Why does it seem all my pets die with their mouths open? And I can't get them to close after they're gone? Pixie didn't look as tortured as Jerry - my cat who died a year and a half ago of skin cancer - but finding her that way will haunt me. My brain simply doesn't know what to do with all this pain.

Meanwhile, I've been thinking a lot about Neil Young today, probably because I have never felt more helpless in my whole life than I have the last few days. I keep hearing his sad singing:

"Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless

Have you ever listened to Lou Reed's Magic and Loss? It's an album about death and how to cope with it. I have the CD out in the other room. Tomorrow (or today I suppose it really is) is probably a good day to play it. I first heard the album with Lukas, someone else who's gone now too.

Life's like a mayonnaise soda
And life's like space without room
And life's like bacon and ice cream
That's what life's like without you

Life's like forever becoming
But life's forever dealing in hurt
Now life's like death without living
That's what life's like without you

Life's like Sanskrit read to a pony
I see you in my mind's eye strangling on your tongue
What good is knowing such devotion
I've been around - I know what makes things run

What good is seeing eye chocolate
What good's a computerized nose
And what good was cancer in April
Why no good - no good at all

What good's a war without killing
What good is rain that falls up
What good's a disease that won't hurt you
Why no good, I guess, no good at all

What good are these thoughts that I'm thinking
It must be better not to be thinking at all
A styrofoam lover with emotions of concrete
No not much, not much at all

What's good is life without living
What good's this lion that barks
You loved a life others throw away nightly
It's not fair, not fair at all

What's good ?
Not much at all

What's good ?
Life's good -
But not fair at all
What a terrible few days this has been. I'm simply stunned - and so terribly heartbroken - by it all. Life is good, but not fair at all.

Someone mentioned at work that of all the days in the week Monday is the day most heart attacks occur. They also occur early in the day. As I listened to the conversation I realized I probably did not have to worry about medical problems in the mornings.

My alarm clock rings very early. After the alarm chimes my male cat, Pierre', a tuxedo variety, sprints to the bed. I can hear him coming full blast. He begins at my feet and works his way up to my head. I think he is trying to make sure I am up so I can feed him and his brothers and sisters.

His sister, Casey, a black Lab gets into the act next. She begins to nudge me and prod me. I am thinking she is trying to make sure I get up to feed her and her brothers and sisters.

I have been wrong all along though. I can see now this is my babies way of giving me "medical" care each morning. I am pronounced fit to head out into the world each morning. After the "cat" scan and "lab" tests I am surely in great shape.

Sedan är det också så att just på fredag är det 3 år sedan som makens morbror, Peter hastigt gick bort. Så just den dagen Peter gick bort ska vi begrava en annan Peter....

Ikväll kommer det hit kompisar och vi ska grilla lite. Man får passa på såhär på semestern och bjuda hem lite kompisar för att äta och umgås lite.

Nu måste jag snart sticka till apoteket och se om jag kan hämta ut det nya pencillinet, har så himla ont i magen nu och jag är rädd att jag ska få mer ont om jag inte får ta tabletterna i tid. Känner även idag att jag har himla ont i mina händer/handleder, men det tror jag beror på att jag låg i barnpoolen igår och stödde mig med händerna. Man kan liksom inte göra nåt utan att få mer ont... *suck*

照片：http://www.wretch.cc/album/ianppan

若你(妳)對大寶有興趣的話，
請寫信與小妤聯絡：pupy0725@hotmail.com

 First of all, I'm not IT. My name is Gromit. They rescued me  from a shelter where I was known as Dougan; before that I  was running with a buddy of mine on the streets and we  didn't have names for each other. I'm not sure exactly where  I came from and what I was called when I was just a pup,  but the name, Gromit, it's all good. Heck, if you could've  seen how his face lit up the first day they brought me home  and I looked when he called me; I'd have let him call me  Cabbagehead if it was going to bring such a smile to his  face.

 Anywho, now that I've properly introduced myself I'd like to  respond to Preston's post with my own rendition of how we  came to eat from the same bowl.

We did meet at the shelter and, dude, l'm sorry to say that my mine objective that day was not "wooing" you. I had only been in that joint for a day when they knocked me out and performed a procedure on me that took away any thought I had of hearing the pitter-patter of little paws. Believe me, I know it's better this way and I'm glad it's done but I most definitely was not in the mood to be chasing your "play with me, play with me" neurotic self up and down the run. Feeling as I did was bad enough, but I needed to charm the ones who'd be making the decision about whether or not I would be freed from those who would do such a thing to a guy. (Again, very nice people. I am totally grateful to them for saving my life and even for protecting the wandering females but ya gotta understand, it's hard to want to hang around a place like that!)

