Thursday morning roundup: It’s a busy week!
By David S. Greene
December 10, 2009
The news piles up faster than the snow around here! Well, almost. Depends where you live.
Massive Oregon dog rescue underway: This story just broke yesterday afternoon. As many as 100 dogs and puppies were saved from a particularly awful hell in eastern Oregon. The details of what the dogs and puppies endured are grim, but it looks like they’re in for a merry Christmas, starting immediately. Dogster has the details, and the Oregon Humane Society could likely use some help.
Animals left at risk by foreclosure: A tough story from here in New England, my neck of the woods, where we are shoveling the white stuff this week. In Rhode Island, a farm was foreclosed on by Wells Fargo Bank, which immediately started ignoring the safety and welfare of the 136 animals on the farm. The owner, Dan McKenzie, is rightfully upset that the horses, pigs, llamas, cats, dogs, sheep and goats (among others) aren’t being given food and water, and are simply being left to their own devices. Dan wants back onto his farm to take care of them. However, Wells Fargo won’t let him care for his own animals, even though they’ve shown no inclination to do so themselves. As The Consumerist tells us (with a link to the Providence Journal Bulletin), it’s ugly. The RISPCA, and even URI’s Vet Care program have gotten involved. I’ll update this story as it develops, hoping for a happier ending.
Update, 10:30 a.m. ET: A Rhode Island judge ordered the RISPCA into the farm to care for the animals. They’ve got a 24-hour window while the situation gets sorted out with Wells Fargo. My hunch is this will have a happy ending.
Lose the risk, not the pet: The FDA is seeing a Salmonella outbreak linked to frogs and other amphibians, now showing up in 25 states. Kids are being affected the most. FDA issued a reminder on Tuesday with the following points to bear in mind:
- If your family is expecting a child, remove any reptile or amphibian from the home before the infant arrives.
- Keep reptiles and amphibians out of homes with children under 5 years old, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems.
- Do not allow reptiles or amphibians to roam freely through the house, especially in food preparation areas.
- Do not clean aquariums or other supplies in the kitchen sink. Use bleach to disinfect a tub or other place where reptile or amphibian habitats are cleaned.
- Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching any reptile or amphibian, their housing, or anything (for example, food) that comes in contact with a reptile or amphibian or its housing.
- Be aware that Salmonella infection can be caused by contact with reptiles and amphibians in petting zoos, parks, child day care facilities, or other locations.
- Watch for symptoms of Salmonella infection, such as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Call your doctor if you or your family has any of these symptoms.
Common sense precautions will almost always keep you and your family safe. Hand-washing is basic to all preventive measures, so be sure your entire family knows it, and acts accordingly.
Speaking of the FDA, as Gina pointed out in a previous post, they’re getting all widgety these days. Good for them, sort of.
Common sense vs. the Kennel Club, continued: Terrierman has a delicious update on the Kennel Club in the UK in the what-were-they-thinking aftermath since the airing of “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” on BBC. Virtually all of the Kennel Club’s complaints have been dismissed. The debate rages on, and if you haven’t seen the program that lit the fire, you can: It’s on BBC America tonight at 8 p.m.
How much should rescues spend on really sick strays? Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly explores this tough issue on her Dolittler blog, but please read the comments, too. They might as good (or even better?) than the original post!
A double shout-out to Dog Star Daily: I’d like you to check out not one but two thought-provoking posts from Dog Star Daily. Same site, different authors and completely different topics. First, Dr. Ian Dunbar asks a question that had never occurred to me before: Can too much socialization ruin a puppy? The answer isn’t what you might think. Then, Eric Goebelbecker examines the numbers crunched in a study on Confrontational Dog Training Methods.
A tough man with a soft spot for furry non-offenders: I wouldn’t leave you without some good news. Generally, stories about Maricopa County Sheriff/Media Darling Joe Arpeio (”America’s Toughest Sheriff”) make me roll my eyes. Let’s just say he likes attention. However, Omidog! has a heartwarming story about how the tough Sheriff runs a kind, and very cool no-kill shelter. Literally cool – it’s air conditioned, which is handy when you live in Arizona. The Sheriff’s shelter is called MASH: Maricopa Animal Safe Haven. Prisoners help run the shelter, and there’s a fascinating dichotomy between the conditions where prisoners are housed (no A/C) and those of the rescued animals (nice and cool). And you know something? The prisoners are ok with that. When asked their reaction, one female prisoner gestured toward the animals and said “They didn’t do anything wrong. I did.” Perspective. I like that.
