FurBabies Hideaway

De vez en cuando se publican historias de mascotas que son un tanto tristes, aunque afortunadamente tienen un final feliz. Es el caso de la última que se ha dado a conocer y que tiene como protagonista a Sniffles, un perro que no tiene nariz y que ha conmovido a todo Estados Unidos. De hecho, le sobran candidatos que quieren adoptarlo para llevarlo a sus casas.

La historia

A pesar de todo el interés que ha despertado en Estados Unidos la historia de Sniffles, lo cierto es que este perro es de Puerto Rico. Y ahí es donde comenzó a gestarse toda la historia porque fue, precisamente, allí donde el perrito perdió su nariz.

Una pérdida que se produjo durante un ataque de perros callejeros cuando Sniffles era también un perro callejero. Sin embargo, la historia ha tenido un final más feliz, puesto que la organización Poodle and Pooch Rescue ha conseguido rescatar a este perrito.

Pero hasta llegar hasta ahí, la vida de Sniffles no fue fácil. Y es que fue adoptado en Estados Unidos donde terminó también en las calles de Florida, donde fue capturado por control animal, pasando posteriormente a esta organización de rescate.

La organización trabaja con él para paliar los continuos malos tratos que ha tenido a lo largo de sus 12 años de vida, lo que le llevó a su vez a que se encontrara en unas pésimas condiciones.

Adopción

Sin embargo, ahora, parece que la suerte de Sniffles podría cambiar, ya que su historia ha sido contada en un canal de televisión de Estados Unidos. Esto ha hecho que se despertase un gran interés por este perro al que le llueven los candidatos para adoptarlo.

De hecho, alrededor de un centenar de personas del país han contactado con esta organización para acogerlo. Y eso que Sniffles tiene algunas deficiencias porque tiende a resoplar por la consecuencia de no tener nariz, aparte de precisar cuidados dentales.

Artículos relacionados:

– Bert: la historia del pomenario que pasó del abandono a ser una estrella

– La increíble historia de un perro que logró sobrevivir a su muerte

During 21-24 Oct 2015, Firedrake was located on these frequencies (kHz):

5890 (1800, 2000, 2100 UTC)
5970 (2000 UTC)
7435 (2100 UTC)
7505 (2200 UTC)
9355 (1800, 1900, 2000 UTC)
9370 (2200 UTC)
9685 (2100 UTC)
9745 (1800, 1900, 2000 UTC)
11560 (1800 UTC)
11945 (0100 UTC)
13830 (1100 UTC)
17625 (0500 UTC)
17810 (0600 UTC)

This is a consolidated version of my logs arranged by frequency. Times shown are simply the hour during which the transmission was identified; some receptions were only a minute long.

The target of all of these jamming transmissions, by my recollection, was Radio Free Asia. I saw at least two mentions on Twitter of Radio Free Asia receptions. One was a description of music, the other was a YouTube video. Radio Free Asia is a news broadcast, and the jammer is loud orchestral music. When identifying a station, it's important to ensure that the format is a match, as well as the date, time, frequency, and region (taking things like propagation and greyline location into account).

However, Radio Free Asia itself is not a source of broadcast frequencies for its Cantonese broadcasts. On their broadcasting schedule page, recently updated for the B15 period, the Cantonese schedule is indicated with Frequency Not Promoted.

Source: https://cobaltpet.blogspot.com/2015/10/firedrake-logs-oct-2015.html

Its June.  Last week we broke all kinds of records all over BC for heat.  Today I had plans to hang out with Auntie Michelle … outdoors of course.  So naturally, it’s been raining since before I woke up.  Harumph.

Good thing I took photos yesterday I guess

This is for all y’all that think little FaeFae is so sweet.  *This* is the Fae I know and shake my fist at regularly.

Fae, sit next to your sister and pose for a cute photo.

“I don’t wanna.  She makes me look fat and I hate her.”

That’s cuz you are fat, Fae.

Fae looks like someone dropped a cocktail weenie on the carpet – sausage-like and hairy.  You know, if a bespoiled cocktail weenie could be emo.  And to be fair, Addy makes pencils look fat.