So I stuck close by them, especially him. You're right about her being the alpha but I just knew that she'd defer to him. She's an animal person (especially dogs) and will ultimately work out any relationship. He's a little tougher and (I heard her say)  it was more important that he be comfortable with the new addition. She'd make it work for everyone. I apologize again dude but I knew what I had to do.

The next day they came back for me and got us all kinds of treats. I wasn't so interested in those to begin with; I was eager to check out the new digs. It was cool seeing you there. I knew you had it good when we first met and I knew it wasn't going to be easy at first but I was also fully aware of what a wimp you are. No offense - you said it yourself - alpha you ain't. I cruised around a bit. Fine. For crying out loud though give a brother some space! My entire house tour was spent with you all up in my grill. Geeez! The whole circuit would've taken like 5 minutes if you weren't pulling on me. Instead I had to keep circling in order to doge you. They were more bothered by it than I was but it was a relief to have you outside so I could check things out. Nice place.

Ultimately, things all worked out save the time you made it back in and decided to "guard" your food. You really didn't need to do that. All it got you was a return trip to the other side of the door. I'm sorry for that, too. No worries from me in the ways of nourishment. I've always made out just fine. Surprising, but true.

I'll end my entry by thanking you for sharing your home and family with me. I see it happening some already, but, dude, you really need to chill out about a lot of stuff. I'm pretty easy to get along with and I think we'll have some good times. I'll be expressing a few thoughts about my new arrangements and am looking forward to learning a few tricks from each other!

Cheers, dude!

I feel so good when I make the Playground Update Posts.

River and Kess, your clocks are up! I love them! I hope you like them too. You and your Beagle friends are welcome to put these clocks up on their blogs.

The question is – do you have to be a beagle to put up a beagle clock? I guess not, because Mercury has put this clock up on her laptop, and she’s not a beagle!

I should also tell Khyra and Eva that their clocks are in process and should be ready soon. I don’t know why she’s got this tendency to keep everything under wraps until the last moment!

The last few days have been much cooler than the few weeks prior. I walked this morning at 10:30am and it was still 65 degrees. Patchy sunshine, but still very cool. I enjoyed it. For one that enjoys the heat . . . mid-eighties to low-nineties is awesome . . . I do have to admit I relished the cool weather break.

I've had a bit of an attitude . . . one that was contained to my inner workings, but still present and nagging. I'm fine with not being the center of Justin's world for a few short days and then, if I'm not reaffirmed and assured that, yes, I am the one and only for him (a tad dramatic) . . . well, my self-pity button gets pushed and I battle it or give into it. More lately, I've been battling it and I find that if I'm persistent that it does subside and our relationship is better for it.

And, get this, Justin has been gone for the better part of two weeks catching up with school . . . since, financially, we couldn't get books until a month into the summer term. Now he has to cram for his online class and make up 4 tests and many many chapters of reading and an essay. On top of that he's holding down his responsibilities . . . many of them new . . . at the fire house and . . . and, he's working for Brooke's Fire Department, pretty much everyday; doing odds and ends for them around the property. I have no idea, to this day, how he does this or where he gets the energy to even move one foot in front of the other at times, much less function on thought processing level after little to no sleep.

So, that, the above paragraph, that is what I'm getting jealous over. Cuz, face it, that's what I'm battling. I'm jealous of his time and focus, etc. How frickin' selfish can I possibly get? He does all this with an award-winning attitude.

So, I'm a bit repentant tonight. I've been convicted. He's busy (understatement of the year) bettering our family with a future and I'm grumbling cuz he's not here to help me pack and deal with discipline issues regarding two small toddlers . . . much less the personal one on one time I so miss with my best bud. Oh my. God help me understand what he's dealing with . . . not just myself.

