Mutt Lover


Rally-O

Friday, November 24, 2006
Here's another fun event that you and Scamp can do together.

Of course, it's open to mixed-breeds dogs (or mutts, or Heinz 57s, or All Canadians, or All Americans, or whatever you want to call them).

Canadian Rally-O

This is a very neat site that outlines the rules & regulations and upcoming events. It also provides a cross-country list of professionals participating in Rally-O, so it'll be easier for you to find a trainer in your area.

I Can't Tell The Difference. Can You Tell The Difference?

Thursday, November 23, 2006
Are you thinking about going to a 'breeder' to buy one of the new 'designer breeds' out there? You know the ones - the Morkie, the Schnoodle, the Labradoodle, etc...

You should know that these are not breeds - they are mutts. Pure and simple. Someone took one breed of dog and mated it with a completely different breed of dog. The result is a mixed-breed dog. Which is fine. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against mutts. I love mutts, hence the name of the blog - Mutt Lover.

The problem lies with the so-called breeders, and the amount of money they charge for their mutts. Get ready to pay upwards of $1500 for one of these mixed-breed dogs. I don't know about you, but that's a lot of scratch for the average Joe.

A better alternative would be to go to your local animal shelter or rescue group, or to go Petfinder. There are hundreds of these exact types of mixes out there for the mere cost of a spay/neuter. Don't believe me? Then take this quiz. It pretty much proves the point, don't you think? ;)

Get Yer Mutt A-Movin'!

Friday, September 29, 2006
My obedience instructor once told me, "A tired dog makes a happy owner." I've never heard truer words ever spoken.

Dogs are active creatures - some more so than others. Most of the dogs who wind up in shelters because they are 'too much to handle' are simply bored. When a dog gets bored, she'll find her own ways to keep herself entertained. I have yet to see a dog take up knitting. More often than not, she'll decide that the best form of entertainment in town is the methodical and scientific dissection of your favourite pair of shoes.

The best way to stop your pup from puncturing your Pradas is to tucker her out. Take her for a walk. A half-hour walk entails so much more for a dog than just walking. There are smells, sounds, sights to discover, other dogs with whom to exchange intimate sniffing gestures, cats and squirrels to flush out, etc... If you find that she's still raring to go when you get back, don't call the vet asking for a prescription for Ritalin. Maybe you simply need to take her for longer, more frequent walks, or perhaps mix it up with some other sorts of activities.

Something to take into consideration is your type of dog. Is she part Chihuahua or part Labrador Retriever? While each dog has her own unique personality, a dog's lineage will help determine if she needs a leisurely stroll or a marathon run. The working dogs, cattle dogs, sheep dogs, hunting dogs - these are the types who need mental stimulation as well as lots of physical exercise. A bored Border Collie can wreak havoc equivalent to that of type 4 hurricane inside of three minutes.

Don't try to mentally stimulate your German Shepherd mix by handing him the Big Book of Sudoku. He needs a doggie-type job. Obedience classes are a great way to engage your pup. They challenge him to stretch his brain a little, retain commands, learn to read your signals, and they have the added bonus of turning him into a well-behaved mongrel while he's at it. You might even be able to get him his CGC (Canine Good Citizen) title, and perhaps put his newfound talents to use as a registered therapy dog. Agility and flyball are other alternatives. And all of these activities are open to mixed-breeds as well as the purebred dogs at the casual and competitive levels, just in case you discover that Rover is more talented than you first thought (after all, genius and lunacy are often confused).

I'll be taking a closer look at each of the activities mentioned above in the coming weeks, so remember to check back often. Better yet, you can subscribe to this blog to get regular updates delivered right to your in-box. Until then, why don't you log off your computer for a while and take Champ out for a romp?

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My Mixed-Up Pup

Sunday, September 24, 2006
Let me tell you about my mixed-up pup, Phoebe.

I've been told plenty of times that she looks like a coyote. I've also been told that she looks like a Belgian Tervuren, so go figure. Her true parentage is a mystery to us. Border Collie and German Shepherd, as far as we can tell, but only her mother knows the truth.

Phoebe was a rescue pup. We picked her up at the age of ten weeks. Actually, she picked us, truth be told. While we were visiting the puppy pen, she followed me everywhere I went. Even when I ventured outside the pen, she was right on my heels. And when we went back into the pen, she curled up next my son and fell asleep. That was it. She made it quite clear that she was coming home with us that day.

We've been through three levels of obedience and two levels of agility with Phoebe. And she was really, reeeeaaallllyyy good at it, too. I'd love to go for more agility training, maybe compete for the fun of it, but it'll have to wait until the funds are more readily available. So, until then, the plan is to build some equipment for the back yard and continue practicing on our own.

Sure, she has looks and brains, but Phoebe is one heck of a character, too. Teaching a dog tricks in one thing. Having them 'perform' all on their own is another form of entertainment altogether.