Fae was much happier once I busted out the ball and focused ALL OF MY ATTENTION ON HER.  That’s the way the chubby little princess prefers to live her life.

And I have to admit, she is *really superduper adorable* when she gets the zoomies.

My narrow little Addypants is also pretty darned adorable, especially now that she appears to be housetrained! (Lousy / cold /wet weather will remain the ultimate test of her new super hero abilities, of course).  The other day she actually *asked* to go outside and pee.  I near about fainted from the shock.  It would appear that the anti-pee-pee-pants I humiliated her with have served their purpose, and shamed her into holding her bladder in the “house.”

Saying “house” is a habit I can’t break.  Like “frisbee” for disc and “Kleenex” for facial tissue and “Flamboyance(c)” for giant fluffy dog tail.  And to be honest, most of the time it doesn’t feel much different from living in the small house I spent 8 years at.  Except for a few things, like …

It moves.  Not, like, it goes on vacations, but rather it lacks a foundation so it bounces and jiggles.  My desk is located in the big slide out and every time I move in my chair or a dog walks past, we sway and wiggle around.  I’m pretty used to it now, but I’m curious to know how flexible this place is going to be when the Big Winds come (cuz I’m smack in a wind corridor that whistles down through the pass, so all winter long it’s going to blow straight at my house.  I mean rv.)

Living in this thing involves an unhealthy amount of attention paid to liquids.  It of course has holding tanks, for the galley (kitchen – why is it called a galley?  I’m not on a fucking boat!) waste water and the grey water from the shower and such.  The tanks fill up reasonably quickly and require emptying, because if you don’t empty them, they will back up into your rv, which is all around bad news.  There are sensors in the tanks and you can check their levels on a little panel in the kitchen and I feel like I’m checking it every 20 seconds, I swear.  And, distastefully, the “other” tank, cuz …. ewww.  And as it costs me $125 every time that needs to be emptied, I encourage my guests to go use the portapotties by the agility building instead ;-)  haha, just kidding.  Maybe.  And of course the propane tanks levels, which I have to go outside to check.

There’s nowhere to put SHOES.  These rv building people think of pretty much everything, I have to admit … but I guess they think people going on vacation are going to be barefoot, because there is simply nowhere to put your shoes when you take them off.  So my shoes end up getting kicked all around the place by wrestling dogs.

All in all, other than the bedroom, which remains irritatingly small, with 100% NOWHERE to put my laundry basket, it’s not so different from living in one of the many bachelor apartments I’ve rented over the years.  Dexter and TWooie would disagree though, because they don’t like each other and feel that more rooms would be better.  Ironically, they both want to hang out on the bed in their down time, and I spend a lot of time yelling “Shut UP” at them as they growl and make snappy ugly face at each other from opposite sides of the bed.

Not that either of them hear me.  We all know that Dexter is as deaf as two doornails, and I suspected the WooTWoo were becoming hard of hearing in their old age (hard to tell though, because neither of them have ever been what you’d call “super obedient”) and yesterday it became quite clear just how much hearing they’ve lost.  I set them up for this photo, told them “stay” and then got into position to shoot.  Once I’d gotten the sitting portrait I told them “break” so I could get a photo of them running toward me.  Then I told them “okay.”  Then I told them “guys, come on!” and they both just sat there staring at me because they couldn’t hear me.  And I was only about 20 feet away   Why my special little guys gotta get old?  I had to actually walk up to them and tell them “break” from about 5 feet away before they’d move.

These two … are ridiculous.  As usual. And I swear Winter’s head isn’t as big as it looks.  I mean how could it be, he’s got almost nothing in there with respect to brains!

But it never fails; his melon always looks genetically modified in photos.

Here’s an obligatory photo of Peetie because she lives here so I have to photograph her.

Just kidding, she’s actually a lot less irritating than she used to be and is somewhat lovable now.  Mostly.  She still has some irritating habits, like biting her siblings at dinner preparation time, and I still hate practicing agility with her because she still spends all her time staring at my hands and crashing through obstacles rather than looking where she’s going, but otherwise she’s chilled out considerably.

