Pooch Master

2009-11-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Be CAREFUL with your guests & pets today!

2009-11-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

Save Two Dogs

I am reversing my previous stance on adopting pets for holidays. With the economy being wrecked by government bungling, a lot of people have lost their homes and jobs. Dogs have filled the shelters, and are being killed in unbelievable numbers. Normally, I have been against people adopting dogs for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, as birthday presents, Easter, etc. I have mainly been against it because so many dogs are purchased from breeders as impulse purchases, and then 90 days after the holiday, the dogs are dropped off at the shelters. This time, the situation is reversed. There are too many dogs dying in shelters, and I'm encouraging people to adopt 2 dogs for the holidays. Most people will keep the dogs they adopt, and thus it is more humane to save these dogs than let so many die as a result of this terrible economy.

So, this year... please, adopt a dog for the holidays. Save a dog. Better yet, save two. Dogs are pack animals, and they do better in groups than alone. I have other tips here and at my web page, www.SamTheDogTrainer.com, on how to select the right dog for your home.

Save a dog. Save two.

2009-11-14T14:02:00.000-08:00

Would It Be Right To Kill A Dog Hater?

Is it right to kill people who hate dogs? I was asked this question recently, and of course, my answer is "NO". Killing people, outside the legal justice system, or unless in self defense, or unless in defending someone else from unjustified death, or unless in the event of war, is and always has been considered murder. The prohibitions against murder go back to the earliest times. "Thou shall not kill" means you must not, are not morally justified in, murdering ANYONE.

Would it be right to kill someone who killed an animal, even if it was your own dog? The same answer: NO. Even police officers are not allowed to kill someone just because a criminal has killed their K9. Human life is not the equivalent of animal life. Animal rights nuts say that a bug is the same as a dog is the same as a horse is the same as a human. That's garbage. Even if it was made legal in your area for someone to kill a human if they killed an animal, it would still be murder regardless of what the law said. Morals are not based upon what is legal, instead what is legal should be based upon what is moral. Yes, it was a hanging offense to kill someone's horse in the Old West. A person's horse was something that people relied upon for survival. Stealing that horse was pretty much the same as killing you. It would be the same if somehow the nation was in a famine after a nuclear or biological or chemical attack, and someone tried to steal away the food you had to survive, or tried to kill your dog to get to you or your basic survival resources... I think it would be morally right to defend your life by defending your animals... but that is a very extreme example that none of us faces. However, you still need the law to deal with the situation, clear permission in the law and clear permission by the police.

Animal rights wackos think they have the right to kill humans for the sake of animals, outside the boundaries of the law. That's why they are considered domestic terrorists and are put in prison for their crimes.

There are some justifiable reasons for killing a human being. But not because someone hates dogs or even kills dogs. The only justification for you, personally, killing a person is to defend your own life, or the lives of others... and in a free country, doing it according to the law. The way to deal with dog haters is to win them over to your cause by persuasion, and to prevent them from harming dogs using legal means.

2009-11-13T07:27:00.000-08:00

Small Dogs & Big Dogs? Careful!

Dog’s Death At Dog Park Serves As Warning: Don't let small dogs play roughly with big dogs. This is also a warning about the mix of dogs you put in your own home. (Hat Tip: Dogster)

2009-11-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

Want A Confident Puppy?

Choose your breeder wisely. All else being equal, it is better to get a puppy from someone with an active household and regular contact / handling of the puppies, than from someone who lives in an isolated area with no visitors and living alone.

2009-11-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

Interesting Behavior Factoid

Shepherd breeds are more attuned to sheep & deer scent than other breeds, bird dogs more attuned to birds, & thus each breed type will have a greater propensity to attack & kill these types of prey. What is a trait used for hunting will, when unchecked, also become a propensity to finish the job. Terriers, on the other hand, aren't as attuned to scent as they are to sounds.

What we breed for will sometimes get us unintended consequences. That's why I recommend that people try to read between the lines when studying which breed to buy, looking at the original purpose of the breed they are considering. What might be normal for that breed might be a hassle in your home.

2009-11-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

The Type of Question That A Dog Behaviorist Considers

A dog behavior puzzle for you: When a dog plays fetch, is the object of the game the toy or the game itself?

(The answer might surprise you... however it is for you to come up with the answer yourself. It's stuff like this that I puzzle over, and it's stuff like this that I get paid to know.)

2009-11-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Calm Submissive?

Cesar Milan and his followers all talk about making your dogs "calm submissive". There are many situations where a dog won't be that way, and most of them are the ones where you must have control over the dog. In these circumstances, "Cesar's way" will fail. I know the answer, do you?

