Before I got my puppy, my dad was really determined to make me watch The Dog Whisperer. My dad has persistently been training our two Labradors and Chihuahua in harmony with the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan's, teachings.
He focuses on dog rehabilitation and strong pack leadership from the owners. This requires the owner to exude extreme dominance and leadership in the form of severe discipline, then following with affection.
However, I find his practices to be incorrect, through vigorous research. This website, http://www.4pawsu.com/cesarfans.htm, gave me a lot of insight. It gives multiple examples of dogs being harmed physically, and though researches don't believe they will be in pain, they do fear the psychological damage that some of his rehabilitated subjects could experience.
Likewise, critics show an example of psychological disturbance, and not of rehabilitation by describing learned helplessness or shut down. This happens when a dog is so scared or psyhcologically traumatized, that they are completely obedient and subservient. This was first observed by scientists when test dogs were placed in a box with no exist and experienced shocks from below. The dogs first tried to escape and exit, but when they had no other option, they began to lay down and take the abuse.
The dogs were obviously traumatized, but relinquished their own attitude and fight. It appears many times that Millan's subjects experience this or other psychological.
Objectors to this, like my dad, think this is a load of shit. Many people view this not as abuse, but discipline. Like dog training, parenting has had similar debates. Is spanking abuse or discipline? I agree dogs need discipline, however I do think their is a difference in training and discipline and scaring the shit out of a dog, so it behaves. I respect Cesar Millan for his training efforts and love for animals, but I do believe at this point that he scares dogs, and I'm trying to TRAIN mine.
My boyfriend has a training approach more similar to Millan's. Lydia has misbehaved and he has trained accordingly like Millan. Lydia immediately acted behaved and respectful when he was around for a day. She followed him around, sat when he sat, and came when he came. She never pooped or peed on our floor. However, she never pooped. She was terrified the entire day. Then, she forgot about what had happened and began misbehaving again. He now let's me do all of the training for Lydia, and so far it is progressing successfully.
I hope if you watch this hit on National Geographic hit, that this gave you an insight as to a different opinion on his techniques and practices.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Puppy Ugly
Pomeranians are known to experience a HORRIFIC, TERRIFYING, UNSIGHTLY stage in their puppy hood, known as the Puppy Ugly Stage. Too bad, their ugly stage is really not that ugly. They are still the most adorable things in the whole world.
The Puppy Ugly stage is the stage in which Poms lose their puppy fur to become the giant fluff balls everyone adores. This means their hair is thin in spots and they can experience some small balding areas. Pomeranian puppies are only born with one coat of fur and as they wait to develop their adult fur, they can appear scraggly and odd looking. Ironically, this stage is the development of the unique and beautiful aspect of the Pomeranian, their coat. Unlike the puppies, adult pom's have two coats-an undercoat and an overcoat. The under being short and rougher, the over being soft and long. These two coats will appear on the Pom's body at the same time, but in different spots.
Most of all Poms go through the stage, and it cannot necessarily be avoided, unless your dog is in the 20th percentile of Pomeranians. Between the ages of 8 and 14 months old, the puppy may experience this stage. However, if your Pomeranian is older than this, you need to contact a vet immediately.
Lydia is experiencing the stage on her lower back. I find it to be adorable because she looks like she has a lion's mane. Lydia cannot tell the difference, so neither can I. I am excited to see her full coat, but I'm going to miss this awkward pre-pubescent stage. At least she didn't get braces or glasses, too!
The Puppy Ugly stage is the stage in which Poms lose their puppy fur to become the giant fluff balls everyone adores. This means their hair is thin in spots and they can experience some small balding areas. Pomeranian puppies are only born with one coat of fur and as they wait to develop their adult fur, they can appear scraggly and odd looking. Ironically, this stage is the development of the unique and beautiful aspect of the Pomeranian, their coat. Unlike the puppies, adult pom's have two coats-an undercoat and an overcoat. The under being short and rougher, the over being soft and long. These two coats will appear on the Pom's body at the same time, but in different spots.
Most of all Poms go through the stage, and it cannot necessarily be avoided, unless your dog is in the 20th percentile of Pomeranians. Between the ages of 8 and 14 months old, the puppy may experience this stage. However, if your Pomeranian is older than this, you need to contact a vet immediately.
Lydia is experiencing the stage on her lower back. I find it to be adorable because she looks like she has a lion's mane. Lydia cannot tell the difference, so neither can I. I am excited to see her full coat, but I'm going to miss this awkward pre-pubescent stage. At least she didn't get braces or glasses, too!
