I�ve been reading about the ? �man�? from Pennsylvania who let his German Shepherd Dogs starve to death. I seen it come across some e-mail lists and then with some awful photo�s on Facebook. I could not pull up those pictures to look at the dead dogs. I could see one laying there dead in the small picture and that was enough for me. I share this planet with these types of vermin and I confess that it gets harder and harder for me to do so!
I�ve said this before in another article that I wrote, that I find something so profoundly wrong when any dog or any animal gets treated like this. I take it up a notch when it�s a German Shepherd Dog that is reduced to a dead carcass lying in a filthy, mud encrusted enclosure as his final �resting� place. This is what his beautiful Hershey brown eyes seen for the last month of his sorrowful life. Even our most hardened criminals get a choice of a last supper if they are going to meet their maker with the help of a lethal injection. These poor souls hadn�t had a last supper or a quench of thirst for a month. Appalling!
Three dogs died and the other seven are receiving medical attention. Not only did they not receive any food or water but there was no heat where they laid their weary bones. Pennsylvania winters are brutal. One of the three that were dead was a puppy. How sorrowful that his short life was a brutal one! Welcome to the world baby!
Now people are writing to the judge that will handle this case asking for jail time rather than just a fine for this monster that inflicted this kind of pain on loving, trusting animals. It will be interesting to see if he receives jail time for his monstrous, premeditated acts of cruelty. Nothing infuriates me more than when justice is not served. Many times with cases like this, the perpetrator gets a slap on the wrist and maybe a few hundred dollars as a fine. Was justice served? Not on your life!
I'm a believer in "Let the punishment fit the crime!" So what does it teach the criminal mind of an animal abuser to be locked away for a week or so? He gets a bed in a warm cell. He gets fed three meals a day. His victims received the harsh punishment of an uncaring soul. This man doesn't know what it means to be a victim. Maybe he should be locked away for a month without any food, water or heat. Then society can say, "Justice has been served!" I really, really think this guy would then "Get it!!!"
When it comes to animal cruelty cases, I rarely read of fair justice being served. It�s almost as if the criminal system is saying that these are just dogs and we don�t have time for animal abuse cases. There�s too many crimes being inflicted on people and naturally those cases come first. I wonder who should determine the extent of pain that a person can endure and the extent that an animal can endure. I don�t even let myself go there with my thoughts of an animal whimpering and shriving with a stomach begging to be fed and a throat dry with longing for a little water.
Until our justice system takes animal cruelty seriously, this kind of heinous act will continue. And as long as it continues it stands as a testament to the overall health (or lack of) of a society as a whole. It�s a testament about those who abuse and a testament about those that turn their heads the other way saying, �It�s not my problem.� But lo to those that may feel this way. It is all of our problems because allowing it to continue sickens an already emotional depleted, unhealthy society. What messages are we sending to our children?
Kick a dog when he�s down and he might come back to bite you! There may come a time when all dogs�..all animals become leery of human beings. Maybe the days of the loyal companion will only be read about in story books and the animals that once roamed the jungles will once again retreat to them to stay as far away from man as they can. Maybe that unconditional love that only a dog seems capable of giving will be replaced with suspicion and distrust��not unlike the man that made him that way!
From the book: "THE LINK BETWEEN ANIMAL ABUSE AND HUMAN VIOLENCE"....Many philosophers, including Aquinas, Locke, Schopenhauer and Kant, have assumed that there is a link between cruelty to animals and violence to people. During the last 40 years, evidence for this view has steadily accumulated as a result of statistical, psychological, and medical investigations, and there is now a substantial body of supporting empirical evidence. "The Link Between Animal Abuse & Human Violence" brings together international experts from seven countries to examine in detail the relationships between animal abuse and child abuse, the emotional development of the child, family violence, and serial murder. It considers the implications for legal and social policy, and the work of key professionals. Sections include critical overviews of existing research, discussion of ethical issues, and a special focus on the abuse of wild animals. This book is essential reading for all those who have a stake in the debate, either because their academic work relates to the issues involved, or because their professional role involves contact with the abused or the abusers, both human and animal, including child care officers, community carers, law enforcement officers, health visitors, veterinarians, anti-cruelty inspectors, animal protection officers, social scientists, lawyers, psychologists, and criminologists. This is the most up-to-date, authoritative, and comprehensive volume on the link between animal abuse and human violence.
My rating: Criminal Justice System for animal abuse: (1), Need for better laws against animal abuse: (4)
Showing posts with label dog grooming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog grooming. Show all posts
Friday, 4 March 2011
Thursday, 17 February 2011
CAUTION - SHOW DOGS - A "DOGUMENTARY!"
What perfect timing that I should receive this DVD about Show Dogs when the Westminster Dog Show was on television this past Monday and Tuesday. I just watched it this morning and it was a delightful way to spend 61 minutes of my time! Show dogs, no matter which breed you favor are really different from your next door neighbor�s dogs. Or better put, it�s the people that own them that are really different from your other neighbors! Yup, we show dog people are unique among other folks that one might know. Can I say that we live and breathe dogs?
CAUTION � SHOW DOGS is a dogumentary that was orchestrated by Leslye Abbey. This is what the outside of the DVD case says. �Repeatedly throughout the year, at the many prestigious Dog Shows, hundreds of breeders from all over the country present the very best of �Man�s Best Friend.� While showing at these events, the dogs are evaluated alongside all the other competitors to eventually contend for the highly coveted top prize � BEST IN SHOW.
Behind the glamour and excitement lie endless hard work, enormous amounts of love and an all-consuming dedication difficult to imagine. Get to know four top breeders and their dogs and share the years of knowledge and experience required to produce consistent champions. CAUTION � SHOW DOGS puts you behind the scenes so you can feel the excitement and exhilaration of the big world of SHOW DOGS! It you love dogs and are just a wee bit curious about the intrigue and hoopla of Dog Shows, this is your movie!�
In easy to understand language, follow some breeders, handlers and judges as they take you along with them on their road to a dog show. I found the interviews with these people refreshing and enlightening especially for the novice person just getting into the world of show dogs. And even then for those of you that just simply love dogs, it�s an amusing way to get a little educated about the sport of showing dogs.
