back 'atcha!

questions we need to be asking: (I mean about our four-legged unconditional loves but of course, inevitably, how we create these problems for them)

why the exponential growth (huge jack-and-the-beanstalk jump up) in all major canine medical conditions in last half of this century?
-cancer
-diabetes
-immune disorders
-orthopedic malformations
-dermatological problems
-cardiac diseases
-gastrointestinal
-obesity (seriously, we're feeding them!)


why are dogs having shorter lifespans (when modern veterinary medicine is so advanced)?


why do puppy mills not only exist but thrive?


why are neutering and spaying becoming mandated law when severe health risks are involved?


how can we not know how many millions of shelter animals are euthanized yearly in America?

flea me alone and tick off

right, so PESTICIDES

that you have to wear gloves to apply

directly to the skin of a furry creature

that you touch with your bare hands multiple times daily

that are perfectly "safe"

How's that working? Come again?
Right, right, so marketing is this amazing tool that when coupled with the momentous machine of "modern veterinary medicine" (read propaganda machine) combines to sell you a product to harm you and your beloved fluffy ones.

Oh, but wait, it gets better (read sadder and more frustrating) the fleas and ticks are becoming resistant to the chemicals! The chemicals that to begin with don't deter the pests (only claim to kill after biting)! So, said pests can and are more likely to catch a ride into an area where you might become the desirable meal.
These chemicals, not medications like some many people like to say (unless you think the taste of almonds in your coffee is your "medication"), also cost a bloody fortune.

*tidbit: Tick borne diseases are transmitted at a minimum of 24 to 48 hrs after a tick bites. Daily tick checks are the best defense against tick borne diseases for humans and animals.
So a minute puppy massage (tick check) at the end of every day when you're relaxing petting your pup anyway...is safe, healthy (emotionally and physically for you, enjoyable and helpful for the furred ones) and free.

the answer...'cause I couldn't help myself

raw meat.

eyeballs

bones

tongues

livers

muscles

tendons

hearts

you get the idea, what wolves still eat

Clicker training

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a man that didn't want to consider clicker training because as he put it, "I don't want to have to have a clicker on me at all times to get my dog to do anything."  That made me realize that some people, maybe a lot of people, don't realize what a clicker does.  If used correctly, it acts as a marker.  It marks a specific behavior.  The same way a person's voice would just with the potential for more accuracy.  So the dog realizes the exact moment they do what the trainer wants.  This does not mean the dog will only do the behavior if a clicker is involved.  It's a training tool, just like a leash or treats, it helps in the training process.

To learn more about training with a clicker research Karen Pryor, she's got a bunch of great books!