And finally, to add to your holiday shopping list, consider a book noted by Heckled by Parrots about an African Grey.
Came here to post the Bonniedale Farm story link…so sad…my neck of the woods too…foreclosure’s domino effect…little known to some ever here in RI was this farm was also a “pet food bank”…I hope Dr Finocchio watching over this will be the reason there is a good outcome for the unwanted and saved animals…and I also hope Wells Fargo knows they made a huge mistake…
Comment by Carol V — December 10, 2009 @ 5:48 am
and to make matters worse for these innocent victims of Wells Fargo…we just had our first major winter storm yesterday…and are expecting arctic temps now…I hope this info makes it way across the states…it can only help to spread the news and thanks David and welcome too…
Comment by Carol V — December 10, 2009 @ 5:55 am
Thank you for the shout out, and the great news round up!
Comment by Eric Goebelbecker — December 10, 2009 @ 6:14 am
and (I’m still ranting) the worst part of the RI foreclosure is that it is reported by WPRI 12 that the bank had sold his mortgage to another bank/mortgage co but he was not told and he continued to pay the old back…This didn’t happen because he stopped paying! Absolutely crazy and unjust…(I’m done for now)…
Comment by Carol V — December 10, 2009 @ 6:19 am
The blog at Dogster is really recommended reading now that they’ve picked up Maria Goodavage as their alpha blogger. I’ve known Maria for 20 years, and she’s fantastic. A former reporter for USA Today, and the author of best guides to traveling with dogs out there.
I’ve also added the Dog Star Daily to the blog roll. Dr. Dunbar has attracted an A-list team of trainers and behaviorists to write for him, and this site will continue to be one to watch.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 6:53 am
Oregon Humane has really been getting plastered with hoarder/puppymill cases in the past year or so. I know they had an enormous puppymill bust around the time our Montana rescue was getting started.
When I played the video, my ONB foster pooch, Cole, became very agitated and vocal at the sound of the barking. My own dogs continued snoozing. Cole doesn’t usually respond to barking on television, etc. I have to wonder if the mass barking of dogs who were in conditions much like those he was born into didn’t set something off.
At least these dogs appear social, and very well-fed. Couple of the short-coated dogs looked obese, actually.
A manky cow carcass pitched into the mud may not strike us as an appropriate way to feed dogs, but the dogs will disagree.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009 @ 8:43 am
Manky. I learn a new word!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 8:45 am
For those that want a more balanced critique of “Pedigree Dogs Exposed”, I direct you to Ruffly Speaking, specifically this post:
http://rufflyspeaking.wordpres.....10/15/568/
I hate to think that bloggers on this site have joined the “OMG, show breeders are teh evil” club without actually, you know, thinking about the issues, not just watching one horribly biased TV programme.
Yes there are issues - with ALL dog breeders, working, show and other. So let’s actually talk about the issues, instead of posting divisive crap, kthanx.
Comment by K.B. — December 10, 2009 @ 8:51 am
My heart broke over those poor Oregon dogs chained up to farm equipment in sub freezing weather - nails grown under into their feet - tragic but I’m so pleased they are being saved and hope they find good homes and are not euthanized.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 10, 2009 @ 9:42 am
I hate to think that bloggers on this site have joined the “OMG, show breeders are teh evil” club without actually, you know, thinking about the issues, not just watching one horribly biased TV programme.
Yes there are issues - with ALL dog breeders, working, show and other. So let’s actually talk about the issues, instead of posting divisive crap, kthanx.
Comment by K.B. — December 10, 2009
Considering the number of champion show dogs both Christie and I have owned, and the number of AKC titles accumulated by our entire blogging team, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree accusing us of knee-jerk reaction in opposition to pure-bred dogs.
But …
There are more than “issues” — there are dogs dying young and living in misery because of breeding for fashion and closed registries that concentrate defects.
That said, you may want to review Christie’s original post on this documentary that does touch on the same points as you do.
