairing psychiatric service dogs like Jet with soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder. Both the House and Senate have recently passed bills that would finance the training and placement of these dogs with veterans.
Hungarian researchers reported in a study last year that a guide dog for a blind and epileptic person became anxious before its master suffered a seizure and was taught to bark and lick the owner’s face and upper arm when it detected an onset, three to five minutes before the seizure. It is still somewhat mysterious how exactly dogs detect seizures, whether it’s by picking up on behavioral changes or smelling something awry, but several small studies have shown that a powerful sense of smell can detect lung and other types of cancer, as the dogs sniff out odors emitted by the disease.
Beyond these perceptual abilities, in which trainers can use the dogs’ natural instincts, some research has examined dogs’ actual cognitive ability, and found not just good doggie, but smart doggie.
“I believe that so much research has come out lately suggesting that we may have underestimated certain aspects of the mental ability of dogs that even the most hardened cynic has to think twice before rejecting the possibilities,” said Stanley Coren, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia and an author of several books on dogs.

Read the rest of this article here>>

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My new interest--making Squidoo Lenses about Ratties!

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Now that I have this blogging thing under my belt (I have 4 blogs and write to them frequently), I have decided to explore other options online.  One of the quickest and easiest ways to get a web page of your own online is with Squidoo.com, so I started there.  Besides, its free!

I have a wonderful lense (that's what they call a web page) there called, Rat Terriers.  Please visit and tell me what you think.  I have some really good pictures there of my little man with his tongue hanging out.  I also posted several videos of rat terriers doing weird things and there are some articles about the unique challenges to owning a rat terrier.  Anyway, I hope you visit and find the information useful.  I really had a blast learning how to make squidoo lenses.

One warning---making squidoo lenses becomes addictive, kinda like blogs get under your skin.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  Try your hand at making a lense.  You can make one about just about anything in the world and you can add really cool stuff with ease.  This one is a no-brainer!

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Back to Basics

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Since I have been having such a time with the new foster dog, I felt I should go back to basics and get out my dog training information.  I originally got information from here.  Although this information was specific to my rattie, I think it will work on Austen, even though he is a little more laid back than Satchmo.

Anyway, I will start his program tomorrow and we will see how he does!

I also think I will get out my information on making foods for these little ones, as my Satchmo is getting older and his stomach is much more sensitive.  Austen, on the other hand, simply is a picky eater.  If you would like a copy of the ebook on canine cuisine, you can get one too.

One of the things I struggle with most in having a rat terrier is that he moves with the speed of sound and is an escape artist.  He and Austen are ganging up on me, as I am out chasing them more than I want to be.
I found a great product and am going to buy one for each of them after the holidays.  It's called Animal GPS Tracking Solutions and with this on each one of them, I won't worry so much because I will be able to find them easily.  After I get one, I'll let you know how it works!

Some cute pictures of Ratties!

Isn't this the cutest puppy?

Quite a "mood" shot, don't you agree?

Today the little man and the foster dog have gotten along fairly well.  Satchmo has growled several times and snapped when Austen tries to get a toy, but other than that it has been fine.

The house is still intact since now whenever I leave I have to put Austen in a crate.  My God!  That dog can howl.  He never makes any sound whatsoever until you put him in the crate.

My neighbor is still trying to get a job, but for now she is in a safe place.  I worry about her all the time and want to see her resettled and rejoined with Austen.  Until then, he will definitely be staying here with me!

The Saga continues...

Well, the integration project for this foster dog is not going as smoothly as I would like.  I am so tired from lack of sleep.  Let me explain.  This dog tears up my house and chews up my shoes if left unattended.  So, as a way to "train" him I use Satchmo's crate at night.  This dog howls at the top of his lungs from the minute you put him in the crate until you let him out.  When you do let him out, Satchmo barks non-stop in excitement.  I am afraid that the neighbors will begin to complain about the commotion.

He is a very sweet dog.  He just wants you to hold him and love on him, but if he doesn't get what he wants he becomes a terrible monster and wreaks havoc around himself.  He is the first dog I have ever put in a crate and had a problem with.  I have even resorted to Benadryl before bed, to no avail. 

I am beginning to feel like a young mother with a toddler again.  Does anyone out there have any suggestions?  I would be very pleased to hear them, as long as they are positive and won't hurt this little foster dog.