ATTENTION THIS POST IS ABOUT PERIODS, STAY AWAY MEN
So, this week Lydia went in heat. I didn't know that female dogs got a real period when in heat. Disturbingly enough, I had to buy Lydia a diaper and a pad. GROSS. I never thought at 19 I'd be changing diapers!
We noticed Lydia was acting funny and called the vet to understand the symptoms a dog would display when she went in heat. The vet described Lydia would mount and hump things, as well as back up into things. She would have a swollen vulva and would begin to bleed later during the process.
For weeks she displayed the first symptoms, but then the blood came. I literally almost threw up when it all happened. It was 12 at night and my roommate and I had no idea what to do. We used a brand new pair of underwear we had just bought, pinned it to fit, and stuck a maxi pad in it to keep everything clean until morning,
The next morning we went into Pet Supermarket on Fowler, which I have come to find has very cheap pet items compared to other Pet Stores. It took me an hour to decide which diaper to buy her. My boyfriend thought the cute ones were creepy, because they looked like Victoria's Secret underwear, and I kind of agree with him. However, we decided she would probably try to throw away the disposable diapers.
We finally made a decison and proceeded to check out with the cloth diapers and go home. We put Lydia in the diapers and then realized our next problem. How would she pee? Well, we then found out, she'd pee in the diaper. I had to hand wash and blow dry the diaper three times that day. My advice to others with a dog in heat, BUY CLOTH DIAPERS.
Lydia surprisingly only bled for a few days, but is still technically in heat. She did seemingly experience discomfort and irritation when bleeding. I am still deciding on getting her fixed or not. I will explore that in a later post.
We noticed Lydia was acting funny and called the vet to understand the symptoms a dog would display when she went in heat. The vet described Lydia would mount and hump things, as well as back up into things. She would have a swollen vulva and would begin to bleed later during the process.
For weeks she displayed the first symptoms, but then the blood came. I literally almost threw up when it all happened. It was 12 at night and my roommate and I had no idea what to do. We used a brand new pair of underwear we had just bought, pinned it to fit, and stuck a maxi pad in it to keep everything clean until morning,
The next morning we went into Pet Supermarket on Fowler, which I have come to find has very cheap pet items compared to other Pet Stores. It took me an hour to decide which diaper to buy her. My boyfriend thought the cute ones were creepy, because they looked like Victoria's Secret underwear, and I kind of agree with him. However, we decided she would probably try to throw away the disposable diapers.
We finally made a decison and proceeded to check out with the cloth diapers and go home. We put Lydia in the diapers and then realized our next problem. How would she pee? Well, we then found out, she'd pee in the diaper. I had to hand wash and blow dry the diaper three times that day. My advice to others with a dog in heat, BUY CLOTH DIAPERS.
Lydia surprisingly only bled for a few days, but is still technically in heat. She did seemingly experience discomfort and irritation when bleeding. I am still deciding on getting her fixed or not. I will explore that in a later post.
Dog Training
Many times, I become very frustrated with Lydia, and have wanted to give up. It's not that big of a deal, right? If she can't roll over or shake, it won't be the end of the world most people think. However, contrary to popular belief, obedience commands are far more important than that.
I researched http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/dog-training-for-obedience.html and found the extreme importance of dog training. This site states the following goals one should accomplish in training:
Another important aspect of training is safety. Dogs of all sizes can be vicious when not tamed or trained. Many people stereotype certain dogs, like pit bulls, as being responsible for being born mean. However, this is very untrue. One of my close friends has a pit bull who is the friendliest dog in the world. He has trained his pit bull, Kilo, and has taken pride in teaching him obedience commands. He frequently plays with Lydia and they get along great. He has never hurt her or gotten to out of hand while they play. However, my roommate has a miniature Australian Shepherd. She has severely slacked on training her dog. These dogs are not known to be mean or aggressive, however she, on several occasions, has made me consider not allowing Lydia to play with her. I have caught her biting on to Lydia's tail and dragging her around the apartment. As much as she might think she is playing, this is very wrong. If she could do this to a dog, could she do this to a human? Well, humans don't have tails, so I guess not exactly.
As you can see, dog training is one of the most important things you can do to keep your dog safe, other animals safe, and humans safe. Training is more important than rolling over and fetching. It is a fundamental task a pet owner has to complete.
I researched http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/dog-training-for-obedience.html and found the extreme importance of dog training. This site states the following goals one should accomplish in training:
- Build or strengthen a close, healthy and appropriate relationship between you and your dog.
- Opens up a clear line of communication between you and your dog. This includes you knowing what to expect of your dog in all circumstances, and your dog clearly understanding and respecting what is expected of him/her.