These photos are all posed because we are still not fenced.  There’s still a pile of crap (dirt, logs etc) smack in the middle of where the yard will go that needs to be moved with tractor before I can put the fencing up.  I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to letting the dogs run around all together rather than two at a time.  On Regionals weekend, since I wasn’t entered, I knew the agility building would be dead empty all weekend, so I left the door open and let the dogs come and go in their xpenned area … and espied my cat Cyrus strolling around up by the front of the parking lot!!  He always comes home, but that’s not a habit I can let him get into because not everydog who uses the agility building is cat friendly.  So no more leaving the door open!

I will say though that having to set up my shots makes me take them more carefully; I can be quite lazy when photographing my own dogs, but I’ve been “working” our backdrop and I’m pretty pleased with the results.  Especially when the subject is my extra handsome special guy

On a whim, I even busted out one of my strobes the other evening and took this awesome sunset image.  It was totally a last minute decision, so I just used a bare strobe with a reflector rather and didn’t dig out the softbox or anything.  The sun sets in the *opposite* direction of the beautiful pastoral vista I look at (of course) but sometimes it throws back a gorgeous pink reflection on the clouds in the “good” direction … not that night (also of course).  So I made do with shooting in the actual direction of the sunset, and despite the gravel parking lot, I am super happy with how it turned out!  Look at that sky!!

I’m saving up for portable strobes, because mine are for studio and have to be plugged in, but portable ones could go ANYWHERE and then I shoot ANYWHERE and I am so damned excited about the possibilities!!

I just love photographing dogs so much, I wish it’s all I ever had to do to make a living.  I have had some pretty awesome sessions this month and all it does is make me wish I had more (I do have more, but I mean MORE MORE.  All the time more).

I mean … come on.  Puppies.  First day home puppies.  Floopsy faced squishy boxer puppies … in lavender.  Come ON.

And how about a Frenchie in a FREAKIN’ BOWTIE??  How many people’s jobs involve formally-attired flat faced doggos??

And I made this flower crown for this frenchie, because she couldn’t be outdone by her handsome date.  Folks, I bought a glue gun.  THERE IS NO STOPPING ME NOW!!

I also took advantage of living next to an agility building to take some uncluttered agility shots with the beautiful green and blue backdrop available right outside the door.  I’m hoping to offer individual sessions for people looking for specific shots on specific equipment without all the trial crap in the background, because I’m so pleased with how it worked out.

I also got a remote trigger so I could try some nifty angles.

So I’ve been keeping busy, indulging my creative side.  I am already planning my Christmas sessions because I have some really good ideas for what I want to offer this year, and I want to be well prepared

And the sun has come out, so we’re going to head out and take advantage of the un-rain!  Happy weekend everyone

Home >> Positively Contributors >> Relieving Dog Anxiety over Howlidays

Some pups would bark “bah humbug!” if they could. They just don’t appreciate the Christmas spirit.

Everything in their lives are upside down. The family is busily trying to attend to last minute shopping and frazzled attempting to keep up with the kids’ Christmas parties. Meanwhile at work, end of year deadlines loom and you feel the pressure.

You are frantically trying to get the house in order for the big Christmas party as periodically and unexpectedly well-meaning friends and neighbors drop in.

If life is usually crazy, it’s totally out of control at the moment.

Watch for temptations!

Of course, some dogs go with the flow. But some don’t. The change of routine throws them, and they actually pick up on your stress, but have no idea why you’re so frazzled.

Other dogs just don’t appreciate all the company. If they bark at the visitors, it’s not because they’re acting out, it’s because they’re anxious if not downright fearful.

The best answer for them is to get long-term help to deal with their anxiety about visitors.

Meanwhile, the kindest and gentlest response when the doorbell rings (or even better before the doorbell rings) is to relocate the anxious dog into a sanctuary room, such as a second bedroom, den or basement.

Stuff low fat, low salt peanut butter inside a chew toy, or one of the many food puzzles available on the market. The idea is to give your dog something fun to focus on instead of worry about the visitors.