I went to my neighbor's (who is also a good friend) church with her this past Sunday. People's Church in Salem . . . its an Assemblies of God church . . . if that means anything really. The worship was very good and the word was right on. And then, yesterday, a friendly couple from the church stopped by with a loaf of bread from Great Harvest Bread Company, here in Salem . . . Apple Cinnamon. Oh my goodness gracious, grate balls of chicken crap!!! That has to be the best loaf of bread I have ever eaten in less than 24 hours . . . yes the kiddos helped a little but, mostly, it was my eating. Yeah . . . not something I can purchase every week cuz I would be 500 lbs by December but . . . once a month, maybe? This was accompanied with a nicely put together folder about their church and outreach programs and card thanking me for joining them Sunday. Very thoughtful . . . I didn't feel like there was pressure to come back, just a thoughtful thank you. :)

It never ceases to amaze me that I take Byron, daily, on a 3 mile, plus, walk/jog . . . let him off leash for a minimum of 20 minutes to run about in a baseball field . . . take him out later in the afternoon while the boys run around the property (sometimes Byron too, though I'm not suppose to let him off leash . . . shhh, don't tell on me) . . . and he is still playful and high energy when the day starts to draw to a close. These dogs, meaning the Jack Russell extraordinairs should all be on ranches and farms . . . or at least with property of some sort to run amok from the moment they wake until they crash at night. Thats all I have to say about that. And, no, we're not getting rid of him . . . he'll just have to deal with walks and baseball fields . . . and the occasional dog park excursion.

I think thats all I can conger up to blab about tonight. God's grace is so abundantly available through this time in our lives . . . I really have no room or reason to whine.

God Bless!

He has to move from where I live, which is about an hour outside of Indy where the kid has free access to a lake, woods, streams, and where he has a lot of friends to go live in a shitty apartment complex in Indy. That's sad enough for him.

But worse, his mother told him yesterday that he has to give up his dog (Brownie) and he doesn't think that his sister can take Brownie.

Like a sucker, I volunteered to be Brownie's foster parent.

This is Brownie:

Brownie is staying in the garage tonight. He's sweet as hell, but as thin as a Latin American street dog. He ate five cups of dry food and one can of wet food tonight, whereas my dogs usually eat two cups of dry food each and share a can of wet food daily. He seems to be flea-ridden.

The plan is to take him to the vet tomorrow so he can get his shots and get an examination to determine how healthy he is. That's the easy part.

Once he is declared to be healthy, I will have to introduce him to my two dogs, Robie and Dexter.

I've heard that it's horrible when two dogs meet a third to join their pack. I've also been told that they start fighting and chewing on things when a third dog is introduced.

Does anyone know if this is true? Is there a better way to get them to meet so they all get along?

We were in Tassie sitting in a health spa and she said,

I want to get thin because we are only 3 years off thirty and then after that you can’t wear all of the young clothes anymore. This is our last opportunity!

I heard old lady fatness alarm bells. I agreed. Something had to be done, and done quickly, summer is approaching and I have many social events that I must look god for.

When it comes to exercise I am pretty on and off. I have always been a walker but that is hardly enough to make me supple and buff. The next week I marched along to my local pretentious gym, signed my life away and I have gone everyday since. I have been mixing it up a bit, yoga, cardio and weird weights I don’t really understand how to use so I watch other people and then copy them.  I don’t really do running either. I mean I can but I have this thing in my brain that says “it hurts, don’t do it”. I watch gym people get on the treadmill and run and run and run, ickies. I like the bikes and the ski thing that you swish back and forward on. Gee listen to me, I am gym professional. It’s good though, there aren’t too many supper skinnys and beef cakes. Don’t like the beef cakes.

I have noticed a bit of a difference though. My skinny jeans don’t feel as skinny. Yay for me. 30 and perky here we come! Oh god. I need counselling now.

I had a pretty average gig last night. It’s ok. It makes me stronger as a performer. Not everyone is going to love you all of the time. I know I’ve got tried and tested material but the audience were mainly comics, who rarely laugh at other comics jokes and the night was pretty long. I wasn’t really feeling the vibe.

It did bother me that one of the performers last night had a completely lifted routine. It’s soooooo wrong. You don’t steal other people’s jokes, especially if the routines are pretty famous. What a douche. He thought he was king shit. Whatever dude, you won’t go far that way!

The other day I was at Chatswood shopping centre and there was a beautiful dog tied up outside. He was cute and big and many people gathered around him and just stood and watched. I found this pretty fascinating. He was lovely but the way people were standing around you’d think it was a giraffe tied up. Silly.

Anyway I have to go and use weights that I don’t know how to use. Are you gym people? Fitness freaks?