The response you point to makes the same error the documentarty does: It uses isolated examples to damn the entire enterprise. Not valid, in either case.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 10:14 am
Since this looks like a round-up posting…I will add this link..looks like some are still trying to get all that melamine used up…at least (this batch) did not make it to market..
http://network.nationalpost.co.....scare.aspx
Comment by Carol V — December 10, 2009 @ 10:37 am
Actually, I found the blog post that Ian Dunbar was referencing far more interesting and thought-provoking than his response:
http://www.boulderdog.net/2009.....dog-crazy/
I’m with Turid on this one. Not necessarily with the blogger herself, who is rending garments and gnashing teeth to excess.
When my experience was 90% with impeccably-bred-for-resilience, optimally-raised working dogs, I, too, was all go go go with socialization, classes, more is better most is best. And that was fine for them. They were wired for it. I do wonder, though, if they might not have been even more balanced if they’d had some time off from their goal-oriented puppyhoods.
We need to listen to our dogs. We need to give them time to just be. Let puppies be puppies. Let rehab dogs discover the new world at a pace they can handle.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009 @ 11:44 am
I do wonder, though, if they might not have been even more balanced if they’d had some time off from their goal-oriented puppyhoods.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009
We do have a sub-set of “pet parents” who take their cues from people whose children are skedded for soccer, ballet, tutoring, science camp, etc., etc., etc. but who never have time to just “play.”
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 11:47 am
I’m a breeder, and even I don’t disagree with all the points that Pedigree Dogs Exposed raised. Breeding dogs with known health issues *is* horrid. Pushing standards that increasingly call for conformation that negatively impacts the health of the dog *does* need to stop.
A call to reform does not have to be a call to end the entire system. Ignoring the call to reform, on the other hand, can bring down the entire house of cards. If we don’t self police, someone is going to want to step in and do it for us.
I still labor under the illusion that I can breed healthy dogs who are also fun to show, but I don’t know how long that can remain true for.
Comment by FrogDogz — December 10, 2009 @ 11:47 am
Also, this?
>>> A manky cow carcass pitched into the mud may not strike us as an appropriate way to feed dogs, but the dogs will disagree.
As will all the ‘whole prey model’ raw feeding aficionados out there. Dig around, and you’ll find a few websites with photos of dogs devouring whole carcasses.
Comment by FrogDogz — December 10, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
Thanks for the Thursday round-up and the information on how to help - Burns, Oregon particularly disturbing and nearer to me map-wise. Great work!
Comment by mary frances — December 10, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
Re Oregon: - the weak dogs have probably already died, those that didn’t I would guess have frost bite on their ears and other places. Pups born? Only the strong survive and my guess is some female dogs are ready to give birth and appear fat.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 10, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
Snoopys Friend, malnourished and starving bitches who are ready to whelp do not “appear fat.”
Don’t ask me how I know this unless you want a rather graphic account.
There were many problems with the animal husbandry at this hoarder’s, but Oregon Humane has stated, and the video documents, that they were getting enough calories.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009 @ 2:10 pm
Getting enough calories and appearing “fat” are two separate things - even dogs with Giardi can appear fat - pot bellies. I never said the dogs were starving but I do question the hell of winter in the elements for those dogs. There were many young dogs about - they had to come from somewhere. Usually situations like these, none of the animals are fixed and breeding occurs often.
http://www.akc.org/public_educ.....r_care.cfm
And I agree with David - they were rescued from their hell regardless of eating dead cow remains.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 10, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
Waving an AKC link in front of Ms. Houlahan is like dangling a rodent in front of a terrier.
Please put it away before someone gets hurt.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 2:20 pm
One way to ruin a good dog is to let it chase rodents.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 10, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
I’m just happy to be finally edjimicated about hoarders, uncontrolled breeding when dogs run at large, and the animal welfare concerns inherent when dogs are tossed outside without shelter in winter. Thanks AKC! Who knew that such things happened?
Now I also know that I’ve ruined this dog
http://picasaweb.google.com/HH.....7245218306
And that sick dogs and malnourished pregnant ones appear fat
http://picasaweb.google.com/HH.....2525958226
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
Snoopys Friend, please, enlighten me: How does letting a good dog chase rodents “ruin it” ?
