dig by dog

Boxers: A well-bred boxer is a wonderful family dog. They have a coat easy to care for, are not too large, and tend to be well behaved with children. The boxer is an easy breed to train. Although generally friendly, it commands respect because of its size and square face. This is a very jumpy breed of dog, so if you choose the boxer be prepared. The naturally active boxer needs quite a bit of exercise in order to maintain a relaxed demeanor.

Bullmastiff: Bullmastiffs are just plain nice, easily cared for, slow-going, beautiful dogs. Most examples are tight lipped, so the saliva is not all over the place, as is true with other mastiff dogs. Trainers have never had reservations in recommending the bullmastiff to any family that had the space to house them properly.

Doberman Pinscher: The Doberman is a dog that has suffered from an unearned reputation of aggression. The fact is that they are almost everything but. Dobermans train as if there were some genetic predisposition toward the training itself. They are extremely sensitive and at the same time more defensive than the German shepherd dog. They have a very warm and responsive character. They always seem to have their heads somewhere on your body, or at least one part of their anatomy is touching you.

Giant Schnauzer: The giant schnauzer is a large, very classy, and elegant breed of dog that carries itself proudly in conformation and character. The giant schnauzer needs grooming to maintain the coat type, They are a bit stubborn yet are very bright and train well with consistent handling.

The male can appear a little sharp at times, showing his readiness to react to any adverse situation. Trainers who have trained this breed in obedience has found them to be quite responsive to consistent training. This breed may possess enough initiative to run a household. Although they are nice, they are best housed by experienced enthusiasts of giant schnauzers.

Great Dane: There are many problems that life has to offer the poor Great Dane, both physical and behavioral. The sheer size of this breed brings with it orthopedic and systemic medical trouble. When there is an aggression problem in the Great Dane it is further complicated by the dog's size. Obviously, if you are bitten by a dog of this size you are likely to have severe injuries.

Many trainers have very successfully trained many Great Danes and they are a pleasure to work with. Not a breed for the first-time owner; this is a prince of breeds when the genetics are correct and the dog is in the hands of a capable owner.

On Monday morning, I left my house for work, walked down the porch, got in the truck, started it up and backed it up all before noticing there was a deer, a doe, in the front yard.
She wasn’t far from the porch, and she also wasn’t the least bit bothered by me. She kept on grazing, looking once toward the truck.
When Brent got home, she was still hanging out in the front yard. I got home later and yes, she was still there.
Brent left to return bottles and got home just before the storm started.
He said she was close to the edge of driveway; so close he could’ve reached his arm out and pet her. And she didn’t move an inch on account of the truck.
The downpour started shortly thereafter and we turned the lights and television off, opened all the windows and set back to enjoy the sights and sounds of the storm.
Yes, I said open all the windows during the downpour; not close them.
Rather than put gutters on the house, the previous owners built it with six-foot overhangs all around. So it can rain and rain all it wants, it doesn’t even come close to touching the windows. I love hearing the sound of the rain.
We’d forgotten all about the doe that had been hanging out in the front yard, our time now mesmerized by the thunder, lightening and dark sky.
Our roommate got home at about 11 p.m. He called from his car.
“Uh, there’s a doe laying down in front of the porch,” he said. “Go look out the window.”
We did, and sure enough, there she was — maybe four or five feet away from the porch.
He came inside, walking past her. She didn’t even get up.
“She’s got to be sick,” our roommate said. “No way would a deer just lay there like that.”
At midnight I went to bed, and on my way back, I stopped and peered out the front window. She was up, grazing on the lawn peacefully.
Tuesday morning she had gone, but we figured she wasn’t far. She likes a tall grassy area over by our barn. We spot here over there all the time.
When I got home yesterday, Brent was working on the side of the house, stacking up our woodpile. We chatted for a few minutes and I headed inside to clean up and get dinner started.
Brent headed around to the backyard to grab a wheelbarrow, and that’s when he called me.
“Come out on the deck,” he said. “And try to be quiet.”
I stepped out on the deck, looking at him and held up my arms to signal, “What?”
“Look down,” he told me, pointing toward a corner where the narrower part of our house meets up with the wider part. It was just beside the deck.
I looked down and slowly, my eyes focused in on a tiny, white-spotted body. It was a beautiful baby fawn (see the picture).
My Dad is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to deer, and he’s told me that does usually drop their baby fawns off to rest while move around and get food. They hide their babies best they can, and their babies won’t move until momma returns.
The big-eyed fawn peered at Brent and I while we studied her, taking pictures and whispering of how lucky we were to have this tiny baby leaning up against the side of our house.
As soon as we both went inside for the night, momma snuck in and retrieved her baby. But I hope she likes leaving her there. We like it.
And definitely, it was a good place for that fawn to be during the storm on Monday. Thanks to our six-foot overhangs, I’m sure that not a drop of rain wet her spotted fur.
What a smart momma she has.