Special note* I love receiving comments but if you are going to criticize me but won’t leave a name I am not going to publish it. Cheers.

For those of you worried about criminals breaking into your home, all you need is a dog. Just about any dog will do. Even if you happen to have a little dog, when they hear something they will start yapping like the little maniacs they are. Your dogs barking draws attention,  that is something thieves don't like and will try to avoid at all costs. Now if you have a medium size or big dog, their barks are pretty similar in sound. Thieves, when it comes to dogs are just like most people they are afraid of them.

Protection training a dog for your home is an accident waiting to happen, you must constantly work these animals. If you get sloppy with your training there is a high probability of someone in your home, getting bitten by this dog. And when you do get sued, if the opposing attorneys find out your dog was protection trained, boy your gonna be in some deep shit.

Back in the nineties, I learned how to do protection training from an retired U.S. Army K-9 corps specialist  (Vietnam Veteran). At the time I was rehabbing and re-homing  dogs for three different German Shepherd rescues, two in New York and one in Jersey. I lost count of how many dogs where coming into rescue protection trained, this is how I know it's a really bad idea this type of training for your pet.

I knew that for me to be able to teach these dogs to stop going after people, I would have to learn the nuances of protection training. Call it what you like desensitizing, reprogramming or breaking they all mean the same dam thing, " Stop doing that". It's actually a pretty easy process to retrain these dogs, the hard part is finding a suitable home where the adopters actually know dogs. Fortunately most of these guys found homes, with great dog people.

There are a lot of men out there, that if they see a law enforcement or military K9 dog on TV, going through their paces they will think to themselves, "I gotta get me a dog like that". Ladies, if you have a boyfriend or husband  who comes to you one day and says, "Honey, why don't we get a German Shepherd". I don't care what you have to do, make sure he doesn't get one. Same thing goes for your son, if he asks for a big dog.

You do not need a protection trained dog to be safe. If you do worry about your safety, all you need is a decent size dog. That is one of your best deterrence, to ward off potential criminals.

The following are some pictures of Elliot, a coated or long haired German Shepherd that I modified and eliminated the protection training he had.

TheSpiritDog@WordPress

alan papszycki

Tuffy left, Mandy right

Thirteen things my mom has learned about chihuahuas the eleven years she has owned Mandy and me (me--just 3 years):

1. They are very nervous so much of the time. I think it's because they're so small.
2. They don't realize they're small and think they are just as big as other dogs. They will take on any big dog without a second thought.
3. They are EXCELLENT guard dogs. Their hearing is excellent and they let you know immediately if they hear something.
4. They are very neurotic but in a sweet way.
5. They are almost always cold...summer with the AC or winter. It doesn't matter.
6. They love to burrow under cover. This might have something to do with them being cold.
7. They love to play in clean laundry. If you put it on the bed or somewhere to fold it, they will climb in it and start playing.
   
8. They must be with you at all times unless they're old like Mandy but then they lie where they can see you. They are so affectionate and extremely loyal.
   
9. They are so feisty in the cutest way.
10. Their tails and ears move with how they're feeling or what they're thinking/hearing.
11. Most love to bark, but some don't. Tuffy likes to bark a lot and Mandy very rarely barks.
12. They seem to like to have their nose covered when they sleep because they are cold.
13. They are the sweetest, cutest and some of the smartest dogs in the world and I love mine more than you can imagine.

For more 13er's, click here.

De Hare of da dog not so gud, akshully

picture: dunno source, via our loldog builder. lol caption: Happy-Catter

wut doz hare of da dog rly meen? iz an english xpreshun.

» Recaption This

My name is Preston and this is my first blog entry. I thought it was time that I start getting my inner voice out for the world to hear. I've been thinking about blogging for some time now but didn't have the motivation until something they did last week really pushed me to the edge. You see, I've been living with them for just about two years and we were, in my opinion, a very happy family. I was the baby, the one and only - top dog if you know what I mean. Sure, there were times when he got nervous because I was making too much noise or overly excited when guests arrived. What can I say - it's my duty to let them know when there's something worth paying attention to. As far as the visitors- I LOOOOOOVE company! Besides, she and I have been working on those things and she tells him all the time that I'm "getting much better."

