Through A Dogs Eyes On PBS

As usual I am behind but I did remember this great documentary Through  A Dogs Eyes, you can go to the link below and search for rebroadcasts.  For example my local PBS station has a rebroadcast at noon today. 
I hope the lady who sent me the email doesn't mind me quoting her verbatim but I had like no sleep and need to get a little, there is a bit about service dogs and Milk Bones involvement below.

Check for rebroadcasts in your area.

CANINE ASSISTANTS

 

Canine Assistants service dogs assist children and adults with physical disabilities or other special needs in a variety of ways. Some of the tasks our dogs perform include turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors, pulling wheelchairs, retrieving dropped objects, summoning help, and providing secure companionship. While all of these functions are vitally important in helping a person obtain greater freedom, perhaps the most impressive gift our dogs provide is social, rather than physical, in nature. The dogs eliminate feelings of fear, isolation, and loneliness felt by their companions. One Canine Assistants recipient made the value of this gift quite clear when asked by a reporter what she liked most about her service dog. Immediately, she responded, "My dog makes my wheelchair disappear."
Most Canine Assistants service dogs are born, raised, and trained at our facility in Milton, Georgia, while some are occasionally adopted from local organizations or breeders. The majority of our service dogs are retrievers, including both goldens and labradors.

Milk-Bone allows these recipients to receive their service dog for free, providing the necessary funding for some of these dogs to be fed, trained, groomed, etc. at no cost to the recipient. Milk-Bone has sponsored hundreds of dogs through its partnership with Canine Assistants.

Hank The Wonder Dog

This is Hank.

Yes Hank is in the house and quite comfortable. He is my nephew dog however, not our dog.

Someone forgot to tell Hank he isn't a house puppy  however. Hank actually belongs to my cousin, we hadn't met Hank till Friday afternoon and we have been inseparable since (mostly Hanks idea). We suspect Dispatch told Hank that he was the most important dog in the world and therefore we were the king and queen of the world and somehow Hank believed Dispatch. Or he could sense we lost two dogs in the last year? I have no idea but if we put him outside he whines. He DID sleep outside the last two nights and I didn't really spoil him with food till today. I think it's because we let Hank in the house and Dis lied to Hank....or maybe Fema told him she preferred being an only dog, she's my cousins schnauzer and lives down the hill and Hank lives down there to. 

I was a bit worried about Hank because they said he chased cats.  Nobody told Meanie my cat though, or the kittens.   He did chase them with Fema but I yelled and he was very contrite.  Fema HATES for me to yell and couldn't actually believe I would yell @ her!! LOL  Hank can also sit and shake and lay down but sometimes he figures if he has to sit he might as well lay down.  He did growl @ Dispatch once but Dispatch was trying to be dominant over Hank shall we say.  Dispatch still rules the roost though and only has to look sideways and lift his lip to make Hank cringe, don't ask me?

You can't get the true beauty of Hanks face in the pictures but he has some mighty long chin whiskers, he looks like a cross between a hound and a giant Airedale.   If anyone reads this who remembers Abraham and Martin and Lindsey, Hank reminds me of a cross between all three.   Abraham (Abraham Lincoln) and Martin (Martin Luther King, do not judge, we named dogs after relatives for example Aunt Bob) were Airedale/shepherd mixes and Lindsey was a Mastiff.    Martin is on the left in this photo and Abraham on the right.  No comment on the coat or the car, this was like 1983.  Other dogs are Sally, Log, and Oetman (named after the preacher).

Oh and I lost my GMail and my blogs this morning, I panicked but after I went  through a little rigmarole with my cell phone all was fine.
Also I've started writing for hire for other peoples blogs.........part of the reason I haven't been on here, it's sort of like having a job!

How To Relax Doggie Style

You have to have a willing Daddy to do this, otherwise a bit of AC blowing the curls around and we are ready for our morning snooze.

Then mama goes and takes too many pictures and I feel forced to actually move my head?

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I Hepped Mama

Just some pictures of me seeing what mama was doing in the back of the truck and then Daddy thought I should stay with him?  They said something about me keeping them entertained?  I got a new harness see?  JUST like my old one only not chewed on and not dirty!

Then I "hepped" mama clean the trailer, she laughed and laughed and then got some stinky spray and kept spraying my feet and wiping them with paper towels a whole bunch. She said they were much worse but she didn't think of getting a picture?  Mama was going to cut my face hair last night but Daddy likes to tell me I don't have to listen to her and call me and I hid under his arm and peeked out @ her.  Then he says she spoils me?  I don't think I'm spoiled by either one actually.

I Am Easily Pleased?

Today it was almost like I was given a gift.  My husband was getting a load of mangoes on his truck and since we were the only truck in the lot I decided to walk Dispatch the Bichon Frise.  I noticed the man @ the dock talking to my husband and I'm thinking oh no they don't want dogs on their lot but I'd made up my mind to walk with Dispatch for a bit.  Dis kept saying "It's HOT you old bag, are you NUTS, lemme go back to the truck.  OOOCH ouch, there's stickers out here too".   All of this was said by dirty looks and tiny whines of course. 

Whines from the dog and not the man on the dock, I couldn't hear him.