Some of the subjects they talk about are showing, handling, judging, agility, etc. They even touched a bit on politics and the show ring. You�ll see a German Shepherd breeder who has a lot of success breeding and showing her Australian Shepherds as well. She showed some pictures of her Australian Shepherds winning with Jimmy Moses as their handler. I have to admit for me, it was a little unusual seeing Jimmy with anything but a German Shepherd. Then too, there is a little interview with Alan Stone who was very well known in the breed for many years. Alan is no longer with us, but it was good hearing what he had to say once again.
Naturally this DVD is not just about German Shepherds, but anyone who is a show person in another breed goes through very similar things that we do with our breed. I loved hearing what some of those handlers from other breeds had to say and a couple of judges as well that talked about politics and some �tricks of the trade.�
Do pay attention even at the end when the credits are being shown because the camera will cut back to more comments from some of the people on this DVD. What was really interesting and amusing was what a professional handler had to say about a dog that was being shown. Apparently this dog had one testicle as a youngster and the breeder liked him so much that she wanted to show him. So doing the �unthinkable� she had a plastic surgeon �sculpt� him a second testicle! Yup, it�s done folks. I�ve heard of this one before even in our own breed! Well on this particular day in the show ring, it seems that the judge was spending too much time �back there� with the dog�s testicles. Finally, he shakes his head and says, �Geez, this dog�s got three testicles!� I laughed out loud. Apparently the owner never checked her dog any more after the testicle surgery. Seems like if she would have been a little more patient, she would have found out her dog �grew a new one� all by himself! The truth was out. She got caught!
I also loved the saying that seems to go around the show ring about show dogs. It goes something like this: �A good dog will win some of the time. A great dog will win most of the time!� Love it!
CAUTION � SHOW DOGS doesn�t take itself too seriously. Rather it shares information and stories about the show dog circuit and what it�s like to be part of it. One thing remains true throughout this movie. These people love what they�re doing and most of all they love the dogs that they�re sharing their lives with! All in all, a light, breezy and most of all entertaining little piece of �dogumentary.� In my opinion this is a great way to introduce the novice to the world of dogs and to show them that what we do is a lot of fun and to encourage them to get involved in the world of the show dog. Dog shows should be fun and this movie showed that indeed, it is!
My rating: CAUTION � SHOW DOGS: (4)!
CAUTION � SHOW DOGS is a dogumentary that was orchestrated by Leslye Abbey. This is what the outside of the DVD case says. �Repeatedly throughout the year, at the many prestigious Dog Shows, hundreds of breeders from all over the country present the very best of �Man�s Best Friend.� While showing at these events, the dogs are evaluated alongside all the other competitors to eventually contend for the highly coveted top prize � BEST IN SHOW.
Behind the glamour and excitement lie endless hard work, enormous amounts of love and an all-consuming dedication difficult to imagine. Get to know four top breeders and their dogs and share the years of knowledge and experience required to produce consistent champions. CAUTION � SHOW DOGS puts you behind the scenes so you can feel the excitement and exhilaration of the big world of SHOW DOGS! It you love dogs and are just a wee bit curious about the intrigue and hoopla of Dog Shows, this is your movie!�
In easy to understand language, follow some breeders, handlers and judges as they take you along with them on their road to a dog show. I found the interviews with these people refreshing and enlightening especially for the novice person just getting into the world of show dogs. And even then for those of you that just simply love dogs, it�s an amusing way to get a little educated about the sport of showing dogs.
Some of the subjects they talk about are showing, handling, judging, agility, etc. They even touched a bit on politics and the show ring. You�ll see a German Shepherd breeder who has a lot of success breeding and showing her Australian Shepherds as well. She showed some pictures of her Australian Shepherds winning with Jimmy Moses as their handler. I have to admit for me, it was a little unusual seeing Jimmy with anything but a German Shepherd. Then too, there is a little interview with Alan Stone who was very well known in the breed for many years. Alan is no longer with us, but it was good hearing what he had to say once again.
Naturally this DVD is not just about German Shepherds, but anyone who is a show person in another breed goes through very similar things that we do with our breed. I loved hearing what some of those handlers from other breeds had to say and a couple of judges as well that talked about politics and some �tricks of the trade.�
Do pay attention even at the end when the credits are being shown because the camera will cut back to more comments from some of the people on this DVD. What was really interesting and amusing was what a professional handler had to say about a dog that was being shown. Apparently this dog had one testicle as a youngster and the breeder liked him so much that she wanted to show him. So doing the �unthinkable� she had a plastic surgeon �sculpt� him a second testicle! Yup, it�s done folks. I�ve heard of this one before even in our own breed! Well on this particular day in the show ring, it seems that the judge was spending too much time �back there� with the dog�s testicles. Finally, he shakes his head and says, �Geez, this dog�s got three testicles!� I laughed out loud. Apparently the owner never checked her dog any more after the testicle surgery. Seems like if she would have been a little more patient, she would have found out her dog �grew a new one� all by himself! The truth was out. She got caught!
I also loved the saying that seems to go around the show ring about show dogs. It goes something like this: �A good dog will win some of the time. A great dog will win most of the time!� Love it!
CAUTION � SHOW DOGS doesn�t take itself too seriously. Rather it shares information and stories about the show dog circuit and what it�s like to be part of it. One thing remains true throughout this movie. These people love what they�re doing and most of all they love the dogs that they�re sharing their lives with! All in all, a light, breezy and most of all entertaining little piece of �dogumentary.� In my opinion this is a great way to introduce the novice to the world of dogs and to show them that what we do is a lot of fun and to encourage them to get involved in the world of the show dog. Dog shows should be fun and this movie showed that indeed, it is!
My rating: CAUTION � SHOW DOGS: (4)!
Thursday, 23 December 2010
INTELLIGENCE OF A SEVEN YEAR OLD
I�ve read a few times that the German Shepherd Dog has the intelligence equal to a seven year old child. Taking that one step further, I�ve also read that we humans learn the most we ever learn in the first five years of our lives. If that last sentence is true, then just think of what the German Shepherd Dog could be capable of learning! Very few of us��.no I take that back��.none of us can ever learn all there is to ever know. We could never hope to teach the German Shepherd Dog everything that a seven year old child knows. I dare say that most of this breeds intelligence level is never, ever realized to even half of that equation.