Regardless of these tiny misdemeanors things were great! He was attempting to bond with me - his version, anyway. Not always the best choices for me but I just want to be liked so I played along; sitting in his lap, letting him carry me around. Within the past few months I even reached "sofa status" - as long as there was no fooling around; for that I was getting more than a respectable amount of playtime outside! *Just a quick note about him: he's a great guy he just doesn't understand me so well. He's never been mean to me (doesn't have a mean bone in his body) and tries and thinks and talks all about how to relate to me. He's a self admitted non-alpha and, well, that's hard for me and we all know it! She, on the other hand, takes her alpha role very seriously with everyone - not just me. He compliments her often telling her how grounded she is and how we'd all be a mess without her. I'm just now embarking on therapy (thanks to the happening of last week that I'll be getting to in a moment) so I'm not exactly sure what that means but the way he says it, I think it's a good thing.

So, (long pause) last week. Precisely a week ago today. They (both of them) brought IT home. I should have known something was happening because just the day before they (she actually took me and he met us there) brought me to meet IT. I hadn't been concerned seeing we went to the place where I go to school. We went to a different building and then went to play outside (what fun!) and then out IT came. Honestly, I didn't care too much about IT and IT didn't care too much about me. I tried to play with IT but IT wasn't really into my game and he kept talking about how much smaller IT was and how I had to be careful so I decided it would be more fun playing ball with them instead. We all went to the park right outside my usual building  and IT almost started to mess around but not quite and, as I said earlier, I didn't really care. We both got in trouble for trying to go in the water, mud actually, and then it was time to go. We brought it back to it's building and went home. Good Enough.

So I thought.

The next morning they left the house together (without me - not uncommon, I don't go everywhere all the time) and just one short hour later they brought came home. With IT. I was dumbfounded. Ambushed. This couldn't be right. Maybe IT was just here for a visit. Others have come but usually not on their own. IT began investigating every inch of the house: our house; my house. This didn't seem to be a problem for them. They followed IT around watching, smiling and even encouraging IT to investigate different rooms. The only logical answer to this was that their brains had somehow been tampered with by aliens. I had to take matters into my own paws. I tried running after IT and tugging it's ears. He told me to stop so I did - for a few seconds. Then I tried to grab IT's neck leg, ear again anything that would end this invasion!

"PRESTON, STOP!" It was her. This wasn't good. She put me outside and closed the door. I looked in all the doors. When I got 'round to the kitchen you'll never believe what I saw. IT was on the sofa. The very sofa that it took me the better part of a year on which to earn "sitting quietly" privileges! Obviously I had to get back in there. Luckily, I mastered re-entry rights: immediately I lay down with my back to the door and looked disinterested. 5-4-3-2-1...YES! Winner! The door opened I remained calm , cool and collected. Once I got the word, I sprung...onto the sofa which proved to be a very, very terrible idea. Back outside I went. This time however I was given the most wonderful chewy donut. Luck-Y! I looked at her for a moment she assured me it would all be ok. Who was I to argue with the Alpha. If they (she) didn't see a problem with this who was I to worry? I went off to enjoy my (only mine, given to me not IT) most fantabulous  treat!

 Puppies always show love at a very young age, they know how to give back to their masters. It is what they call “Puppy Love”, no not the term use to young hearts in love, rather a term use to describe what these beautiful puppies have for their masters. As early as their young age they can develop loyalty and love that always equivalent to respect. It is a major thing to consider for them. So let me tell you that Puppies are always a great to have as pets because they can create that mutual bond with you that you can cherish for a long time.

I guess things are pretty quiet for the Moorings too as there are many a boat in the harbor.

And for those with nothing better to do, there's always fishing.

And with out the distraction of the kids I can stop and take photos of little things like wild grass.

and strange reflections in the water.

The dogs will be happy for the increased walks also.

My sister is one of those 'Animal lovers'. She thinks sick animals at the shelter are cute, where as I see them as what they are: sick animals. We've gone through three dogs in my mom's household already. All three of them have been from animal shelters and all three of them have sucked. Go figure. The first one was a maniacal puppy that tore everything up and ran 300 laps around the backyard. We ended up taking that one back, since it almost killed one of our cats once. The second one was old and blind and had to take around five pills every morning. That one went back. Now our current one shits in the house all of the time! That's all it does! Shits in the house!

Okay I'm getting ahead of myself, he does other things. Timmy, the dogs name, "belongs" to my sister. She whined until my mom gave in and let her get another dog and thankfully I was in Tainan, Taiwan for the first months of the dog. About thirty minutes before writing this post I had to clean up the second batch of crap that Timmy brewed this afternoon. Most dogs will whine or scratch on the door when they want to go out, but Timmy just starts shitting. Sometimes you can get him mid-dump and yell at him to go out, but usually It's a sneak attack.