All those relatives can get loud so play some relaxing background music. One study suggest Reggae is the best choice. But most experts (and research) indicates classical music or maybe a talk radio station are your best bets. If you want to get fancy and high tech, check out iCalm and their produced tunes for pets, including the choices offered by Victoria Stilwell’s online store.

Plug in a pheromone diffuser which may help some dogs to moderate anxiety, just as pheromones do the same for puppies in the milk of lactating mothers.

If you’re unable to distract your pet with games and treats, and background music won’t do the trick there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the idea of going a step further; in fact, it may be the most humane solution. Ask your veterinarian about nutraceuticals, which can be purchased online or through your veterinarian.

As for dogs who don’t mind the throng of friends and relatives but are upset by you being gone more often – the answer might be in a squeaky toy or tennis ball. While you may not have time for that long walk, you can toss a ball or a toy during the commercials as you watch your favorite television show. Or better yet, skip the show and toss the ball in the backyard.

Think of indoor activities to keep the pup occupied while you’re wrapping gifts. Dogs love games of hide ‘n seek. If you or the kids are too busy to play along, hide treats or a toy with treats stuffed inside.

Remember our pets can pick up on our stress. Another advantage of playing with the dog is that it’s a stress buster for you as well!

Happy HOWLidays!

You adopt a new puppy and enroll him in a basic obedience class that uses reward-based training. He seems to struggle at first, but you don’t give up. You take him to more classes while practicing every day. Eventually, around the age of two, your pup becomes the well-behaved adult you’ve been aiming for. But it doesn’t end there. In fact, it’s really just beginning. Your dog will continue learning throughout his life, so it’s important to keep up with his training to maintain the good behavior you both worked so hard for.

Basic obedience skills

For the first year or two, we lean on basic obedience skills as a way to keep our dogs calm and happy, while helping them stay out of trouble (for the most part!). This small cluster of six to eight behaviors — the “basic obedience set” — helps us develop a system in which we give the commands and our dogs perform them. They also help teach our dogs the difference between wanted and unwanted behaviors. We encourage and reward some behaviors (sit, down, stay) while finding others (pooping in the living room) unacceptable. Using nothing more than our “basic obedience set”, we mold a dog’s behavior, replacing unwanted behaviors with those we prefer, all without any punishment.

Applying these skills in the real world

This training serves another hidden purpose. Each time you thoughtfully interact with your dog, in any setting, you give him real-time feedback regarding his behavior.

If you are on a walk and he suddenly raises his hackles and barks when a new dog comes into view, you may ask him to sit; this tells him there is no danger, and staying calm is the appropriate response. If, however, you are distracted and not paying attention to your dog, you allow his incorrect interpretation of the event to stand. What he learns from this short interaction depends entirely on your response. If you ignore him, he learns this is a dangerous situation to which he needs to respond with arousal and barking. But if you calmly acknowledge the strange dog, and then ask your own to sit quietly, your interpretation of the event – that there is no threat – wins out and changes your dog’s interpretation. Over time, he will begin interpreting all other dogs passing by as non-threatening and will happily walk on with confidence.

A turning point

Having faced the first situation in which your dog wrongly interprets the events around you, and then responds with unwanted behavior, you have reached a turning point that depends on your own actions. If you continue walking him in a distracted state, paying no attention and giving him no guidance, he will continue misinterpreting events and misbehaving while you unknowingly reinforce that behavior. This usually continues until your dog’s responses become enough of a problem that you are forced to pay attention again. Suddenly, you realize that your cute well-behaved puppy has become a full-grown dog exhibiting unwanted behaviors.

What happens next?

What happens from this point forward depends entirely on you. If you attempt to control your dog’s unwanted behaviors by introducing new commands like “stop it”, “no” or “bad dog”, you are off to a bad start. These commands are useless. Dog don’t speak English; they simply recognize a selection of specific words. If you have not taught your dog what the new words mean, they are simply gibberish to him.