Thinking how intelligent this breed is it would be a little scary if they really knew all there was to know that a seven year old child knows. Without ever teaching them anything, their quest to know what�s going on at all times is never satisfied. I only own three dogs (all bitches) and they�re all smart just because they�re a German Shepherd, but one of them is the nosiest of the nosy! I could have a box the size that holds a ring and I could put it somewhere that she�d never see it, but she�d know it was there. Her nose is always up in the air sniffing around to see what her nose can lead her to.
I also think that once you train this breed to learn something, they never forget it. They might be a little rusty, but they don�t forget. Now that says something for their intelligence. My house dog Amber (see the above picture � yes that�s her reading a literary masterpiece of her own choice) has been trained by me to do certain easy tasks. She also knows hand signals for those tasks. Now I don�t always ask her to do these tricks all the time. In fact besides the command of �sit�, she pretty much does as she pleases. Today I gave her a few commands and then did hand signals with her and her recall was excellent. She was an easy learner and eager to please when I trained her. Her daughters are another story waiting to be written!
Training dogs is hard work and takes a dedication on the owner�s part to train their dogs. But oh the rewards are worth any time that you put in them. There is nothing nicer than a well trained animal. They�re easier to live with and easier to go places with. Besides the general public will thank you for the time that you�ve put into your dog. No one enjoys being jumped on or mauled to death (in a friendly way)!
So Amber and I chose a �Seasons Greetings� and most sincere wishes for you, your family and loved ones. Oh yeah, and all those intelligent German Shepherds that you share your life with. This is really not a poem geared towards Christmas but the words can be enjoyed and lived with all through the year. I can�t take credit for the construction of the �words of wisdom� and I can�t give credit where credit is due as it says the author is unknown. That said������HAPPY EVERYTHING��EVERYONE!
The most destructive habit..............................Worry
The greatest Joy.................................................Giving
The greatest loss........................Loss of self-respect
The most satisfying work....................Helping others
The ugliest personality trait....................Selfishness
The most endangered species........Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource....................Our youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"...........Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome........................Fear
The most effective sleeping pill.............Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease....................Excuses
The most powerful force in life..............................Love
The most dangerous pariah.............................A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer..........The brain
The worst thing to be without................................ Hope
The deadliest weapon.......................................The tongue
The two most power-filled words......................."I Can"
The greatest asset......................................................Faith
The most worthless emotion................................Self-pity
The most beautiful attire.....................................SMILE!
The most prized possession.............................. Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer
The most contagious spirit..............................Enthusiasm
Written By: � Author Unknown
My rating: Training the German Shepherd Dog: (4), Living with a well trained dog: (4)
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
WHEN I DIALED THE TELEPHONE, NOBODIES HOME!
I picked up the telephone to give you a call this morning. You know how we�ve been doing this for years. I started pressing the same familiar numbers that I�ve always pressed. I know them by heart. The telephone begins to ring��one time, two times and three. Then I caught my breath and realized that you wouldn�t be picking up the telephone to answer my call today, nor tomorrow or the day after either. Nobodies home!
I just read on one of the lists yesterday of a few German Shepherd Dog people that were seriously ill and have been in the hospital. Glad to hear that one of them came home already. It made me stop to think especially in this season of family and loved ones gathered together to celebrate the holidays. Sometimes we get so busy rushing around here and there, buying gifts, planning the holiday menu and getting the house decorated that we don�t have time to reach out to others like we normally do.
During this holiday season, during this time in history, very few families are celebrating a time of �plenty.� Some families are lucky if they have a �little� to put on the table or under the tree. But if they have good health and one another, then they are truly blessed.
The years slip by so quickly. We take for granted that we have another day to extend good will and cheer to someone else. We meant to call Gertrude the lonely spinster in the next town. We meant to check up on Woodrow to see if he had enough heat in his house. Old Mr. Peterson asked us if we could join him for a little holiday cheer next time we were in his neighborhood. We passed his house several times promising ourselves the next time we are in this neck of the woods; we would take him up on his offer. Before we know it, another day, another year has passed us by. Then suddenly you remember old Mr. Peterson. We dial the telephone and are greeted by a recording saying �The number you have reached is no longer in service. No forwarding number is available.� Nobodies home!
How many people in our German Shepherd Dog community will be spending the holidays alone this year? Perhaps they no longer have a family left or their family has moved away. Will they have enough to put on their table this holiday? Will they have enough to feed their dogs? What is their health like? How are they doing mentally and physically? When�s the last time we picked up the phone to call someone to wish them well? Showing someone you care by reaching out to them can be the best gift that you can give to them. Maybe they need to hear a kind word or two and knowing you thought of them may just put the smile on their face that will make their day! You may be poor yourself and can�t afford to help someone financially, but a phone call will cost you nothing and the gift of your friendly voice to the receiver of that call will be well worth the few minutes it takes you to do it!
The holiday season normally finds some of us giving to charities like the Salvation Army volunteers that one can usually see and hear ringing their bells as you exit from your favorite grocery store. Maybe we could look at those in need in our own German Shepherd Dog community. Maybe you can bring a dish from your holiday table to a poor soul in need. How are their dogs doing? Are they out of the cold? Do they have a bowl of food to eat and a clean bowl of water to drink? Because of some people�s depression around this time of year and especially when money is scarce, they forget some of the very basic needs of their animals when their own needs are being sacrificed!
Funny how time slips away and all of a sudden the people that you expect to see or talk to are no longer there. It happens. It happens when we are so wrapped up in our own daily lives that we forget to pick up the telephone and say, �Hi, I was just thinking of you and wanted you to know that.� It happens until one day you finally decide �Alright, today is the day I give so and so a call.� But today, you dial the telephone and nobodies home!
From the book: "RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS BY ANIMALS".....Peaceful Kingdom chronicles amazing true stories of devotion and bravery from the animal world. Included are both well-publicized cases, such as the gorilla who tenderly carried an injured child to safety, and the more obscure--the German shepherd who visited the grave of his deceased owner every day at the same hour. Even ants are caught in heroic acts: they're observed pulling a thorn from an injured comrade. The animals in this book are viewed as compassionate, thinking creatures that experience real emotions--hardly news to animal lovers. Peaceful Kingdom also reflects human acts of kindness to animals. Edward Lear, the famous author of "The Owl and the Pussycat," built his new house as an exact replica of his old one to keep from traumatizing his beloved cat. Peaceful Kingdom is an intriguing and heartwarming journey into the lives of some astonishing animals.