My husband got back in the truck and told me what was said when we were pulling away.  The man had a pair of bichons whom he had bred and had one  puppy left and @ first was trying to sell to us.  Then after he saw Dis walk around a bit he asked if we entered dog shows with him.  My husband told him no we bought him as a poodle.  Granted this guy was just a back yard breeder but he said he wished HIS bichons looked and acted like that.  He remarked on Dispatches cockiness and how he strutted around but listened to me.  (I always blame the cockiness on his human Daddy because they have the same attitude @ times but maybe that's just me?)  The dock man then asked if Dispatch was neutered (yes) and then asked if we would be interested in taking his dog and TRAINING IT!! 

We didn't take the puppy but it was great that someone thought Dispatch was that well behaved.  The jumping out of the truck into my arms trick and the standing up on command so I don't have to lean over so far always gets them.   We don't use a leash, he doesn't want to get more than 5 feet away unless he is pooping so I always say I've got an invisible leash.  Skeeter was trained the same way and Mugsey was on his way to being trained to walk without a leash.  We really don't "train" other than the sit and the lay down and roll over thing which we are still working on.  We talk and use hand gestures unconsciously and Dis catches on, I can't say this is just a bichon thing though.

Of course the dock foreman didn't see the scratches on my legs from Dispatch wanting up when his nails were too long, he never heard him scream like he was being killed when he was being ignored or left in a vehicle or @ home, and he never saw him after a cat.  Those are just little things he does that might not be considered good doggy behavior. 

So I've been telling Dis all afternoon what a well behaved show quality bichon he was, maybe it's a teeny lie but he believes me.

Justice For Bear Bear

The Police Report states this happened on August 2, an off duty federal police officer shot and killed a Siberian Husky with no previous behavior problems when it "attacked" his leashed German Shepherd @ an Arundel County  MD dog park.  That is the first thing that struck me WHY was the German Shepherd on a leash and isn't that the point of a dog park?  I mean to let the dogs run and play and interact naturally?  The scenario in a nutshell is police officer walks his German Shepherd into a dog park, Bear Bear a husky comes over and either starts playing with or attacking the German Shepherd. 

 It seems the off duty cop killed bear bear immediately without giving the animals caretaker who happened to the the real owners brother-in-law a chance to even yell @ Bear Bear.  It seems he was pulling his gun as he was yelling @ the man to restrain Bear Bear.  I KNOW this is an animals blog but there is another animal here too.  The German Shepherd is an animal in question.  I'm wondering what kind of owner this guy is if he can't recognize play for what it is and know his dog feels defensive if he is on a leash.  The point isn't really if the public is crucifying the police officer or not  (read toward the bottom of the replies) or how many signatures they get on a petition. although this matter DOES need to be looked into.  The point is that this man is trained to know when and how to discharge or even TOUCH his firearm and this wasn't one of those times.  I'm presuming the federal police officer is of normal stature?  What happened to speaking sharply and distracting the other dog by tapping him or even pulling on him.  There was NO blood or bite wounds, the husky was not biting @ all.  There is no reason to think he would have bitten the police officer. 

Now for my alter ego/devils advocate.  If it was Dispatch (the bichon frise, see previous posts) I'd try to get a dog off of him in a heartbeat but with a bichon that would probably be too late IF they were truly fighting.  Dispatch has the fighting and biting powers of a wet gnat.  I'd want the other dog shot and shot now.  I also have relatives (and neighbors -)) who are police officers.  Dispatch attacks their dog almost daily..we are talking bichon and miniature schnauzer here and I'm kidding, they are playing (I think).

Granted this is a Sibearian Husky, I really haven't had much experience with them but I had a Keeshond but they are more closely related to the Spitz.  I think I could recognize the difference between playing and attacking though.

So what do you feel should be done to the police officer other than obviously the case shouldn't be closed immediately.  From what I've read there is some question as to whether Bear Bear's caretaker was allowed to approach him to take him to medical help immediately.  This was supposedly due to the animal control officers "chumminess" with the federal officer who did the shooting.  Some reports I have read suggest Bear Bear was alive @ his arrival @ the vets, with a hollow point bullet I can't imagine there would be a chance of saving him but you never know what might have happened with quick medical transport for Bear Bear?  What do you think?

Pictorial Essay Of An Old Dog Learning NEW Tricks

Dispatch never has learned the stay command too well.  I mean he would stay.  As long as you were saying stay constantly and maybe threw some sternness in there and didn't like get more than a few steps away.  After that all bets were off.  We would work on it but it just never did seem to get done.  Dispatch is 7 now.  Due to him being in the truck with Daddy and I and he having to be like TOUCHING one of us @ all times we thought it was necessary the other day to make him stay. 

Actually what brought it on was he went to sleep by himself in the bunk because he was so exhausted...he doesn't sleep while the truck is moving.   He's saying how could you do this to me, don't you miss me?

If I act all cool an nonchalant they will let me go right?

Hey you over there in the drivers seat?  See me? 

Oh come on, I know you see me, I've stayed for like 2 minutes......

This is getting ridiculous.

That's it, make a bridge so I can walk over to your lap Daddy.....

What do you mean you were just kidding and I have to STAY?

Hey you, there in the back with the flashy thing?  DO SOMETHING!!!

He now knows what stay means, he is none to happy about it however.