Second, the words your dog learns must mean the same thing every time you use them. “Sit” always means “put your butt on the ground and hold it there”. Commands like “stop it”, “no” or “bad dog” mean different things depending on the context in which they are used. “No” can mean “don’t bite me”, “don’t take food off the table”, and “stop barking” — all in a single day.  What’s a dog to do?

Go back to the basics

There’s a simple way out — go back to basic obedience skills. Once again, begin asking your dog to “sit”, “down” and “stay”. Do this in quiet places where it is easy for him to pay attention, and then reward him when he complies. Once these behaviors become well-established again, begin to use them in your front yard and at street crossings when things are calm and quiet. You can then begin slowly introducing these skills into more difficult situations, such as when your dog notices another dog he doesn’t like. If you immediately ask for a sit, and your dog is too agitated to comply, you are moving too fast. Go back to the quiet places and practice some more. As you walk your dog, practice the same few commands often.

Keep him sharp by teaching him tricks

Commit to teaching your dog ten new behaviors or tricks each year. For ideas, check out social media or books on dog tricks. Just be sure to keep your training sessions light and fun. Once a dog figures out training sessions are enjoyable, he’ll begin anticipating them. When dogs figure out that learning is fun as well as challenging, they get better at it.

Daily practice is key

You won’t have to backtrack with your training if you use basic obedience skills every single day, and begin introducing your dog to more skills over time. There are an unlimited number of behaviors that are easy to teach, and fun to practice. This simple pattern of continually teaching your dog new behaviors — and then practicing them while you are both out and about — keeps you engaged in what your dog is doing. It also keeps him engaged in you and how you are responding to the world. In this way, you remain the interpreter of all events and your dog learns to take that interpretation and use it to guide his behavior.

In short, perhaps the single most important thing you can do to maintain your dog’s training and good behavior is to pay attention to him. When you are interacting with your dog, he is interacting with you. This doesn’t mean you’re staring at one another all the time. It simply means you are always aware of your dog, and that you occasionally let him know it by practicing a behavior or skill. These simple daily interactions will continually shape your relationship with your dog over his lifetime, and keep him at his best behavior.

Puppy Pedicure has reinvented how dog nails can be kept short and smooth!

A dog’s nails grow continuously.  In the wild, or with working dogs, the nails naturally wear down by traveling and working on different terrain.  However, with dogs who enjoy the good life with a loving family, the softer environment of rugs, floors or backyards do not provide an opportunity for dogs to naturally keep nails worn enough to prevent overgrowth. As a result, dogs kept in the home environment are at risk for lengthy and sharp nails. 

If left uncared for a dog’s nails can grow too long.  Nails that are too long can tear, break and even get caught on materials that can cause injury to the nail and paw risking injury and a visit to the vet. Additionally, long sharp nails can cause injury to owners when eager dogs jump up to greet, or play.  

Until now only a few traditional trimming methods were available, nail clippers or dremels (grinders). Neither of these is without stress or possible injury to your dog. 

The nail clipper method, while in the hands of a cooperative dog and an experienced groomer has proven to be an adequate method for trimming nails is not without risks.

There risks associated with these devices such as when a clipper nicks the quick, causing bleeding. The clipper can cause pressure to the nail so the dog pulls the paw away. Once the dog experiences pain, fear of the nail clipper creates new challenges with future nail trimming.

Dremels (Grinders) are another option for maintaining the dog’s nails. This device is a way to gradually reduce the nail, file it to a smooth surface and maintain appropriate length.  The challenge is to train the dog to accept the tool, its vibration and pressure.  Many dogs are afraid of the dremel, and seldom like their paws held long enough for the completion of the trim for all four paws.  

Regardless of the method to trim nails it is essential to avoid trimming too short and cutting the quick. Trimming a totally black nail has an increased risk because it is difficult to know how close the quick is to the end of the toenail.  Once a nail is cut to the quick, the dog remembers the experience and subsequent nail trimming can be a stressful experience for both the dog and the owner.

A new device is being introduced to the pet grooming market: Puppy Pedicure.  This is a device that teaches the dog to use an abrasive surface to file both the front nails and hind nails at the same time.

The device, when used minutes once or twice per day files the dog’s nails on two abrasive surfaces: one for the front feet, and the other for the hind feet.