From the book: "SAYING GOODBYE"...........Saying Goodbye is a collection of true stories about saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. This is a powerful book that includes a number of sad stories, as well as some very funny ones. Taken together, the stories serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor. Saying Goodbye includes stories contributed by thirty-one authors from the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. These stories show that there is sadness in goodbyes, but there is also irony and humor. It s perfect for book groups that want stimulating conversations about saying goodbye a topic that touches us all in one way or another.
My rating: Showing kindness to one another not just during the holidays: (4)
I just read on one of the lists yesterday of a few German Shepherd Dog people that were seriously ill and have been in the hospital. Glad to hear that one of them came home already. It made me stop to think especially in this season of family and loved ones gathered together to celebrate the holidays. Sometimes we get so busy rushing around here and there, buying gifts, planning the holiday menu and getting the house decorated that we don�t have time to reach out to others like we normally do.
During this holiday season, during this time in history, very few families are celebrating a time of �plenty.� Some families are lucky if they have a �little� to put on the table or under the tree. But if they have good health and one another, then they are truly blessed.
The years slip by so quickly. We take for granted that we have another day to extend good will and cheer to someone else. We meant to call Gertrude the lonely spinster in the next town. We meant to check up on Woodrow to see if he had enough heat in his house. Old Mr. Peterson asked us if we could join him for a little holiday cheer next time we were in his neighborhood. We passed his house several times promising ourselves the next time we are in this neck of the woods; we would take him up on his offer. Before we know it, another day, another year has passed us by. Then suddenly you remember old Mr. Peterson. We dial the telephone and are greeted by a recording saying �The number you have reached is no longer in service. No forwarding number is available.� Nobodies home!
How many people in our German Shepherd Dog community will be spending the holidays alone this year? Perhaps they no longer have a family left or their family has moved away. Will they have enough to put on their table this holiday? Will they have enough to feed their dogs? What is their health like? How are they doing mentally and physically? When�s the last time we picked up the phone to call someone to wish them well? Showing someone you care by reaching out to them can be the best gift that you can give to them. Maybe they need to hear a kind word or two and knowing you thought of them may just put the smile on their face that will make their day! You may be poor yourself and can�t afford to help someone financially, but a phone call will cost you nothing and the gift of your friendly voice to the receiver of that call will be well worth the few minutes it takes you to do it!
The holiday season normally finds some of us giving to charities like the Salvation Army volunteers that one can usually see and hear ringing their bells as you exit from your favorite grocery store. Maybe we could look at those in need in our own German Shepherd Dog community. Maybe you can bring a dish from your holiday table to a poor soul in need. How are their dogs doing? Are they out of the cold? Do they have a bowl of food to eat and a clean bowl of water to drink? Because of some people�s depression around this time of year and especially when money is scarce, they forget some of the very basic needs of their animals when their own needs are being sacrificed!
Funny how time slips away and all of a sudden the people that you expect to see or talk to are no longer there. It happens. It happens when we are so wrapped up in our own daily lives that we forget to pick up the telephone and say, �Hi, I was just thinking of you and wanted you to know that.� It happens until one day you finally decide �Alright, today is the day I give so and so a call.� But today, you dial the telephone and nobodies home!
From the book: "RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS BY ANIMALS".....Peaceful Kingdom chronicles amazing true stories of devotion and bravery from the animal world. Included are both well-publicized cases, such as the gorilla who tenderly carried an injured child to safety, and the more obscure--the German shepherd who visited the grave of his deceased owner every day at the same hour. Even ants are caught in heroic acts: they're observed pulling a thorn from an injured comrade. The animals in this book are viewed as compassionate, thinking creatures that experience real emotions--hardly news to animal lovers. Peaceful Kingdom also reflects human acts of kindness to animals. Edward Lear, the famous author of "The Owl and the Pussycat," built his new house as an exact replica of his old one to keep from traumatizing his beloved cat. Peaceful Kingdom is an intriguing and heartwarming journey into the lives of some astonishing animals.
From the book: "SAYING GOODBYE"...........Saying Goodbye is a collection of true stories about saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. This is a powerful book that includes a number of sad stories, as well as some very funny ones. Taken together, the stories serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor. Saying Goodbye includes stories contributed by thirty-one authors from the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. These stories show that there is sadness in goodbyes, but there is also irony and humor. It s perfect for book groups that want stimulating conversations about saying goodbye a topic that touches us all in one way or another.
My rating: Showing kindness to one another not just during the holidays: (4)
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
IN THIS STINKING WORLD, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO BE THANKFUL FOR ANYWAY?
If you can afford to go the German Shepherd Dog National Specialty show in the beautiful state of Utah in a couple of weeks, be thankful.
Some may complain that this years National received a small entry because among other things the area of the country that it�s being held at. Utah is a photographers and a sightseer�s delight to the eye. If you�re lucky to be in God�s country, be thankful!
If you can afford it or think it�s reasonable to pay $15 - $40 to watch the streaming video of the National this year, then be thankful.
If you can afford to feed your dog natural holistic dog food rather than road kill advertised as dog food, then be thankful.
If you can afford to drive a car that holds two or three dog crates instead of having to let your dogs ride loose in the back seat, then be thankful.
If your dog won his futurity/maturity show and was chosen to represent your area, then instead of complaining about the location of the National show, remember he beat other people�s dogs that wish they were in your shoes this year. Who knows, you might be bringing home the next Futurity/Maturity Victor/Victrix, so be thankful!
If you got one of the top dog handlers in the country to consent to handle your dog at the National this year, instead of complaining how expensive he is, remember many other people wanted him too and he chose your dog to show so be very thankful.
The next time your dog loses to an �inferior� dog, remember he might not have won today, but most of the time he does. It was just the �inferior� dogs� day today. Your dog is still the top winning dog, so be thankful.
Some of you can read this blog. Some of you belong to many different dog e-mail lists. Many of you can look up all the health information you want about our breed right here on the internet. But what about all those that can�t because they can�t afford a computer or they don�t have high speed internet service or any service at all where they live. So many of you have access to the information highway, be thankful.
