Really, Time Magazine? The Problem With Pit Bulls?

Time Magazine, on June 20, ran the article "The Problem With Pit Bulls". I only just read it, and haven't really heard it discussed in my usual online watering holes. Go read it; I didn't watch the video or anything, so can't vouch for that, but otherwise it doesn't have any terrible pictures or language or anything.

It's hard to read things like that, because they aren't wrong. This is Time Magazine here; they're able to present a compelling argument and back it up with sources. It's what they're for.  But they aren't right, either, and I feel leaning on PETA for citation weakens their case. "Even PETA, the largest animal-rights organization in the world, supports breed-specific sterilization for pit bulls" says Time magazine. Well, PETA thinks it would be best if this convention of keeping pets never existed. We all probably know by now about PETA's high euthanization rate of animals surrendered into their care (that one's from Time, here's one from The Washington Post).

Arthritis and Supplements for Dogs , sponsored by Lintbells

How to spot the 7 visible signs of ageing

We don’t like to think that our dog is getting older but it is important to recognise the signs and remember that some signs of ageing are not always visible. Many of the following can be seen simply as ‘old age’ however many of these problems are treatable and your dog can still live an enjoyable life:

Stiffness and joint pain

Does your dog:

• Appear reluctant to walk, jump, or play?

• Limp? 

• Lag behind on walks? 

• Have difficulty rising from a resting position? 

• Yelp when touched?

• Sleep more?

If you answered YES to any of the above signs your dog could be suffering from joint stiffness and pain. This can occur as your dog gets older, a long walk may have strained their muscles or joints or, as in humans, joints can deteriorate over time (osteoarthritis).

To help your dog with their joint issues find out more about the UKs fastest selling joint supplement - YUMOVE

Change in coat colour and appearance

As a dog gets older more white hair will appear in their coat especially around the muzzle. The body also finds it harder to produce the natural oils needed to keep their coat healthy. Ask your vet or vet nurse to suggest an Omega 3 & 6 supplement to help your dog’s skin and coat restore its natural beauty.

Change in toilet frequency

Muscles in older dogs can weaken causing them to need the toilet more often. Let them out more frequently to prevent any accidents in the house.

Loss of sight or hearing

Older dogs can begin to lose their sight, you may notice they bump into things that have moved in the home. Try not to make any big changes in room layouts as this can be stressful for them. Dogs losing their hearing can often be mistaken for being old and stubborn so we shout instead. Why not try to retrain them with hand signals – old dogs CAN learn new tricks!

Losing or gaining weight

Older dogs have different nutritional needs to younger dogs. You may notice that your dog has started to gain or lose weight. Feed them a diet tailored to their needs, and take your dog in to see your vet nurse for regular weight checks to monitor any changes in weight and catch any problems early on.

Plaque build-up & eating less

You may notice that the smell of your dog’s breath has changed. If caught early enough, dental problems may be able to be managed at home with a dental diet or tooth cleaning so it is better to catch the problem sooner rather than later to prolong the need for full dental treatment.

Drinking more

An increase in thirst can be due to many conditions. It is best to discuss with your vet, or vet nurse if you have noticed your dog drinking more, as to what the cause could be.

It is still very important to go for regular checks at your vet practice during your dog's senior life to spot any underlying problems and keep them at them at their best.

Source: Lintbells.com and this page about supplement for dogs

The Cropping and Docking topic rears its head again

Dogster.com had an article this week, written by Annie Phenix of "Ask the Trainer" columnship, on her stance of cropping and docking. She seems to be of the opinion that it causes behavioral, emotional, and social problems for dogs, which is an interesting topic, to be sure, though not one any actual scientific research has been done on (that I know of; the body of research I have at my fingertips could be considered limited. I'd love to read it if such studies have been done and published!)

However, she also opens the article with the obviously-meant-to-be-facetious comparison that she wanted her (grown) German Shepherd to "look more tough", so decided to dock and crop the (adult) dog. This is simply not done. A tail dock at an adult age is a full on amputation, and that dog will miss his or her tail. A tail dock done to a puppy is minimal, done at 3ish days before the bones have ossified, and with appropriate pain management and anesthetic. Ears must be cropped prior to 12 weeks, or you'll end up with a crop and flop, so might as well have gone natural anyway. I also found the article to be rather anthropomorphic, but as I attribute thoughts and feelings to Elka all the time, I don't really want to be a hypocrite. Just thought I'd mention.