2009-11-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

Kids and Dogs

Why Dogs Attack Children: "When some animals are stressed too much and for too long, they will tend to kill and even eat their young. I would bet if you were to do some research on many dog attacks on children in the family, that you’d find that the dog was under some kind of stress. In addition, I think you’d also find that many of these cases are also attributable to a lack of supervision by the parents."

2009-11-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

Why I Don't Believe In Clicker Training (Updated)

I oppose "all positive" dog training... For example:

Clicker training is based entirely on the theory of Operant Conditioning, yet is even more narrow than the theory upon which it is based. Clicker training is based upon the utopian viewpoint that teaching and training should only be conducted using “positive reinforcement”, meaning using structured delivery of treats for behavior.

Have you ever met a kid that was given everything… car, clothes, cell phone, food, etc. by their parents… and that kid was a complete jerk to everyone, irresponsible, and out of control? Don’t we all then wish that the parent would have exercised some discipline in their home to deal with their brat? Or have you ever been around a dog that was so “loved” that it was so obnoxious (or even dangerous) that you just wanted to not be around it? And hasn’t it been obvious that the dog needed some kind of leadership? (Oh… I should have mentioned, the concept of “leadership” or “pack leader” is rejected by those who teach Operant Conditioning / Clicker Training). What is obvious to the average person becomes lost by today’s “educated” elite in the field of behavior modification. This is a typical example where sometimes the most ignorant people are those who have the most education. They have learned so much that they now don’t know a thing.

2009-10-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Owning Multiple Dogs

I believe it is better for a dog to have a companion dog than to be an only dog. Dogs are pack oriented, social animals, and it is more natural for them to have a companion. You will find it is enjoyable to handle and own multiple dogs if you do it right. I also believe your dog will be happier and more well adjusted.

The trick is selecting the proper combination of dogs. A few tips:

a. Always do opposite sex. Same sex is more likely to fight than opposite sex.
b. Don't get puppies from the same litter
c. Get dogs of the same approximate size and energy level
d. Don't get the dogs at the same time. Start with one. Socialize and train it. Once that dog is working well, then introduce the second dog. Socialize and train it, and make sure it has separate time with you every day for the first few months, otherwise the new dog is more likely to bond to the other dog than to you.
e. Don't get a second dog if the first one is not house trained. Adding a second dog will just make the situation worse. Once you get the second dog, don't assume it will "learn" from the first dog... it won't. You will have to do just as much, or more, work on the second dog to ensure it is fully house trained.
f. Hire a professional dog trainer throughout the process. Train the dogs to the point where you can get each dog to obey individually around the other dog, in public, with distractions.
g. Expect that multiple dogs will cause more commotion in your home.
h. Don't introduce a new dog into the home if your current dog isn't good with other dogs, untrained, poorly mannered, or if the new dog combination is a mismatch. Hire a professional to help you sort the issues out before you get the second dog.

2009-10-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

Do We Really Need A Law For EVERYTHING?

San Jose to tackle issue of bicyclists with leashed dogs. They are talking about regulating or banning dogs pulling people on bikes.

This is the Age Of Obama... The One is just a sign of the times we are in. The public has stopped believing in freedom, and started believing the seductions of state control of everything. I have heard that in Soviet Russia if the law didn't specifically say something was LEGAL, it was ILLEGAL... the opposite of what we've had here in the US. Socialism isn't freedom, it's slavery.

2009-10-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Enviro-Wackos Are After Your Dog

Save the planet... eat your dog.

Yes. That's the message.

"The eco-pawprint of a pet dog is twice that of a 4.6-litre Land Cruiser driven 10,000 kilometres a year, researchers have found. Victoria University professors Brenda and Robert Vale, architects who specialise in sustainable living, say pet owners should swap cats and dogs for creatures they can eat, such as chickens or rabbits, in their provocative new book Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living. The couple have assessed the carbon emissions created bypopular pets, taking into account the ingredients of pet food and the land needed to create them. "If you have a German shepherd or similar-sized dog, for example, its impact every year is exactly the same as driving a large car around," Brenda Vale said."

I started to disrespect my professors in college as the years went on... a good number of them were absolute nutcases. Education doesn't equal wisdom or morality. Who are these idiots to tell us what is right or wrong?

2009-10-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Denver Pit Bull Ban - Leaked Photos

Denver bans pit bulls.

Here are leaked photos of effects of the ban... showing the mass slaughter of a lot of innocent dogs.

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WARNING AGAINST SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS BLOG!!