Have you ever been woken up in the morning by a barking dog? I'm sure you have! I like to wake up naturally, or if needed from an alarm that I set myself.

I don't like to be woken up by something like this >>>.

In my honest opinion, dogs are not cute! There are a couple of breeds who are sort of adorable, but aside from them I really don't find a physical attraction to the things.

I brought this all up to a buddy and he brought up the whole companion thing. I guess I'm just not old enough and sad enough, yet, to need a dog to make my day better. Honestly when i have a bad day and come home the dog in my house just pisses me off more. Another kid said It's unconditional love, and that dogs teach us the way we should be as humans. That's bull-shit. Dogs teach me not to give in to moochers who just want me for my house and kibble.

If you were to compare a child to a dog, however, a dog would be less of a fuss and much less expensive. I would understand if some older guy wants something to raise and train but doesn't want the hassle of raising a child... However this all brings me back to my original gripe. We got our dogs from a shelter, and my sister isn't old enough to need a friggin companion as she's not even home enough to take care of him. We can't "raise" my dog as he's already eight years old. What is there to do with him but watch him shit everywhere!?

Now, my other dog we got from a breeder when It was not even a month old. We raised that sucker from birth, so It craps outside... But It barks at everything/one that passes out the window and scratches on the door everytime it wants to go out! Do you know how many times I've been trying to record a song or something and It has interrupted by either scratching at the door or barking?

Cats rule dogs drool, that's all.

Celebrity most likely taken by the dog after going down on all 4
part I
part II

I do not know what compels us to follow up on the email. I only know that we are lucky to have reached the dog and met some of the nicest people. The dog is going to get vet care tomorrow morning when it does not cost $300 for an emergency consultation. It was very nice of Fiona and Lynda from NANAS to answer our call and brought us a pet carrier for caging the dog in the morning.

I am grateful that the amiable security guard who showed us the Nigerians that the dog hangs around with. He was nice to worry for us (girls) and has given us an account of how the dog got bitten by an extremely dominant dog. Thankfully, the injured dog is gentle and sweet despite the harshness of life.

I was deeply touched by the Nigerian, Albert, who was unable to bring this dog to the vet because of financial difficulties. He understands that the dog stands no chance if we do not take him away, yet, him bringing the dog up since puppyhood also mean that he has bonded with him. Regardless of how little comfort he could offer the dog, the tears he sheared when we said that we will come back in the morning, I (a physically unexpressive person) nearly hugged him. It meant so much when a man who had so little gives a dog so much love. In contrast with pedigree/status conscious dog owners, it is a far cry. I doubt they will ever understand the depth of a real bond between human and canine.

Where should I stand if the dog recovers? Re-home where his new family might not love him like Albert or give him back to Albert and risk having him injured as a semi-stray again? We will come to that when the time comes.

It has been awhile since the realities of life overwhelm me with emotions. You know how sometimes we grow up and get so boxed up in our own little world and think everything is revolving around us and everything that happens is significant? We don’t see anything else and loses touch with our humane side. Tonight, I think I regained some of my lost humanity.

 “I once was blind, but now, I see” (Amazing Grace).

I was surprised by this.  I grew up in a small, rural, Midwestern town in the 1960's.  Manners were drilled into me.  Though I've moved around a lot, I've spent most of my life living in the upper Midwest where common courtesy is an integral part of culture.  I expect adult people to behave well.

So much for expectations.

I received a post on an on-line dog email list the other day that described nightmarish problems at a hotel that hosted a large agility trial.  The names of the club, the hotel and other identifying information have been removed to protect the club as it pursues the offenders. Since they are seeking to deal with this on their own, I'll not tarnish their name publicly.

I wish I did have the names, postal addresses, home phone numbers and email addresses of the morons who did this offending parties.  I'd be more than happy to post those for public ridicule. 

Here's an excerpt from the letter:

After a fantastic 4 day trial that the club felt was an absolute success, we received notification late last week that, due to the actions of some of our competitors over the trial weekend, the *hotel* in *city*
will no longer accept dogs during our club's agility trials. The incomprehensible actions of some of the competitors staying there, as cited by the hotel, include:

1. Dogs swimming in the pool even after the owners were asked to remove all dogs from the pool. This resulted in the hotel having to close to pool for re-treatment and cleaning at considerable cost.