Seriously. I want to know.
Comment by Lis — December 10, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
Lis, if you live near a place with lots of squirrels, raccoons, skunks etc (like I do) and you want to train your dog to walk nicely on a leash around the park etc - you will be in a tug of war every time a squirrel runs by. Trying to undo the desire to chase these critters is almost or nearly impossible (yes I expect to get some static about this) and if you train S&R dogs or tracking dogs, the last thing you want to do is have your dog get distracted from the main scent every time a critter pops us. Of course that is in the real world of working dogs, and not in controlled trials on pristine grounds.
Plus some of these critters are downright nasty - I wouldn’t want my dogs eating one. I know my sister wanted me to train her dog to track and I talked with her about how the dog critters. Everyone would sit on the porch and laugh as the dog went nuts over the squirrels but try to teach the dog to leave them alone is another thing especially to focus on the nuances of scent discrimination. My sister had to give up on her desire to work with a tracking dog. A dog that puts its nose to the ground chasing everything does not necessarily make a good tracking dog. Focus is the key.
So for me, it limits the dogs ability to ignore distractions. Heaven forbid if you let the dog off leash and a critter runs by - you’ll have a hard time chasing after your pet.
My main Coonhound was trained never to critter - a squirrel can come right up to his nose and that dog won’t budge an inch but give him a scent to track and he is right on task no matter what is happening in the world around him. Plus he trots real nice on a leash anywhere I take him -
Maybe someone can train a dog to walk nicely around critters and still chase critters when not on command, but proofing the dog to never chase while under command is a different thing altogether. Mostly it depends on what a person wants to do with their dog(s).
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 10, 2009 @ 4:10 pm
Wow! I never knew any of that about obedience or “S&R” dogs.
Ben doin’ it rong all this time.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
Lis, plus I forgot to mention that when a person joins CARDA they are told right away not to leave their dog in the back yard - and keep it away from crittering - even following bird shadows.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 10, 2009 @ 4:36 pm
Gee.
Addy walks nicely on leash, showing an interest in the squirrels, and chipmunks, and rabbits, and birds, but, although I admit it took me months to achieve this, she knows she’s not allowed to chase them unless we’re in Josie’s (fenced) yard. (I should also admit that she did find the skunk we saw late this past summer very exciting. But my family has a long tradition of dogs who have to be protected from their love of skunk perfume, and we hadn’t seen a skunk since the previous summer.) There really isn’t any other occasion to let her off leash, since we live in a rather congested city and there are not safe spaces for that.
It would not occur to me to leave a dog in a yard, unattended. Really it would not.
Not all dogs are SAR dogs. Although I do note with interest that Houlie has a different opinion on this, and I believe some small degree of experience in training & working SAR dogs. Be that as it may, some dogs are intended to hunt rodents of various kinds, sometimes for vermin control and sometimes because the larger ones are considered a desirable part of some cuisines.
The sweeping statement that chasing rodents ruins a good dog does seem a bit much, particularly in light of the people for whom chasing rodents is an essential feature of “a good dog.”
Comment by Lis — December 10, 2009 @ 5:04 pm
Well, ya know … the only thing two people here will agree on is that the third person is wrong.
:)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 5:11 pm
The third person usually being one of the blogging team.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
>> One way to ruin a good dog is to let it chase rodents.
Someone better tell Patrick about this.
Comment by FrogDogz — December 10, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
>>One way to ruin a good dog is to let it chase rodents.
>Someone better tell Patrick about this.
>Comment by FrogDogz — December 10, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
Patrick’s dogs don’t chase rodents. They dig for them and other small critters, which he then kills. Or not, depending on his whim. At least that’s what he mainly writes about, when he’s not throwing tantrums about purebred dogs or peddling b.s. about “pit bulls” and their owners.
If his dogs, or some others, were chasing cats, which then got killed, you guys wouldn’t be so jolly about the subject.
Comment by EmilyS — December 10, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
Snoopysfriend, I hate to tell you this, but my most polite dog EVER on leash actually got PAID (in trade) for chasing and killing rodents at the farm stand we used to live next door to. We got a bounty of a dollar store credit per vole or rat we killed in the field. :P
He also left my pet rats alone, lived peacably with mice, ferrets, and poultry, and was generally a wonderful dog (except when it came to strange larger male dogs. They needed to be told to Respect The Cardi.)