Some of you enjoy the comforts of your home, your car, your vacations and having a good meal in your stomachs. Not that you are any more hard working or dedicated than your neighbor who lost his job six months ago after working for his company for 30 years. You sleep well at night, while he suffers from anxiety with the mortgage company knocking on his door with an eviction notice. Be thankful.
When that mortgage company knocks on your neighbor�s door, realize that he is trying to figure out how he�s going to continue taking care of his family and coming to the realization that his families beloved eight year old dog may be making an appearance at the local animal shelter soon. Your dog lies contently by your side. Be thankful.
Every litter born that is healthy and strong and has no complications for the mother dog is a miracle in itself. No super stars. No strong contenders for Best in Show. Not this time. Not this litter. Another German Shepherd puppy rests peacefully tonight because you cared enough to find them their wonderful, loving forever homes. Be thankful.
Your dog may never win a blue ribbon or win a Best in Trial trophy. Heck he may never do any winning at all. But every time an unfamiliar car pulls into the driveway and he rushes to the window with teeth bared ready to defend you with his life, be thankful.
A gazillion German Shepherds will die in kill shelters this year. Faces with quizzical eyes peer out of the cramped cages wondering why the man that they normally love and protect is not doing the same for them. Hug your dog today and be thankful.
Every congratulations, every �well done�, every pat on the back, every well wishes received, all deserves a �Thank you� from you. It�s your day. It�s your time. Enjoy it but be thankful.
From the book: CHOOSING GRATITUDE: YOUR JOURNEY TO JOY - Gratitude is a choice. If we fail to chose it, by default we choose ingratitude. And once allowed into the heart, ingratitude does not come by itself but with a lot of other seedy companions that only succeed in stealing joy. To not choose gratitude - daily and deliberately - is more costly than we usually realize. And when we do choose a lifestyle of heartfelt, humble gratitude, we are mindful of the benefits received from our gracious Savior and those He has placed around us. By intentionally thanking God and others, bitterness and entitlement are replaced with joy and the humble realization of just how undeserving we really are.
My rating: Thankfulness: (4)
Some may complain that this years National received a small entry because among other things the area of the country that it�s being held at. Utah is a photographers and a sightseer�s delight to the eye. If you�re lucky to be in God�s country, be thankful!
If you can afford it or think it�s reasonable to pay $15 - $40 to watch the streaming video of the National this year, then be thankful.
If you can afford to feed your dog natural holistic dog food rather than road kill advertised as dog food, then be thankful.
If you can afford to drive a car that holds two or three dog crates instead of having to let your dogs ride loose in the back seat, then be thankful.
If your dog won his futurity/maturity show and was chosen to represent your area, then instead of complaining about the location of the National show, remember he beat other people�s dogs that wish they were in your shoes this year. Who knows, you might be bringing home the next Futurity/Maturity Victor/Victrix, so be thankful!
If you got one of the top dog handlers in the country to consent to handle your dog at the National this year, instead of complaining how expensive he is, remember many other people wanted him too and he chose your dog to show so be very thankful.
The next time your dog loses to an �inferior� dog, remember he might not have won today, but most of the time he does. It was just the �inferior� dogs� day today. Your dog is still the top winning dog, so be thankful.
Some of you can read this blog. Some of you belong to many different dog e-mail lists. Many of you can look up all the health information you want about our breed right here on the internet. But what about all those that can�t because they can�t afford a computer or they don�t have high speed internet service or any service at all where they live. So many of you have access to the information highway, be thankful.
Some of you enjoy the comforts of your home, your car, your vacations and having a good meal in your stomachs. Not that you are any more hard working or dedicated than your neighbor who lost his job six months ago after working for his company for 30 years. You sleep well at night, while he suffers from anxiety with the mortgage company knocking on his door with an eviction notice. Be thankful.
When that mortgage company knocks on your neighbor�s door, realize that he is trying to figure out how he�s going to continue taking care of his family and coming to the realization that his families beloved eight year old dog may be making an appearance at the local animal shelter soon. Your dog lies contently by your side. Be thankful.
Every litter born that is healthy and strong and has no complications for the mother dog is a miracle in itself. No super stars. No strong contenders for Best in Show. Not this time. Not this litter. Another German Shepherd puppy rests peacefully tonight because you cared enough to find them their wonderful, loving forever homes. Be thankful.
Your dog may never win a blue ribbon or win a Best in Trial trophy. Heck he may never do any winning at all. But every time an unfamiliar car pulls into the driveway and he rushes to the window with teeth bared ready to defend you with his life, be thankful.
A gazillion German Shepherds will die in kill shelters this year. Faces with quizzical eyes peer out of the cramped cages wondering why the man that they normally love and protect is not doing the same for them. Hug your dog today and be thankful.
Every congratulations, every �well done�, every pat on the back, every well wishes received, all deserves a �Thank you� from you. It�s your day. It�s your time. Enjoy it but be thankful.
From the book: CHOOSING GRATITUDE: YOUR JOURNEY TO JOY - Gratitude is a choice. If we fail to chose it, by default we choose ingratitude. And once allowed into the heart, ingratitude does not come by itself but with a lot of other seedy companions that only succeed in stealing joy. To not choose gratitude - daily and deliberately - is more costly than we usually realize. And when we do choose a lifestyle of heartfelt, humble gratitude, we are mindful of the benefits received from our gracious Savior and those He has placed around us. By intentionally thanking God and others, bitterness and entitlement are replaced with joy and the humble realization of just how undeserving we really are.
My rating: Thankfulness: (4)
Monday, 13 September 2010
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU JUST WON THE LOTTERY!
How many of you play the lottery? How many of you ever won a lottery? Do you buy yourself a ticket every week and dream of what you would do with all that money once you had it in your hands? Oh I bet many of your dreams would center on your dogs. So what would you do differently than you do now if you won the lottery? Would your lifestyle change all that much or would you save your money for a rainy day?
Well let�s take a look at some of the things that you could do if you were blessed as the next big winner of the lottery.
You could build your dream home with your dogs in mind. Would you build a kennel for your dogs? Maybe you would extend the kennel runs that you already have. Would you attach the kennel runs to a part of your house or would you have a separate kennel building away from the house? Would you invest in new dog houses or kennel roofs? How about new flooring for the kennel runs?