This is HORRIBLE!!!

2009-10-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Dog Guardian?

There is a move by animal rights wackos to define dog owner into dog guardian. So, what's the big deal? The big deal is that the change means the dog belongs to the state not to you. That is a HUGE change in the law and affects your ability to do just about anything with your dog. Imagine if your kid became a ward of the state, and you were no longer considered their parent but just a guardian. That would be huge, and a total change in the line of authority regarding your home and your relationship with everyone in your family. And if the kid is the ward of the state, then the state has the right to ultimately take that kid from you AT A MUCH LOWER THRESHOLD than exists today. Citing a couple of extreme examples, Hitler took kids from their parents, Mao took kids from their parents, and so forth. That's too much power to give to a government. And the same is true regarding your pet, and it will have far reaching consequences.

Why would animal rights wackos not want you to be the owner of your dog? Because they don't believe in animal ownership at all. They are against domestication of all animals, including dogs, cats, horses, cattle, sheep and so forth. The ultimate goal would be to let all domesticated animals go extinct, which is why they viciously attack the breeding of dogs, and why they put so much emphasis on spaying and neutering animals.... even animals that deserve to be bred. Also, have you noticed that the animal rights wackos are also usually committed Leftists? They line up this way, politically, because leftists are against private property rights of any kind, thus they tend to vote socialist / communist. Our Constitution protects private property rights. Redefining a dog as being something other than property means those provisions of the Constitution can't be used when fighting to defend yourself in court against another person, animal control, or the government. Animal "guardianship" adds a lot more angle to the slippery slope we are already on, and it is important to fight against these types of laws.

2009-10-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Lies About Wolf Behavior

Lately, I've been reading articles quoting some study that says there is no such thing as dominance in the wolf pack. This is being promoted by animal rights activists, operant conditiioning/ clicker trainer advocates, veterinary organizations, and anti-Cesar Millan groups.

How is all this explained away by these folks? Read the article.

2009-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Do It Yourself Dog Euthanasia?

I have read a number of stories over the years where people have attempted to kill their own dogs. I think it is a HUGE ERROR OF JUDGMENT to do this yourself. First, you must make sure that the killing of your dog is medically justified. Are you a veterinarian? If not, then you are opening yourself up to going to PRISON for killing a dog that isn't terminally ill. Also, some methods of killing a dog are extremely inhumane. So, (I have to say this because some people are dumb enough to try this on their own) it would be cruel to use the drugs or poisons to kill your dog..., or to drown , hang, suffocate, beat your dog, etc to death... your dog would die a miserable, probably prolonged and painful death. The public isn't going to look kindly on your case while you are sitting in jail for torturing your dog to death. The drugs a vet uses are painless and humane. Second, if the dog is being put to death for behavioral reasons... are you a professional dog trainer? If not, then again, you are opening yourself up to going to jail for killing your dog. Third, all the laws require you to do it quickly, painlessly and according to certain criteria and procedure. Have you consulted an attorney before putting your dog to death? If not, again... you risk incarceration. If you don't have the money, then contact your local humane society or animal control for assistance. There's no excuse for not doing this properly and humanely.

Quit being a cheapskate. Quit this idea that you can do this on your own. Do it the normal way... starting with a talk with your veterinarian. If you aren't willing to do this, then you are a nutcase.

2009-10-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Victory! Dog Owner Successfully Challenges Denver's Pit Bull Law

Lawyers with the Animal Law Center say a ruling today could challenge the way Denver enforces its pit bull ban. Dogs that are deemed to be predominantly "pit bull" are banned in Denver, and can be seized and put down. They say as many as four thousand dogs have been euthanized under this ban, but today's ruling raises the question that many of them might have been by mistake.

4,000 dogs is a lot of "mistakes". These weren't "mistakes" at all. This was done PURPOSELY by dog haters, and publicity seeking politicians. They wanted these dogs dead. They wanted to make a public spectacle. I hope the city is successfully sued for hundreds of millions of dollars.

I keep warning about the abuse of the powers of the state. This is one more glaring example. Fight back, or you'll lose the right to own a dog.

2009-10-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

When Does An Affair Begin?

I have watched how people's dog hobby can develop into something destructive to their marriage. People with dogs gravitate to people with dogs. Just like people who find hobbies online will gravitate to others also online. If you are into dogs, then get your spouse involved, too. But, beyond that, it is important to keep your relationship healthy. Don't let problems fester. Be responsible. Put in effort. Learn to listen and love. Don't escape into the arms of another, but learn to focus that energy into your marriage. Practice love... don't betray your partner and cheapen yourself and your relationship by cheating.