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Foreclosure Dogs Need Your Help

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After the last post I made about my neighbor and the new foster-dog, I began researching the subject of pets and what is happening to them in this economic downturn.  Sorry to say, I did not find any news that was uplifting. 

Why is it that the first to go is the family pet?  Does no one understand the term "commitment" anymore?  I always knew that getting a pet was a full-time, 10-15 year commitment, similar in kind to having babies.  Pets are totally dependent on their owners for life itself.  How can you just wake up one day, after years of caring for your pet dog and decide to abandon it because it was more cost effective to do so?  If that argument holds water, the next wave of problems will be all the abandoned children being left at churches, hospitals, and such because they cost too much to keep.

Please read the blog post below that talks about some of these situations in California, which is an area that has been very hard hit by foreclosures.  After reading this blog, I felt sick but I was really angry, too.  Read the post and then let me know what you think about this situation, okay?

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Foreclosure Dogs Need Your Help
October 17, 2009

The saying, adopt a dog, save a life has never embodied a more urgent a plea. Across the fruited plain, in cities, towns and hamlets, upscale, downscale and no scale communities, dogs are being abandoned and too often forgotten.

Confused and frightened, dogs and puppies are simply left alone without food or water in foreclosed homes. Others are dropped off on lonely roads, in parks and woodlands. The lucky ones have been given to new homes and families, to dog rescues or no kill dog shelters for later adoption.

Revealing just how the severe the crisis is, Sharon L. Peters of USA Today writes, ” They’re arriving by the thousands every month, homeless, hapless victims of foreclosure…are landing in…(dog) shelters in large numbers in some parts of the country.And this is not an isolated occurrence

“We’re seeing more and more cases of people leaving their homes and dropping the dog off at the shelter and…. in the local park,” says Michael Mountain, president of Best Friends Animal Society. “Sometimes they even just tie the dog up outside and drive off.”

Eileen Drennen of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution brought it all home in with an actual case history “One abandoned dog Lt. Mary Lou Respess can’t get out of her mind is a Chihuahua. He’d been tied up so long, said the Gwinnett County Animal Shelter manager, his collar had gotten embedded in his skin and had to be surgically removed. He’s one of hundreds whose owners have left them behind.Small enough to fit in a shoe box, this Chihuahua’s guardians saw fit to abuse and desert their tiny dog.

While we are sympathetic to the plight of folks who are suffering as a result of the economic and mortgage meltdown we have zero tolerance for cruelty and neglect as demonstrated here.And this abject cruelty and neglect extends across dog breeds and sizes as well.

In Stockton, California, Evelyn Nieves of the Associated Press wrote, “The house was ravaged by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull.The dog found by workers was too far gone to save …

”So what can be done? 

Here’s a few suggestions:
- The ASPCA suggests that you try to find someone to foster or adopt your dog. Check with your family, neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
- Make the effort to find a no-kill shelter. It’s extra work but it is your responsibility. There is no excuse for taking the easy way out when your dog’s life is at stake.
- Contact local dog rescue organizations to see if they can help you find a home.
- Advertise your adoptable dog in a dog-specific classified ad listing. Screen potential adopters carefully. Rescue groups can help you with a set of questions such as: where the dog will live and what would be a reason for them to get rid of a dog . Do not advertise “free dog” in your ad as there are unscrupulous people who will take free dogs with little regard for their well being and some have even sold family pets to animal testing labs.
- Contact your veterinarian. He/she may also be able to find a new home or temporary guardian for your dog. Never drop your dog off in a crate or box on the veterinarian’s doorstep as this can be unsafe. He might escape or suffer from a lack of water or temperature fluctuation before help arrives.
- Contact your local animal shelter or animal control facility to see whether it will accept your dog and assist in finding it a new home .
- Support legislation in your area:  California, one the of states hit hardest by the sub-mortgage meltdown is considering Assembly Bill 2949, which would allow bank representatives to immediately seek potentially life-saving help for animals abandoned at foreclosed properties. The bill is supported by the ASPCA and the California Animal Association. 

It is never OK to leave the family pet to fend for himself. There are options and we should all be compassionately vigilant to help educate those facing economic hardship that will tear them from their home and split up their family. Many people will welcome the help at a time when they simply don’t know where to turn or what to do.