2. Dogs being allowed in the breakfast area even after owners were asked to please remove all dogs.

3. The carpeting in several rooms being ruined and having to be professionally cleaned after finding puddles of dog urine and feces after our competitors left, again at considerable cost.

There were other complaints cited by the hotel as well, but the club realizes it cannot answer for individual guest rudeness to hotel employees.

As a trial secretary, this repulses me. But, more over, as a competitor and frequent traveler myself, this angers me. With hotel prices continually on the rise and $100 non-refundable dog deposits becoming more and more frequent, I find it quite objectionable that anyone in conjunction with an agility event should behave in this manner. This is an extremely poor reflection on a sport that we all love and sets every single competitor and trial-giving club in a bad light. It's embarrassing and those who committed these acts are the types of competitor that this sport does not need.

This situation is beyond embarrassing.  It is criminal.  Literally.  Also from the letter:

Other clubs in the past have let these infractions drop. *Club* is not willing to do so. The club will work closely with the AKC, the *hotel* their team of legal experts and, if necessary, local authorities to insure those responsible for the infractions are punished to the full extent available to us. We will take any measures necessary to identify the individuals responsible. You should all be aware that the hotel industry holds the person who signed for the room responsible for any damage to the room. We will soon be receiving information from the *hotel* detailing which rooms had to be professionally cleaned and the names of the individuals under whose name the room was booked. It should also be noted that very well placed video cameras may give some indication and identification of those persons involved in the swimming pool and breakfast area incidents.

I urge anyone who stayed at the *hotel* who has knowledge of or who was involved in any of the above incidents to contact me immediately.  Full disclosure on the part of those involved, or who think they may have been involved, will bear considerable weight when deciding how to best handle those found to be in violation. All of those who were not involved and who come forward with any helpful information will remain anonymous. Should it be found that you were involved and did not step forward, I can assure you that the club will impose the maximum penalty allowed by both AKC and local authorities. Enough is enough. Just as we must play by the rules on the course, we must also adhere to the rules elsewhere during events.

Enough is indeed enough.  Not only do we have to deal with AR activists working tirelessly with media hacks and politicians to take away our rights as dog owners - irresponsible dog owners - out of greed, laziness, selfishness and lame ignorance feed the frenzy by flaunting their disrespect for society in a very public way.

It sounds like the commotion at the trial hotel was a lot like what you'd expect to see if a group of drunken frat boys or rugby players had stayed there - but these weren't drunken kids, they were a group consisting mostly of sober, adult women with jobs and families.

I had recently begun to wonder if the emphasis of fun and frenzy over anything else in some agility circles would lead to problems in the sport.  This situation certainly points to a need for competitors to learn more than a few things about responsibility, ethics and plain old-fashioned manners.  If this kind of behavior becomes the norm - all breeds of dogs could eventually end up being banned.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that an out-of-control, barking, reactive dog who races around in a mindless frenzy is not a dog who is having a good time.  I mean seriously, would you watch an over-tired toddler amped up on Mountain Dew and Cakesters run amok through the mall and remark how sweet and happy he looks?  I think not.  Yet people often look at a dog behaving in a similar way and gush about what fun he's having.

A barking, leaping dog dog amped up on adrenaline is a lot like a poorly-behaved toddler throwing a tantrum.  He doesn't enjoy the behavior any more than the people around him do - he just hasn't developed the self-control to deal with the situation he's in yet - and he needs help from his human companion to learn it.  Think about it, do you see Olympic athletes amp themselves up into a frenzy before they compete?

Agility is fun.  It should be fun.  But fun should never trump responsibility.  I hope that the disrespectful people involved in this situation are caught and prosecuted and/or sued and that it serves as a warning to those who consider behaving this way in the future.

My sister Mandy.

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]]> http://teachertesha.wordpress.com/?p=93 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:49:28 +0000 ashte http://teachertesha.wordpress.com/?p=93 Nanay got us a new dog. I am naming him Shadow after Frannie Wei's dog in Fruitcake. We have had and lost a number of dogs over the years: Tiger, She-Ra, Lucky, Tikoy, to name a few. All our dogs are "native," or what some people call askal (from "asong kalye" or street dog). Growing up, my siblings and I enjoyed having a dog around although Nanay often complained that we did not take care of our dog enough.