Affairs not only kill relationships, they eat away at your soul and destroy you and your partner and your kids over time. And it affects your dogs, too.

Those fights you have over the dog aren't really about the dog.

How do you know trouble is brewing? Often it comes as people start asking, "what 'technically' is cheating?" The answer is:

The first moment you're doing something you don't want your partner to see. "In the last three years, we've seen an astronomical increase in Internet-related affairs," said Sharpe, with the Life Connection Counseling Center. "This whole affairs thing is just off the charts." Sharpe said these illicit relationships usually start slowly and innocently, develop over time, and last a year or more before they are discovered. He said that 95 percent of the time, the spouses will never admit to the affair until they are caught, usually by their partners finding e-mails or phone bills.

What to do?

1.) Stop trying to escape the real world. Put effort into your relationship, including acting like an adult and solving the problems you face, and accepting that life is a series of struggles. The struggles of life never end... that is the way the real world works. Love only ends when you allow it to end. Learn to work through the problems of life, instead of using them as an excuse for escape, or as a club of revenge against your spouse. Don't let your dog hobby become an escape from your marriage. It is all too easy to think that other people, of the opposite sex, who share your interests somehow "understand" you better... that's just self deception. If you were with them, you'd have a whole new set of life challenges, maybe even more difficult than the ones you are facing right now.
2.) Talk with your spouse about your interests and hobbies and activities, your concerns and temptations, the challenges of life and the plans you both have to work through them, what boundaries you are going to set, and be completely transparent about your time and intent. Share passwords, phone numbers, calendars, and account information. Invite your spouse to accompany you to your hobby events, and if you are the one invited be sure to show interest and attend yourself. And get involved in those things that interest your spouse, too.
3.) Recognize the signs of infidelity: "When one or both partners get involved in Internet relationships with the opposite sex, it causes tremendous damage to the relationship. It can take a long time to rebuild trust," she said. After helping people with what he calls addictive behavior related to the new media — pornography, video games, cell phone texting, affairs and other abuses of Twitter and Facebook — he is ready to see people unplug.
4.) Set consequences. Make it clear up front that if there is infidelity or hiding / secrecy, that the relationship is over. If the other person thinks they can get away with it, they will be more tempted to cross the line and cheat the first time, and treat you like a doormat, then they will do it again and again.

2009-10-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Paralyzed Dog With Severe Spinal Cord Injury Walks Again

A dog who was paralysed has taken his first steps after pioneering treatment by scientists at Cambridge University. Henry, a smooth-haired Miniature Dachshund, was unable to walk after discs ruptured in his spine last November. Now the six-year-old dog is walking and wagging his tail after scientists at Cambridge Veterinary School took cells from his nose and injected them back into his spine.

This is worth investigating if your dog has gotten such an injury. I'd contact the Cambridge University and enroll my dog in the treatment.

2009-10-12T05:53:00.001-07:00

Using A Guard Dog To Protect You From Prostitutes

This is in response to my article on having a dog that is too friendly with strangers.

READ MY RESPONSE: What would I recommend if you had prostitutes and "johns" intruding on your property to do their business?

2009-10-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Be Careful With Your Dog Around People Who Are Afraid Of Dogs

Man gets 7 years in Calcasieu Parish prison for killing dog with a samurai sword: A public defender said Simoneaux had an irrational fear of dogs and killed an acquaintance's chow last New Year's Eve because he had been attacked at age 13 by another chow. But a prosecutor said Simoneaux "carved up" the dog in an unprovoked attack.

Was this guy afraid of dogs, as his attorney claimed? Or just a dog hater? Either way, what he did was wrong, and illegal, and look where it got him. If you are that worked up about dogs, it's a heck of a lot better to get counseling than to end up in prison.

2009-10-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Breed Prejudice On Display?

Officer Shoots Woman, Pit Bull Playing: "The young lady started hollering and just at that time a police officer was coming down and thought the dog was attacking the lady"

2009-10-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

More Toxic Foods For Dogs

It is always good to know what foods NOT to feed your dog

2009-10-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

Simon Cowell: Cool Dude!

The 'American Idol' judge makes a hefty donation to dogs in need: The rescue-dog residents of Linda Blair's Acton-based WorldHeart Foundation recently got a big boost in the form of a $30,000 donation from none other than "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell. According to ContactMusic, Cowell learned from a mutual friend that Blair's shelter was having financial problems and quickly pitched in to aid the nonprofit, which rescues and re-homes needy dogs including many often considered hard to place, like pit bulls and pit mixes.