Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Product Review: Kong Dental Dog Toy
February is Pet Dental Health Month, and in recognition of that, we were offered a KONG Dental Dog Toy, Large, Red
for review. Kong products are a staple in this house, and have been since Elka first came home, when she had her little blue puppy Kong and little blue puppy Kong Flyer (don't impose your gender roles on her!)
New toys are always cause for joy (and we've got another toy review coming down the pike), and Kong toys inspire a certain love and concentration in Elka, as will of course be seen below. Wisely, the Kong we were sent was of the X-Large persuasion; Elka does okay with a Large, but sometimes the bigger ones make her work harder and longer.
for review. Kong products are a staple in this house, and have been since Elka first came home, when she had her little blue puppy Kong and little blue puppy Kong Flyer (don't impose your gender roles on her!)New toys are always cause for joy (and we've got another toy review coming down the pike), and Kong toys inspire a certain love and concentration in Elka, as will of course be seen below. Wisely, the Kong we were sent was of the X-Large persuasion; Elka does okay with a Large, but sometimes the bigger ones make her work harder and longer.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Why I don't like Twitter so much anymore
Note: this mostly applies to my "dog" Twitter. My writing Twitter is what I find I've been spending a lot more time on, and interacting with people on.
I don't spend a lot of time on my @TheElkaAlmanac Twitter anymore. I'll share peoples' blog posts, and look at specific peoples' accounts to interact with, retweet, whatever, but looking at my feed in general? Not as much anymore. It just kind of depresses and frustrates me.
I've done it to myself, in a way. One's Twitter feed is full of who you've opted to follow, or follow back (I do tend to follow back, my numbers permitting. It's only polite, after all). But with my interest in supporting dog rescue and boosting the signal for people and things like that, I've gotten a lot of follows and such whose tweets I don't want to read. I also don't want to go and unfollow hundreds of people. It's my choice, and I could do it, but it doesn't seem fair. But.
I don't spend a lot of time on my @TheElkaAlmanac Twitter anymore. I'll share peoples' blog posts, and look at specific peoples' accounts to interact with, retweet, whatever, but looking at my feed in general? Not as much anymore. It just kind of depresses and frustrates me.
I've done it to myself, in a way. One's Twitter feed is full of who you've opted to follow, or follow back (I do tend to follow back, my numbers permitting. It's only polite, after all). But with my interest in supporting dog rescue and boosting the signal for people and things like that, I've gotten a lot of follows and such whose tweets I don't want to read. I also don't want to go and unfollow hundreds of people. It's my choice, and I could do it, but it doesn't seem fair. But.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Canine News Roundup
The weather is blah and my post is late and so you're getting some interesting dog news that I've seen recently. Enjoy!
Apparently many US athletes at Sochi are adopting stray dogs. Russia's official solutions to stray dogs in general, and at Sochi specifically, were heartbreaking at best, and but for the diligent work of some individuals forming rescues, many many dogs would have been euthanized for the sake of public appearances. Our country has a stray dog problem as well, though at least they tend not to be viewed as "biological trash" (or one might hope not).
In other (and even happier?) news, scientists have discovered/decided that dogs do, in fact, know what we're saying. Or at least understand that we are speaking to them, as they have centers in their brain dedicated to speech, discovered in another study using MRI. They're also sensitive to emotions (but I'll be you knew that already!).
I last wrote about Detroit here in November (I think) when I posted about an organization who was doing "Thanksgiving Dinner" for Detroit's stray dogs. Well, on February 18, animal advocates in Detroit stayed overnight in dog houses, to "raise awareness about the dangers of leaving pets outside at night". I understand that my dog values are not everybody's dog values, nor are they necessarily common, but it blows my mind that people will regularly leave their pets outside through all sorts of temperatures and weather. If they changed even one person's mind, it's worth it, and I hope they reached a lot of people, and changed a lot of minds. Dogs (and cats) die outside in the winter. They're mammals, just like people. These are not difficult facts.
Apparently many US athletes at Sochi are adopting stray dogs. Russia's official solutions to stray dogs in general, and at Sochi specifically, were heartbreaking at best, and but for the diligent work of some individuals forming rescues, many many dogs would have been euthanized for the sake of public appearances. Our country has a stray dog problem as well, though at least they tend not to be viewed as "biological trash" (or one might hope not).
In other (and even happier?) news, scientists have discovered/decided that dogs do, in fact, know what we're saying. Or at least understand that we are speaking to them, as they have centers in their brain dedicated to speech, discovered in another study using MRI. They're also sensitive to emotions (but I'll be you knew that already!).
I last wrote about Detroit here in November (I think) when I posted about an organization who was doing "Thanksgiving Dinner" for Detroit's stray dogs. Well, on February 18, animal advocates in Detroit stayed overnight in dog houses, to "raise awareness about the dangers of leaving pets outside at night". I understand that my dog values are not everybody's dog values, nor are they necessarily common, but it blows my mind that people will regularly leave their pets outside through all sorts of temperatures and weather. If they changed even one person's mind, it's worth it, and I hope they reached a lot of people, and changed a lot of minds. Dogs (and cats) die outside in the winter. They're mammals, just like people. These are not difficult facts.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
DDR Mission 6: Learn more about Red and Abby (warning, some super skinny dog pictures)
Distinguished Doberman rescue is dealing with the largest single-rescue operation they've had to, to date. 6 dogs from the same household, at least two of which has Lyme's disease, and most of whom need to be spayed or neutered.
Red and Abby were the first two taken from the house, and apparently Abby is Red's dam. I'm putting their pictures behind the cut, because they may be upsetting; they're super skinny in a few of them.
Sponsorships and donations can be made on their web site, http://www.ddrinc.net/, and you should specify "Sponsor Abby" or "Sponsor Red" in your Paypal instructions. If you prefer to donate via check, address is PO Box 583 Moon Twp, PA 15108.
Red and Abby were the first two taken from the house, and apparently Abby is Red's dam. I'm putting their pictures behind the cut, because they may be upsetting; they're super skinny in a few of them.
Sponsorships and donations can be made on their web site, http://www.ddrinc.net/, and you should specify "Sponsor Abby" or "Sponsor Red" in your Paypal instructions. If you prefer to donate via check, address is PO Box 583 Moon Twp, PA 15108.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Doberman Health ~ Health Testing outside the United States
I live in the United States, and as a result have a rather ethnocentric view. I try not to, but there are times I find myself falling into it.
One of those times is with regards to health testing in Dobermans before breeding. Many of the health tests I know about, and thus recommend when looking for a breeder are ones based in (or mostly available in) the United States. But it's a big world out there.
One of those times is with regards to health testing in Dobermans before breeding. Many of the health tests I know about, and thus recommend when looking for a breeder are ones based in (or mostly available in) the United States. But it's a big world out there.
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| Image of Earth taken from the International Space Station |
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