And what kind of house would you build? Would it all be on one floor? Would you have a trophy room displaying all of your dog�s show win pictures and awards? Would this room be where you would bring potential puppy buyers? Perhaps from this room, you would have a mud room leading to a breeze way that would be attached to your kennels.
Would you have a special whelping and puppy room to welcome your new litters to the world? Would your newborns be whelped in the newest �state of the art� whelping box? You would have all of your whelping supplies in this room. You would also make sure that you had a telephone in this room so you could be in contact with your vet during delivery.
Would you have a special grooming room for the dogs? You might have a big bath tub and grooming tables with special blow dryers. You would have shelves with grooming products lined up for easy use. There would be nail clippers, scissors, brushes and combs and every coat enhancing shampoo and conditioner imaginable. There would be all different leashes and collars depending upon what you needed them for.
Would your dog�s diet change? Would you feed him the best holistic food on the market or would you start feeding him a raw diet. If you don�t like getting your hands dirty and bloody from raw feeding, don�t worry, that�s what you have a new maid for.
Would you use ceramic tiles on your kitchen floor and would your whole house be built with wood floors throughout your home? Would you own an industrial strength vacuum cleaner to help keep those floors free of the gift of the German Shepherd Dog�s undercoat?
What kind of car would you drive? Would you buy yourself a brand new SUV or a van or would you really splurge and go out and buy yourself a brand new motor home? Who knows, maybe you�d buy one of each. After all you would have plenty of room in your three car garage. You�ll have to leave your brand new boat outside though. That�s alright, you can keep it covered.
Would you take a look at your dogs and re-evaluate your breeding and showing stock? If money wasn�t a problem, would you go out and look to buy yourself the next �superstar?� Would you hire the best handler in the country and start a show campaign with your newest member to your kennel? Would you put more ads in the Review? Would you advertise in all of the show win magazines?
Would you book a hotel for the American and Canadian Nationals a year in advance to ensure you got the best room possible? Would you also make sure that you reserved a front roll seat to the shows so you got an �up close and personal� view of every dog that was entered?
Would you set aside a certain amount of money for German Shepherd Dog rescues efforts to take care to find the best homes possible for the �forgotten� ones? Would you donate to shelters to make sure the animals got food and medical attention? Would you quit your job now that you are a �gazillionaire� so you can devote some volunteer time to the shelters in your community?
Would you remember the homeless, the poor, the sick and the dying? Would you change your will? Or perhaps you would stay just the way you are so your �come out of the woodwork� no good for nothing relatives don�t notice anything different is going on.
So you just won the lottery. What would you do with your gazillions?
Well let�s take a look at some of the things that you could do if you were blessed as the next big winner of the lottery.
You could build your dream home with your dogs in mind. Would you build a kennel for your dogs? Maybe you would extend the kennel runs that you already have. Would you attach the kennel runs to a part of your house or would you have a separate kennel building away from the house? Would you invest in new dog houses or kennel roofs? How about new flooring for the kennel runs?
And what kind of house would you build? Would it all be on one floor? Would you have a trophy room displaying all of your dog�s show win pictures and awards? Would this room be where you would bring potential puppy buyers? Perhaps from this room, you would have a mud room leading to a breeze way that would be attached to your kennels.
Would you have a special whelping and puppy room to welcome your new litters to the world? Would your newborns be whelped in the newest �state of the art� whelping box? You would have all of your whelping supplies in this room. You would also make sure that you had a telephone in this room so you could be in contact with your vet during delivery.
Would you have a special grooming room for the dogs? You might have a big bath tub and grooming tables with special blow dryers. You would have shelves with grooming products lined up for easy use. There would be nail clippers, scissors, brushes and combs and every coat enhancing shampoo and conditioner imaginable. There would be all different leashes and collars depending upon what you needed them for.
Would your dog�s diet change? Would you feed him the best holistic food on the market or would you start feeding him a raw diet. If you don�t like getting your hands dirty and bloody from raw feeding, don�t worry, that�s what you have a new maid for.
Would you use ceramic tiles on your kitchen floor and would your whole house be built with wood floors throughout your home? Would you own an industrial strength vacuum cleaner to help keep those floors free of the gift of the German Shepherd Dog�s undercoat?
What kind of car would you drive? Would you buy yourself a brand new SUV or a van or would you really splurge and go out and buy yourself a brand new motor home? Who knows, maybe you�d buy one of each. After all you would have plenty of room in your three car garage. You�ll have to leave your brand new boat outside though. That�s alright, you can keep it covered.
Would you take a look at your dogs and re-evaluate your breeding and showing stock? If money wasn�t a problem, would you go out and look to buy yourself the next �superstar?� Would you hire the best handler in the country and start a show campaign with your newest member to your kennel? Would you put more ads in the Review? Would you advertise in all of the show win magazines?
Would you book a hotel for the American and Canadian Nationals a year in advance to ensure you got the best room possible? Would you also make sure that you reserved a front roll seat to the shows so you got an �up close and personal� view of every dog that was entered?
Would you set aside a certain amount of money for German Shepherd Dog rescues efforts to take care to find the best homes possible for the �forgotten� ones? Would you donate to shelters to make sure the animals got food and medical attention? Would you quit your job now that you are a �gazillionaire� so you can devote some volunteer time to the shelters in your community?
Would you remember the homeless, the poor, the sick and the dying? Would you change your will? Or perhaps you would stay just the way you are so your �come out of the woodwork� no good for nothing relatives don�t notice anything different is going on.
So you just won the lottery. What would you do with your gazillions?
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
WHEN VETERINARIANS MAKE MISTAKES
I don�t think I�ll hear an argument from anyone when I say that paying a visit to your dog�s veterinarian can be very expensive. Sometimes an ordinary routine visit may find you paying for your dog to have expensive blood work done, stool samples checked, shots brought up to date, etc. Your vet may tell you he recommends that you do this for your dog or that for your dog. Before you know it, you walk out of the office having just laid out a couple of hundred dollars or more.