It is our job as dog owners to make sure that our pets are happy and healthy. However, it is not always an easy job given that our dogs are curious and intelligent creatures with a tendency to get themselves into all kinds of trouble. And when they do get in sick or hurt, it is up to us to examine them and find out exactly what the problem is.

While there is no substitute for veterinary care, especially when your dog is seriously hurt or injured, there are many things you can do to save your dog's life and make him feel comfortable. The care and attention that you give to your dog during the first few minutes of an emergency can make all the difference between life and death.

Having the basic knowledge of giving first aid treatment is crucial in that time between the beginning of the emergency and upon arriving at your vet's office. However, do not use first aid treatments as a way of delaying much needed professional help. A more prolonged treatment can only be applied if you cannot reach medical care immediately.

In order to properly administer first aid treatments, it is important to plan ahead and have the necessary supplies on hand placed in a convenient location. Do not wait for the emergency to happen before you start putting together tools and remedies or to start reading �how to do it� manuals. By being prepared, you can help keep small problems from turning into big ones.


First aid supplies

The following are list of supplies that you need to have available in case of an emergency. You can either buy first aid kits at online catalogs or pet stores, or you can stock up on your own.

Here is what a first aid kit should include: Ammonia water, Hydrogen peroxide, Antibiotic treatment, Hydro cortisone ointment, Eyewash, and Antihistamine liquid.

The following are basic materials that you may need: adhesive tape, absorbent cotton, gauze rolls or pads, scissors (preferably with rounded tips), tweezers, a rectal thermometer; syringes (without the needle) for giving oral medications; two blankets (thick and strong), elastic bandages, an enema bag, soap, and a plastic bowl for preparing dilutions.

It is also important to have your vet's phone number available as well as the phone number of an emergency weekend visit or nighttime vet. You will also need a veterinary first aid manual to know exactly what to do in time of crisis.

There are many ways you can reward your dog other than giving him his favorite treat. Generally, the more reliably your dog has learned a behavior, the more you can give him rewards in place of foods. For dogs who love certain things more than a treat, rewards can become a more important primary motivator than food. Many dogs will turn up their noses at treats if you offer him a game of catch.

Below are 10 examples of great rewards that you can give to your wonderful pet:

1. Chasing a ball or a Frisbee

2. Playing with other dogs

3. Chewing a chew toy

4. Digging a hole

5. Going outside or coming inside

6. Playing tug-of-war or chase

7 Taking a walk or going for a car ride

8. Swimming

9. Chasing birds in a safe environment

10.Anything else your dog loves to do

Happy anniversary Julie!

Can you believe weve been exchanging blog posts about canine science for one year already? In some ways its gone so quickly and in others its hard to remember when we werent. I was going to do a highlights kind of post, but decided its all been so freaking fantastic, that I wouldnt know where to start or stop.
In all ways, its FABULOUS, and I thank you from the bottom of my everything for answering my first blog post with a big, fat YES!
I attended the 7th National Workshop for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy this week. It was a busy few days with lots of learning and networking going on, everywhere you looked.

Stand out things you should know about:

AMRRIC do AMAZING work in rural and remote indigenous communities. You can follow them on Facebook, on YouTube and/or sign up for their newsletter. Check out details of their upcoming conference.


After calls for an independent office for animal welfare in Australia, minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced at AAWS2013 he is creating the role of Inspector General for Animal Welfare & Live Exports. This has been met with mixed reactions from the two main groups (primary production and animal advocacy bodies) involved. As we will be having a federal election very soon in Australia, it will be interesting to see what happens on this front in the coming months. The sceptics suggest, "not much".



Im now taking a weeks break with my family in sunny Queensland - much warmer than my home town right now. I hope you are enjoying your Summer. 
What have you been learning at all those conferences?

Thank you once again, for a year of believing in dog with me!

Big hugs,

Mia
© 2013 Mia Cobb

Jenny and I went for a walk today and stopped by The Loyal Biscuit Company to look for something to keep her warm during potty breaks. It is getting pretty cold here in Maine. She is lacking of her own coat in a big way so she needs a little help in that department. Since I had my camera with me it became a bit of a fashion show.