Others, sadly, will not be responsive to help and will continue to take the easy way out by abandoning their dogs. That’s where all of us have a responsibility to work within our own communities, with dog rescues, veterinarians and dog shelters to help re-home man’s best friend, when his family, in an act of inexcusable cruelty, forecloses on his love and loyalty and he is left behind.

Foreclosure Dogs Need Your Help « Chihuahua Pups

Dog Problems

I came home today from work only to discover that the foster dog had eaten my shoes and destroyed my blinds in the living room window. Since these particular blinds are about 80" across, I hate to think what they will cost me to replace. The shoes will be cheap compared, I think.

The new dog's name is Austen and he just went to the vet last week to get shots and wormed. He is a mess. As soon as I can, I hope to get him in to the "beauty parlor" for a shampoo and cut since he can barely see with all that curly hair in his eyes.

I don't know what got into him today. This is the first time I have had any issues with him since he came to visit us. My Satchmo is not acting crazy and seems resigned to having a "friend" living in HIS house. He has even let Austen play with some of him toys--just not Baby!

Foster-dog Competition!

Okay, we have a dilemma at our house. It seems that the current economic downturn has affected us, but in a more positive way than my neighbor. Due to the death of her husband and caring for her invalid mother, my neighbor--who is a very wonderful and giving individual--has been unable to obtain regular work. With the passing of her mother in June, she began looking in earnest for a job. Now, this is a well-educated woman with 2 master's degrees and who has been a director at a youth shelter for pregnant girls. She cares deeply for others and never complains about her current situation. I used to see her up at 6AM out walking the dog so she could go to the Workforce Center to look for a job. She did this daily for months until she had exhausted her unemployment benefits, and had racked up over 100 applications and interviews. She finally succumbed to depression and a sense of worthlessness caused by being unable to find work. She couldn't even find a job a Walmart or McDonalds because she was "over qualified".

Well, the bottom line is that she was evicted from the apartment next door to me this week and is now homeless and living on the streets. My heart is broken, I cannot think of anything so horrible. When she left, she timidly asked me to take care of her little dog so she wouldn't have to lose him too. She initially was planning to take him to the Humane Society, but I don't think another loss was something she could bear. I, of course, agreed to foster Austen until she gets back on her feet and can come reclaim him. He is a Malti-Poo (sorry for the spelling) and adorable. He is about 1 year old.

So, to the story of this post. He and Satchmo are trying to make friends, he is trying more than Satch, but Satch is an old man and rather grumpy. Anyway, we now are a two dog household and I'm not sure how my little man will adapt. I have to say that Austen is delightful. He is quiet, he is gentle, he minds well, and he is sort of housebroken. He seems to be settling in well. The only thing I see is he is also an escape artist and I seem to be having to chase him down and bring him back home frequently. I am working on this as we speak.

I will let you know how this turns out, please pray for my neighbor. She is now one of those statistics we hear about on the nightly news. Now when I hear about the economy, those stories have a face. I am sad and angry and I miss my friend next door.

DRatschats

Here is a wonderful excerpt from a new blog I just found.  This lady is really a special person.  She loves rat terriers, so I know she is a good person.  But she also rescues them and that makes her very special.  Please check out her blog and learn all about her and her babies.

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TRIXIE: THE BEGINNING
I did not set out with the intention of being an animal rescuer, I just kind of stumbled into it. On April Fool’s day, 1998, a friend’s Rat Terrier had puppies and since I had been planning to get a dog to replace my Scottie, she offered one of the puppies to me. It wasn’t long after bringing this little whirlwind into my home that I realized what a wonderful breed the Rat Terrier is.

By the time Scooter was a year old, I was looking to add a second Ratty to my family. My friend offered me a puppy from her upcoming litter, one that would be related to Scooter. I was excited about this pending addition to the family, dreaming of the puppy breath, tiny paws, little licks, big puddles, chewed shoes and wakeful nights. The ten weeks of waiting before my puppy would be available seemed like an eternity.