If you are lucky, you have a great veterinarian to take care of your animals and he has done so for many years. You�ve developed a friendship with him and if you�re a breeder, he�s willing to work with you and your breeding program. Some veterinarians do not look kindly on breeders. I know this to be true because I have a veterinarian right in my own town, not five minutes away from me. Once she found out that I was a breeder, she didn�t want to take care of my dogs any longer. One time she told me if I breed my bitch which I told her that I planned on doing, that she would not be there for me if the bitch had any problems while whelping her litter. She takes care of all of the shelter animals and is responsible for spaying and neutering them. She is very much against breeders. I should have asked her about all of the pure bred dogs that she takes care of; how does she think they got here? Needless to say, I no longer go to her. What a shame because here office is so close to me.
So we all know some very good veterinarians, but what about those that are not? What about those that make costly and sometimes deadly mistakes? Because there is no statistics on veterinary malpractice suits, it�s hard to know just how often this goes on. The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) collects not statistics on this.
For comparison purposes, many industry experts look to human medicine for data. This next information blew me away. Medical errors kill as many as 98,000 people a year and probably even more according to a decade-old Institute of Medicine report widely regarded as a baseline. Wow���..I just can�t believe that that many people seeking medical attention lose their lives because of a medical error. That really is unbelievable.
Veterinarians are human after all and mistakes do happen. But who wants to own the animal that has that mistake happen to him? It could be very costly financially and in some cases deadly to the animal. Following are some stories about some of these veterinarian mistakes.
A lawyer and his social worker wife suffered from extreme distress when a pathologist�s report from the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary Medicine said that their dog had osteosarcoma, an aggressive deadly bone cancer. They had discussed putting their dog to sleep so he wouldn�t suffer so much pain. They reluctantly even scheduled the euthanasia. The day before the dreaded appointment, they got a second opinion from an expert at the Ohio State University who ruled out cancer and said the dog was recovering from any injury!
Listen to this one. A woman�s dog required four surgeries to repair the damage caused when her vet mistakenly operated on the wrong leg and then to make matters worse botched that operation as well when a bone plate fractured during surgery!
Then there�s the woman�s cat that had diabetes. The poor cat spent the last two years of his life grappling with severe brain damage which cost the owner $16,000 to care for him. It turned out that her vet allowed his adult son, who was not licensed as a veterinary technician to administer insulin to the animal without supervision the records shows. The penalty that this vet received was a $250 fine and 30 day suspension of his license. Records show that he was placed on six months probation.
Animal lovers were outraged at the �slap on the wrist� type of discipline this veterinarian received. They feel that a $250 fine and a stayed suspension were completely inadequate as a deterrent. What would happen to a human medical doctor if that happened some wondered?
Even more stunning are those owners of injured animals discovering that state veterinary boards dismiss up to 80 percent of the complaints filed against their members with a legal system that regards pets as mere property. There is no way to recover damages for emotional loss.
Laws vary, but in most state courts animals are worth their market value and maybe any economic value they generate for their owners. That could be a considerable amount of money for show dogs for instance but not for most household pets.
Let�s say you have an older mixed breed dog, the value of that dog is generally considered to be under $100. It�s sad and unfair for people who care about their animals only to find out if their animal is killed or injured, they cannot sue.
These are just a few of the horror stories that some people and their beloved pets had to endure. Most vets are caring individuals and want the best for our animals. Some shouldn�t even be practicing. I used to know someone that worked for a veterinarian clinic and she once told me, �Barbara if you knew what went on here after people leave their animals, you�d be shocked!�
When we have to leave our animals over night for a procedure or operation, most of us are nervous wrecks about it. We�re concerned about our animals pulling through the operation, his recovery, etc. What we don�t need to be worrying about is if our animals are being treated properly. I remember many years ago taking someone�s cat into a vet that was sick while her owner was away. Now mind you this was the owner�s vet that she had been going to for years. I�ll never forget how that cat was taken out of his carrier and literally slammed on the table. Can I say that I was shocked? You bet I was. The owner gave him a piece of her mind on her return from her vacation and that�s the last time the vet ever saw her animal again.
If you have a great vet, then he is a God send. There�s nothing more rewarding than having a vet that cares and knows what the heck he�s doing. If he�s that good, people will travel the extra miles to go to him.
From the book: TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A VETERINARIAN: AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE STORY....
Dr. Witiak�s stories of the bond between the veterinarian, client, and pet take the reader into the exam room and on house calls to experience the laughable calamities, miscues, and surprises as well as the personal sorrows, revelations, and joys that treating animals can bring. This is a book of vignettes and personal commentary by a devoted veterinarian who is dedicated both to the science of his profession and to his personal belief in the importance of being loved and loving.
Dr. Witiak makes readers laugh when he checks a small dog�s breath and gets bitten on the nose and then makes them cry when he hugs an old man who has just lost his faithful canine friend. The stories give the reader a deeper understanding of how the unconditional love of our animals enables us to love each other better.
This is a joyous ride where readers bounce from one event to the other just like the veterinarian bounds from exam room to exam room � each with its own surprises. Readers discover just how organic caring is as Dr. Witiak works his magic, enjoying his tongue-in-cheek observations and self-deprecating humor along the way.
My rating: veterinarians: (1-4), veterinarians that work well with breeders: (4)
If you are lucky, you have a great veterinarian to take care of your animals and he has done so for many years. You�ve developed a friendship with him and if you�re a breeder, he�s willing to work with you and your breeding program. Some veterinarians do not look kindly on breeders. I know this to be true because I have a veterinarian right in my own town, not five minutes away from me. Once she found out that I was a breeder, she didn�t want to take care of my dogs any longer. One time she told me if I breed my bitch which I told her that I planned on doing, that she would not be there for me if the bitch had any problems while whelping her litter. She takes care of all of the shelter animals and is responsible for spaying and neutering them. She is very much against breeders. I should have asked her about all of the pure bred dogs that she takes care of; how does she think they got here? Needless to say, I no longer go to her. What a shame because here office is so close to me.
So we all know some very good veterinarians, but what about those that are not? What about those that make costly and sometimes deadly mistakes? Because there is no statistics on veterinary malpractice suits, it�s hard to know just how often this goes on. The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) collects not statistics on this.
For comparison purposes, many industry experts look to human medicine for data. This next information blew me away. Medical errors kill as many as 98,000 people a year and probably even more according to a decade-old Institute of Medicine report widely regarded as a baseline. Wow���..I just can�t believe that that many people seeking medical attention lose their lives because of a medical error. That really is unbelievable.