"It's All in How You Raise Them"

I'm sure you've heard many a breed advocate utter this phrase: It's all in how you raise them. Meaning, vicious dogs are made, not born.

As an obvious Doberman advocate, you might be a little confused when you read my answer: That isn't necessarily true.

Doberman Health: Color Dilution Alopecia

In my The Doberman: Color post, I touched on Color Dilution Alopecia briefly. I've actually seen it coming up in Google searches, and thought that I would do a more in-depth (or at least slightly more informational) post.

It is a condition resulting in hair loss and skin irritation that only affects the dilutes of the Doberman breed, so blues (which are a dilute of black) and fawns (which are a dilute of red). I think Nola from Thursday's post is a blue, if that gives you some color perspective (I'm not saying she has CDA, just pointing out her color):

Purina One BeyOnd recall

Nestlé Purina PetCare has announced a limited recall of it's 3.5 pound bags of Purina One beyOnd Our White Meat Chicken & Whole Barley Recipe Adult Dry dog food. A bag of the product was found to contain salmonella. This is thought to affect only customers in the United States, only that size, and only that flavor.

The bag size to keep an eye out for is the 3.5 pound bags, and the Best By Date and Production codes (located on the bottom or back of the bag) OCT 2014 31071083. UPC code is 17800 1269.

If you have the food, discontinue use. Nestlé Purina PetCare also says to discard it, but I'm not sure how one gets a refund from the store that way. For more information or to obtain the refund (!), you can call them at 1-800-473-8546, and that is a 24 hour, 7 day a week number.

From PetMD.com, symptoms of Salmonella in dogs can include lethargy, fever, dehydration, weight loss, mucus in stool, and abnormally fast heart rate, among other things. If your dog has had this food, definitely keep an eye on him or her for these symptoms. But geeze, if you see these symptoms in your dog ever at all, get thee to the vet!

Show off your dog's waistline!

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of hearing about health and obesity. Mostly because I could stand to lose a few myself, but hush now. I'm working on it.

Elka's weight, to date, has not been a problem for us to maintain, and well. The fact that she's oversized (i.e., taller than she should be) is added incentive, as I don't want undue stress on her joints. Those need to last her a good long while, you know!

Pet obesity can be a problem, though, especially because dogs and cats are ultimately at our mercy for food. We can feed them adequately, or too much, or not enough. Adequate is the goal, obviously. A dog (or cat) in a home setting isn't necessarily hardwired to stop eating when "full". What does "full" mean to a dog, anyway?

So:

Name: Elka
Sex: Female
Breed: Doberman
Age: 3

Doberman Health: Parvo

Back in November, the Doberman Assistance Network took in three puppies that they suspected had parvo. This may or may not have been the case (I guess there was some shady vetting going on down there), but it occurred to me that I haven't really talked about the bogeyman Parvo here. It's not a Doberman problem, specifically, so much as a dog problem. A puppy problem. I have heard it said that Dobermans and Rottweilers might be more sensitive to the parvovirus, though, and suffer more severe symptoms.

So, what is Parvo?

(little Bluebell, who pulled through just fine, from the Doberman Assistance Network Facebook page.)

The AKC Dog Registration Statistics: Doberman at #13

The AKC is, for better or worse, only a dog breed registry.

A lot of people take the phrase "AKC registered" to mean that the organization enacts some form of quality control. That is, unfortunately, not the case. AKC championship holds more water, though based on what your opinion of the functionality of a breed is (modern day US showline German Shepherds, I'm looking at you!) even that is suspect.

But, every year, the AKC updates its dog registration statistics, and ranks America's "Top Ten Dog Breeds". You can see a list of the top 50, if you're so inclined. I was. The Doberman, though not in the top 10, is number 13, up from last year's rank of 14. Their rank in 2006 was 21.

So, what does this kind of popularity mean for a breed?

Dogs will be Dogs

Elka is a very clean dog.

It's against all odds, really. Our back yard can be very muddy.  Our walks in the park are not entirely grassy areas.  She frolics in the creek.  Oh yeah, and in the occasional mud puddle (this is new).  And to top it all off, I let her sleep in our bed!  

Lots of people don't let dogs on furniture because they think letting them on a "high place" will "make them dominant".  Same with not letting dogs in bed.  Or, the latest claim, having a dog in bed will make you sick.

I don't buy it.