I’ve always been a dog lover and with my introduction to the Internet in the mid 90's, I found myself often cruising shelter and rescue web sites, looking at dogs that were rescued and dogs in need of rescue. As I wandered through these sites one night, I found the cutest pair of Rat Terriers in a shelter right in my own state. They had been in the shelter for several weeks, having come in together but remained unadopted due to the preference to place them together. Many people wanted one cute, active little dog but it seems no one was interested in taking on two at a time.

For a week I returned to the site, looking at the two little Rat girls, hoping someone would have adopted them but they were always there, the smaller with her tongue lolled out, ears back, bouncing toward the photographer. They were in a low-kill shelter and not at immediate risk, but I began to worry about them>>read more here

DRatschats

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I was out walking Satchmo the other day and I realized, kind of "all of a sudden", that my little man was looking old. I noticed all the grey hair on his face, muzzle, and head. I noticed that is walk was less energetic and sometimes looked painful. I realized that he has quit jumping up on the bed or onto most of the furniture; I have been lifting him up when I want him to sit with me.

I found this realization most distressing. Although I know from his last vet exam that he is very healthy and all of his lab work was normal, time is passing and aging takes it's toll no matter what. This has depressed me. Now I have something brand new to worry about.

This breed is relatively long-lived, living between 11 and 15 years on average. Satch is 9 going on 10. I guess I will have to face this fact and begin planning for the future. I know that I will do whatever I have to do to make him comfortable and to accommodate his needs. He is my "baby" and will be no matter how grey or infirm he becomes.

Rat Terrier: Dog Breeds, Info and Pictures

I keep finding really good sites that describe these wonderful little dogs.  I wholeheartedly recommend this breed for anyone looking to have a loyal, loving, enjoyable companion.  There are some negatives to this breed, but overall, they are the best!  If you ever bond with a Rattie, you will never want any other type of dog.

Anyway, below is an excerpt from CanineCrib.com that I hope you will visit and read the excellent information they have available about this breed as well as many other dog breeds.

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Country: United States
Size: Toy 4-6lb, 8in - Min 6-8lb, 8-14in - Stan 12-35lb, 36-56in
Temperament: Alert
Grooming: Little
Recognition: UKC, CKC, NKC, UKCI, ACR, APRI

History - The Rat Terrier, popular in the 1800’s with the English miners was used to kill the rats found in the mine shafts and the shacks where the miners slept. The miners bet on which dog would kill the most rodents, and also used them in dog-fighting. These game were a popular pastime for the English miners.Once known as “feists” for their feisty nature, the dogs were a cross between several breeds: the Smooth Fox Terrier, The Manchester Terrier and the white English Terrier, long since extinct. Over time, they were also paired up with the whippet, and the greyhound to induce great speed and stamina. The beagle was introduced in the line to sharpen hunting skills.Teddy Roosevelt hunted with his Rat Terriers earning them the distinction of being called Teddy Roosevelt Terriers. But as time passed they were simply known again as Rat Terriers.There are two types of Rat Terriers- a short-legged Rat Terrier believed to have been crossed with either Corgis or Dachshunds. The short-legged terrier was the one favored by Teddy Roosevelt.Over time, they were also paired up with the whippet or the greyhound to induce great speed and stamina, and the beagle was also introduced in the line to sharpen the hunting skills. This gave way to the long- legged Rat Terrier capable of great speed and stamina. These Rat Terriers are used by hunting and sporting enthusiasts.Appearance - The Rat Terrier has a thick, short-haired shiny coat. They are suitable for trailing and exposing game birds and hunting jackrabbits or squirrels. Their Heads are braod and ears a V-shaped. The ration of length to height is 10:9 with short legged dogs disqualifying in the show ring. They are good-natured, active and intelligent dogs with a nose for scenting and speed and grace for the chase.Description - The Rat Terrier seems always alert and are a very active breed, think of the the Jack Russell Terrie and multiply him by 2! When not hunting however, the Rat Terrier is a great companion, getting alone with children, other dogs and even cats. The breed was defined and accredited in 1995 with a breed standard being written and faithfully maintained by conscientious breeders today.
Color - Variety of Colors
Life Expectancy - 11-14 years
Other Names - American Rat TerrierRat Terrier
 Reviews
Grooming (90%)
 Exercise (90%)
Feeding (90%)
 Temperament (100%)
Watchdog (100%)

Rat Terrier: Dog Breeds, Info and Pictures

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