For example, Phoebe has made no bones (pardon the pun) about letting us know that she hates Milk Bone dog biscuits. Old Mother Hubbard cookies, she'll eat without delay. Give her a Milk Bone and watch the show.

First, you'll get 'the look'. She'll take the Milk Bone gingerly between her teeth and look up at you with eyes that are clearly saying, "And what the heck do you expect me to do with this?"

Then she'll take it to her over-sized doggie pillow, place it gently in the center of the bed and try to 'deal with it'. She'll push down on it with her nose repeatedly.

When that doesn't dispense with the unpleasantness that is on her bed, she'll talk to it while pushing down on it. A high-pitched, whiney "rowr"with every prod.

After some time, when the Milk Bone doesn't respond by leaving her space, she'll start circling her bed while pushing at the covering with her nose in what I can only assume is an attempt to bury the offending cookie. But, alas, the bed is not made of soft earth and will, therefore, not move to cover up the nasty biscuit.

So, Phoebe will seemingly abandon her bed - that is, until you're no longer paying attention. Come back to the scene of the crime a few moments later and you'll find that the Milk Bone has indeed disappeared. Has she eaten it? Good heavens, no! No, my funny little Wile E will have waited until your back was turned and then she will have hidden it. One of her favourite spots is between the sofa cushions.

Once we started finding them, though, she searched out better hiding places. The latest is the pile of dirty laundry on my husband's side of the bed. I believe that one was in protest. You see, he was making such a big deal out of the whole thing the last time he gave her a Milk Bone (he loves to hear her 'talk' to the cookies), that I'm pretty sure she placed it there to send a clear message, "You like the damned cookie so much, you eat it!"

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Attention Montreal-Area TV Viewers

Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Please crosspost far and wide.

Half hour program - inside a puppy mill: hidden camera (images of hundreds of dogs who's lives are horribly exploited solely for profit (pet store puppies)

Subject: Dossier sur les usines a chiots a JE. Sur les ondes de TVA ce vendredi 22 septembre, 19h et en rediffusion le lendemain sur LCN a 20h. Une enquete JE sur les usines a chiots avec des images qui ont ete prises avec des cameras cachees.

Soyez a l'ecoute

TVA 7pm Ven 22 Sept
LCN 8pm Sam 23 Sept

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Where to Hang On-Line

Saturday, September 16, 2006
Let me tell you about my favourite place to hang on-line with like-minded mutt lovers.

Pets.ca.

This is a great forum filled to the brim with animal lovers from around the world (don't let the .ca extension fool you). Mutts. Pure-breds. Cats. Hamsters. Fish. Birds. Lizards. Horses. You name it, you'll find someone at Pets.ca who loves to chat about them as much as you do.

There are sections for medical questions (but nothing life-threatening, please - get your furbaby to a vet for that!), training, feeding, general chat, memorials and an off-topic section where you can find out where your new 'friends' stand on non-pet-related topics. There's also a section to post pictures of your furbabies.

The entire site (and all the members) is very strongly pro-spay/neuter, so please don't go on there to discuss breeding unless you're an established, reputable breeder. If you want to become a breeder, a message board isn't the place to start. For the record, mutts should never be bred intentionally or for profit.

Pets.ca is also very supportive of rescue groups. A lot of the members are actively involved in rescues themselves. Those members who have been approved by the board's admin have a section dedicated to listing pets who are up for adoption. Quite frequently, these members need help because they've just received word of a desperate situation where an animal is facing death row if a new home can't be found within a certain amount of time. I've witnessed countless threads of this type where other, non-rescue members have stepped up to offer a permanent or foster home to these very needy animals.

The moderators on Pets.ca are firm but fair. They absolutely will not tolerate name calling or insults. Any listing of personal information (phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc...) are immediately removed. And, if you've had a bad experience with a pet store or other individual, you will not be allowed to name names (this is to protect the site from libel suits). For the love of Pete, read the rules & regs before you start posting about your guinea pig who's bleeding from both ears and you don't know what to do!

So, if you're looking for a great place to hang out, meet other pet lovers and exchange tips and experiences, then Pets.ca is definitely the place for you!

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Book Review: Stay Tuned!

Thursday, September 07, 2006
No, "Stay Tuned!" is not the name of the book (although that would be kinda cool - must file that for future consideration). I recently purchased a book called "Introduction to Dog Agility" by Margaret H. Bonham through Amazon.ca. It came highly recommended by my friends over at Pets.ca.

Agility is something I had tried with my dog a while ago, and we both loved it immensely. It was a great form of exercise, a good way for both of us to socialize with like-minded individuals, and it's one of the many events out there that are actually open to mixed-breed dogs. Unfortunately, the classes cost money, which was in short supply once I opened my own business.

So, I thought we'd try doing it on our own with the help of this highly recommended book. Apparently, Ms. Bonham explains all the rules of the various agility games (there are several different games under the agility umbrella), explains techniques for training and also provides plans so you can build your own equipment.

Stay tuned. I'll let you know how it goes.