Also? This wasn’t a terrier. This was a corgi- oen of a number of small farm breeds who did some crittering as a PART of their historical function, although they’ve ended up in a variety of different groups in registries.
Comment by Cait — December 10, 2009 @ 9:53 pm
Emily, I’m sorry that Patrick Burns doesn’t tolerate disagreement on his blog so you can’t bitch at him over there. But you’re not doing it here and for the umpteenth tiresome time. Let’s stipulate that you disagree with the man to the point of loathing him and move on.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 10:37 pm
Lis, plus I forgot to mention that when a person joins CARDA they are told right away not to leave their dog in the back yard - and keep it away from crittering - even following bird shadows.
That’s news to me that everybody is told all that when joining CARDA. I’m almost 6 years overdue for that lecture.
Comment by LauraS — December 11, 2009 @ 12:08 am
I call BS on the Arpaio story from ohmidog — phony comment by “one female prisoner” and all.
“Soft spot” for animals? It was Arpaio’s SWAT team goons that chased a frightened puppy back into a burning house and laughed as the dog’s owners listened to their pet die. Standard operating procedure in “Marikafka County,” as Radley Balko calls it: “Only one guy was charged as a result of the raid. And as noted, he was charged with outstanding traffic violations.”
Here’s more, from one of the best journalist/bloggers on the planet: [Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas] use and abuse their positions of authority and public trust to pursue personal and political desires and vendettas and, if questioned or challenged, use their offices to attack and cripple their enemies, whether they be private individuals or elected officials and judges. It is a corrupt and craven fiefdom they are running in the fourth most populous county in the United States. We’ll see how tough Sheriff Joe is when he’s behind bars — because that is so where he’s headed. God knows it’s where he belongs.
Comment by Luisa — December 11, 2009 @ 2:15 am
If his dogs, or some others, were chasing cats, which then got killed, you guys wouldn’t be so jolly about the subject.
Most of us don’t buy PETA’s “a rat is a dog is a boy” equivalence, though, EmilyS. Most of us actually do make value judgments about different species based on how their presence affects our lives, both individually and collectively. I bet even you do. Or do you refrain from swatting mosquitoes that land on you with intent to get a good meal?
Rodents, most particularly mice and rats are deemed vermin because, when present in significant numbers, they have a detrimental effect on the human food supply and and are a reservoir for some very nasty diseases. Cats were originally encouraged in human settlements precisely because they prey on rodents, and that’s still part of what they’re valued for today.
So, yeah, totally different reaction to the sight of a dog chasing and killing a rodent, and that same dog chasing and killing a cat. Absoluletly. What was your point, exactly?
Comment by Lis — December 11, 2009 @ 8:30 am
Lis is correct. Vermin we can do without. I’m actually good with dead rats. Delighted, in fact.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 11, 2009 @ 8:38 am
LauraS - that was almost the first thing I was told. Lucky me!
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 11, 2009 @ 9:43 am
Cait - I knew someone out there would be ripe with counter examples - your Corgi sounds like a gem. Good for her. Crittering has its uses - historically too - even when trying to find a lost cat - get a critter dog to flush the missing feline out from under the bushes or where ever.
Where I live having a dog that critters is a drawback for me, not an asset, but that is from my experience only.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 11, 2009 @ 9:58 am
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 11, 2009 @ 9:43 am
LauraS - that was almost the first thing I was told. Lucky me!
There must be SOME reason for this discrepancy in people’s experience with CARDA. Difference in regional groups? Difference between what new members are told v.s. more experienced members/members who already have a training background?
Surely SOMETHING accounts for this disparity. I’m sure Snoopys Friend didn’t just make it up.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — December 11, 2009 @ 10:02 am
The Other Pat - I think it depends upon who you are working with - who you pair up with and what guidance they give you. My pups were young and I was not experienced so I was told up front how to raise them to be trackers.
Dogster today has a cool video on a service dog that started chasing birds and had to be let out of a service program, now the dog surfs and is a fund raiser. The owner decided not to fight its natural instinct.