- Dog Training for Obedience lays down a set of rules or boundaries which educates your dog to become a responsible member of society. Including how to relate to other dogs, animals and people, basic manners and how to behave in any situation.
- Establishes the groundwork which assists in preventing the development of unacceptable problem behavior - such as jumping up, barking, chewing, digging etc.
Another important aspect of training is safety. Dogs of all sizes can be vicious when not tamed or trained. Many people stereotype certain dogs, like pit bulls, as being responsible for being born mean. However, this is very untrue. One of my close friends has a pit bull who is the friendliest dog in the world. He has trained his pit bull, Kilo, and has taken pride in teaching him obedience commands. He frequently plays with Lydia and they get along great. He has never hurt her or gotten to out of hand while they play. However, my roommate has a miniature Australian Shepherd. She has severely slacked on training her dog. These dogs are not known to be mean or aggressive, however she, on several occasions, has made me consider not allowing Lydia to play with her. I have caught her biting on to Lydia's tail and dragging her around the apartment. As much as she might think she is playing, this is very wrong. If she could do this to a dog, could she do this to a human? Well, humans don't have tails, so I guess not exactly.
As you can see, dog training is one of the most important things you can do to keep your dog safe, other animals safe, and humans safe. Training is more important than rolling over and fetching. It is a fundamental task a pet owner has to complete.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Dear Chew Toys,
I am so sorry for how Lydia has treated you all. I didn't mean to let it happen. I thought she would just casually chew on you and would cuddle you when she slept. I never thought that this would happen. Every time it happens, my back is turned for a few seconds, and I turn around and you are all destroyed. 
Little bear, I remember when I gave you to Lydia. Within minutes, each one of your rope legs were ripped off and torn into a million pieces. Your head had been removed and your eyeballs were missing. I still have yet to find them. I'm sorry I turned my back on you. You were a good toy.
Dear Lamb Chop,
You were Lydia's favorite toy. You were the first present I ever gave her. I thought since you were of equal size, you could fend for yourself. However, I was severely mistaken. Your little fluffy body never stood a chance. After the first few days she had you, she ate off your entire foot. She slowly pulled out all of your fluff organs. I still have you to show her when she is sad. Even though you aren't with us anymore, you are still an important part of Lydia's childhood. I'm sorry she hurt you and I'm sorry I let it happen.
R.I.P. LAMB CHOP.
I am sorry all of you, little fluffy friends.
Little bear, I remember when I gave you to Lydia. Within minutes, each one of your rope legs were ripped off and torn into a million pieces. Your head had been removed and your eyeballs were missing. I still have yet to find them. I'm sorry I turned my back on you. You were a good toy.
Dear Lamb Chop,
You were Lydia's favorite toy. You were the first present I ever gave her. I thought since you were of equal size, you could fend for yourself. However, I was severely mistaken. Your little fluffy body never stood a chance. After the first few days she had you, she ate off your entire foot. She slowly pulled out all of your fluff organs. I still have you to show her when she is sad. Even though you aren't with us anymore, you are still an important part of Lydia's childhood. I'm sorry she hurt you and I'm sorry I let it happen.
R.I.P. LAMB CHOP.
I am sorry all of you, little fluffy friends.
Life Before all the Shit Happened
Before I got Lydia, life was so much cleaner. I didn't step in piles of poop a couple times a month and I didn't get to experience the soothing smell of dog piss.
Every morning I used to wake up and make breakfast. I used to walk all the way to the kitchen and back without finding piles of poop everywhere or finding that what I was going to make for breakfast had already been violently eaten and slung across the floor.
I remember when I could take a shower without hearing the piercing sound of dog cries coming from my bedroom. I also remember when I didn't spend all of my money on beggin' strips and piddle pads. I remember when I wasn't woken up every morning to dog barking 3 hours before my alarm was scheduled to sound. I remember when I was only responsible for myself, and not a tiny fire ball of fluff.
However, more importantly, I remember the first day I got Lydia and how happy I was to have her. I remember life before all the shit happened, and I don't like it one bit.
Every morning I used to wake up and make breakfast. I used to walk all the way to the kitchen and back without finding piles of poop everywhere or finding that what I was going to make for breakfast had already been violently eaten and slung across the floor.
I remember when I could take a shower without hearing the piercing sound of dog cries coming from my bedroom. I also remember when I didn't spend all of my money on beggin' strips and piddle pads. I remember when I wasn't woken up every morning to dog barking 3 hours before my alarm was scheduled to sound. I remember when I was only responsible for myself, and not a tiny fire ball of fluff.
However, more importantly, I remember the first day I got Lydia and how happy I was to have her. I remember life before all the shit happened, and I don't like it one bit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)