Here’s how it works: the dog is trained to stand on the abrasive surfaced ramp and use the front paws to spin the abrasive surfaced wheel.  When the dog spins the wheel, he balances with his hind feet and the nails on the hind feet are filed at the same time.  The ramp and wheel are designed at angles that when the dog makes contact, the nails are filed to smooth and shorten the nails to a natural length. By using the Puppy Pedicure the dog’s nails remain trimmed and neat. 

Training the dog to use Puppy Pedicure is as simple as teaching the dog to look for a treat.

First, the dog is taught to stand on the abrasive ramp. This is accomplished by calling the dog to the ramp and offering a favorite reward for standing on the ramp with all four feet.  The next step is to throw the treat away from the ramp, and then call the dog back to the ramp with a reward for standing on the ramp.  Give this standing behavior a word that is not used for other behaviors.  In this case, use a word such as “trim” or “pedicure” or “nails” so the dog responds to a specific command.

Next, once the dog is secure with standing on the ramp, teach the dog to spin the wheel.  Be patient, this may take a few tries.  First place a treat on the top of the wheel so he will eat the treat from the wheel.  Do this several times so the dog gets the idea that when he stands on the ramp, there are treats on the wheel.  Next, spin the wheel so the dog gets the idea that the wheel turns.  Next, hide the treat behind the wheel so the dog has to “search” for the treat.  Some dogs will automatically search for the treat by using a paw to “reach” to find it, others may need the owner to place a paw on the wheel and reward the paw on the wheel with a treat.  Once the dog places the paw on the wheel, give the reward.  Do this several times, and then move the reward lower behind the wheel to encourage the dog to “reach” for the treat.  Once the dog gets the idea that spinning the wheel is the game, delay the treat for a second or two to encourage the dog to spin the wheel with the left, then right paw. 

Once the dog has the idea of spinning the wheel, delay the reward and create increased action with the hind feet as the dog becomes more engaged in the “game”.  At this time, the dog is using the Puppy Pedicure to trim all four feet: Two on the wheel and two on the ramp.  For increased filing on the hind feet, toss treats away from the Puppy Pedicure and ask the dog to return to the ramp.  Each time the dog returns to the ramp, the abrasive surface interacts with the dog’s nails and assures the trimming action. 

[email protected]   Puppypedicure.com  / 682-557-5862

Yorkshire-based insurance company The Insurance Emporium went to meet their sponsored puppies Kai and Otis for the first time during a visit to Hearing Dogs’ The Grange Training Centre in Buckinghamshire.

During the visit, The Insurance Emporium made a donation of £5,000, which will go towards training the puppies. This comes on top of their previous donation of £4,000 earlier this year.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People have trained thousands of dogs like Kai and Otis since the charity began in 1982. Once fully trained, Kai and Otis will move in with their deaf recipient as an assistance dog and alert them to a range of sounds. The dogs also serve as a companion, reducing loneliness often experienced by deaf people.

Kai, a black Labrador puppy, lives locally and goes for regular training sessions at The Grange. Otis, a Cocker Spaniel puppy, also goes for regular training there.

Hearing Dogs’ fundraising relationships manager, Jo Wengler, said: “The support we have received from The Insurance Emporium will go a long way in helping us to train more dogs that change the lives of deaf people. Kai and Otis and many other pups are currently being trained so that they will one day be able to alert deaf people to important and life-saving sounds and offer constant emotional support.

“We are incredibly thankful that The Insurance Emporium has been kind enough to support us and were thrilled we could give them the chance to meet Kai and Otis. We receive no government funding and rely on donations, so the support of The Insurance Emporium will directly help us to train more life-changing hearing dogs.”

The Insurance Emporium’s chief executive officer, Francis Martin, added: “We’re thrilled to be continuing our support of Hearing Dogs’ work by sponsoring Kai and Otis. Dogs like Kai and Otis can transform a deaf person’s life and we are proud to be a part of this. We look forward to following the puppies’ progress and amazing work as they mature into fully grown assistance dogs for deaf people.”