Recently I hired a trainer to work with me and my young strong Doberman when I first took him to a big park with lots of squirrels and turkeys. By instinct that dog wanted to chase all of them, ducks, geese, squirrels and the roaming bands of turkeys. Now a flock can come right up to him and he doesn’t budge. Of course this is only my experience and it coincides with what I wish out of my dogs.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 11, 2009 @ 10:16 am
Maybe Snoopys Friend (member of CARDA or not?) has a dog who presented as not in control, with predatory impulses that caused it to blow off both commands and tasks, and was told this about his or her specific dog as a corrective measure. Is the dog currently an operational CARDA dog?
My own SAR dogs — currently two operational dogs and one advanced trainee in this household — spend significant time hunting mice in the hayfield, and Ms. Pip has it in for groundhogs in a very personal way.
And there was the incident with the sick squirrel where we made a muscled, tattooed ex-con flee the scene in horror, but that’s another story.
In our previous home the dogs had 24/7 access to a fenced yard — the better to keep critters out of the vegetable garden, my dear — and they now free-range on our 26 acres, along with poultry and cats who they protect from predators.
They have zero difficulty remaining focused on SAR tasks or minding a command to “leave it.” Same is true of our trainees’ dogs. And our two previous partners of Sainted Memory. Just. Not. An. Issue. They understand perfectly well the difference between SAR dog time and regular dog time.
I did have to break my second partner of chasing deer. I did not do this by locking her up all day. Nor did she learn this by killing mice in the pantry.
I have never seen any dog “ruined” for any purpose by being permitted, even encouraged, to kill rodents. I suppose it would be a big problem if your hobby was breeding fancy mice, or if your kid was especially fond of his hamster, and you didn’t practice effective rodent containment.
In which case, buy a golden retriever.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 11, 2009 @ 10:27 am
Some of us are blessed with super dogs that never have to fret about dogs misbehaving and are destined for stardom from the very start.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 11, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Wow, Snoopys Friend, if you wanted to elicit a reaction from the regulars here, that comment ought to do it. I think you know perfectly well that the issue isn’t “super dogs”, but picking the right dog for the job and then training them knowledgeably. Hope you know how to duck.
Comment by Susan Fox — December 11, 2009 @ 11:46 am
There must be SOME reason for this discrepancy in people’s experience with CARDA. Difference in regional groups?
CARDA is a large organization with dozens of training groups all over California. Different Training Group Leaders and different sponsors (who mentor newbies) have their own individual training styles, much as one sees in other dog training disciplines. It’s not cookie cutter. I don’t doubt that Snoopys Friend was told what was relayed here but realize that isn’t representative of CARDA.
For example, in my CARDA training group we have a certified Labrador Retriever SAR dog who is also a titled Senior Hunter and halfway to his Master Hunter title. So he hunts for ducks to retrieve and finds lost people, in different contexts. If you are ever lost, you would be very fortunate to have this outstanding SAR dog looking for you.
Certainly it is not OK for a SAR dog to chase critters in a SAR context, but in many cases this can be managed effectively with an e-collar.
It’s more problematic IMO for a SAR dog to be frequently attracted to critter scent in a SAR context. Being strongly hardwired for crittering is why many dogs from hunting breeds aren’t suitable for SAR.
If a SAR dog can wear different hats, such as killing vermin at home while staying focused on finding the missing person in a SAR context, I don’t care.
I’ve never heard a recommendation for a SAR dog to have severely restricted access to his own back yard.
Comment by LauraS — December 11, 2009 @ 11:57 am
I trained one pointer to Urban Track and he does a good job with nose down on asphalt and concrete - he also is on task in the country. He has an incredible nose and drive. He is not in the classification of super dog though.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 11, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
Some of us are blessed with super dogs that never have to fret about dogs misbehaving and are destined for stardom from the very start.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 11, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Well yes, some of us are.
But what’s your point?
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 11, 2009 @ 8:18 pm
Snoopysfriend - yeah, but Indy was not one of them. I quit counting the value of Things He Ate after we hit $500 (3 laptop AC adapters and the seat belts in my car.)
Comment by Cait — December 11, 2009 @ 11:39 pm
Cait - that’s funny!
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 12, 2009 @ 11:41 am