Veterinarians are human after all and mistakes do happen. But who wants to own the animal that has that mistake happen to him? It could be very costly financially and in some cases deadly to the animal. Following are some stories about some of these veterinarian mistakes.
A lawyer and his social worker wife suffered from extreme distress when a pathologist�s report from the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary Medicine said that their dog had osteosarcoma, an aggressive deadly bone cancer. They had discussed putting their dog to sleep so he wouldn�t suffer so much pain. They reluctantly even scheduled the euthanasia. The day before the dreaded appointment, they got a second opinion from an expert at the Ohio State University who ruled out cancer and said the dog was recovering from any injury!
Listen to this one. A woman�s dog required four surgeries to repair the damage caused when her vet mistakenly operated on the wrong leg and then to make matters worse botched that operation as well when a bone plate fractured during surgery!
Then there�s the woman�s cat that had diabetes. The poor cat spent the last two years of his life grappling with severe brain damage which cost the owner $16,000 to care for him. It turned out that her vet allowed his adult son, who was not licensed as a veterinary technician to administer insulin to the animal without supervision the records shows. The penalty that this vet received was a $250 fine and 30 day suspension of his license. Records show that he was placed on six months probation.
Animal lovers were outraged at the �slap on the wrist� type of discipline this veterinarian received. They feel that a $250 fine and a stayed suspension were completely inadequate as a deterrent. What would happen to a human medical doctor if that happened some wondered?
Even more stunning are those owners of injured animals discovering that state veterinary boards dismiss up to 80 percent of the complaints filed against their members with a legal system that regards pets as mere property. There is no way to recover damages for emotional loss.
Laws vary, but in most state courts animals are worth their market value and maybe any economic value they generate for their owners. That could be a considerable amount of money for show dogs for instance but not for most household pets.
Let�s say you have an older mixed breed dog, the value of that dog is generally considered to be under $100. It�s sad and unfair for people who care about their animals only to find out if their animal is killed or injured, they cannot sue.
These are just a few of the horror stories that some people and their beloved pets had to endure. Most vets are caring individuals and want the best for our animals. Some shouldn�t even be practicing. I used to know someone that worked for a veterinarian clinic and she once told me, �Barbara if you knew what went on here after people leave their animals, you�d be shocked!�
When we have to leave our animals over night for a procedure or operation, most of us are nervous wrecks about it. We�re concerned about our animals pulling through the operation, his recovery, etc. What we don�t need to be worrying about is if our animals are being treated properly. I remember many years ago taking someone�s cat into a vet that was sick while her owner was away. Now mind you this was the owner�s vet that she had been going to for years. I�ll never forget how that cat was taken out of his carrier and literally slammed on the table. Can I say that I was shocked? You bet I was. The owner gave him a piece of her mind on her return from her vacation and that�s the last time the vet ever saw her animal again.
If you have a great vet, then he is a God send. There�s nothing more rewarding than having a vet that cares and knows what the heck he�s doing. If he�s that good, people will travel the extra miles to go to him.
From the book: TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A VETERINARIAN: AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE STORY....
Dr. Witiak�s stories of the bond between the veterinarian, client, and pet take the reader into the exam room and on house calls to experience the laughable calamities, miscues, and surprises as well as the personal sorrows, revelations, and joys that treating animals can bring. This is a book of vignettes and personal commentary by a devoted veterinarian who is dedicated both to the science of his profession and to his personal belief in the importance of being loved and loving.
Dr. Witiak makes readers laugh when he checks a small dog�s breath and gets bitten on the nose and then makes them cry when he hugs an old man who has just lost his faithful canine friend. The stories give the reader a deeper understanding of how the unconditional love of our animals enables us to love each other better.
This is a joyous ride where readers bounce from one event to the other just like the veterinarian bounds from exam room to exam room � each with its own surprises. Readers discover just how organic caring is as Dr. Witiak works his magic, enjoying his tongue-in-cheek observations and self-deprecating humor along the way.
My rating: veterinarians: (1-4), veterinarians that work well with breeders: (4)
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
SQUISH
SQUISH - (Turning negatives into positives one squish at a time)
Ever have one of those days when everything seems to go wrong? You know the type of day I�m talking about. You get up in a bad mood and don�t even know why. You�re cranky, you�re miserable, you�re talking to yourself. The dog looks at you like you�re crazy and you give him the evil eye and tell him �Don�t even think about dropping that dirty bone of yours on my lap!� He whines a little, turns around in a circle and thinks about it some more and goes and lies down in the corner with a watchful eye on you just in case you all of a sudden swallow a �happy pill!�
I�m the kind of person that everyone brings me their problems all the time. They bellyache about this or that. The kids are driving them crazy, the husband barely acknowledges them, the dog missed and didn�t have any puppies, their stud dog is sterile, this one done me wrong, that one done me wrong, blah, blah, and some more blah! I listen and shake my head up and down sympathizing with them. They forget to ask what�s going on in my life. They�re too focused on what�s going on in their lives to even think that perhaps I don�t have all the answers and my life is no bowl of cherries either. Just when you�ve about to share with them the kind of day that you�re having, they interrupt you before you get two words out and say, �Love to talk to you some more, but got to go now!�
So I admit that I am a procrastinator because my mind never lets me rest filling me up with doubts and worries sometimes preventing me from taking the necessary steps to go forward. Maybe I should do something this way. No, it�s better to do it that way. What if they don�t like it? Maybe I should just start all over again. Oh those little annoying voices in my head. SQUISH!
You know the drill. You maybe heard it all your life or maybe it�s something that comes up occasionally. Sooner or later, we all deal with it. Some of us better than others. �You�ll never amount to anything. Why can�t you be more like your brother? What does he see in her? Just look at her. Who would want her? So you want to be a singer? Who would buy your music? Who�s going to hire you? What have you ever done with your life? After all, she�s not even college educated? Son, you might as well face it. This is as far as you �re ever going to go.� "SQUISH!"
Who would buy a show quality puppy from your lines? What have you done in the breed? You have the nerve to show that in the ring? I wouldn�t give you two cents for that dog. The only place that your dog can win is in the All-Breed show. He�s not good enough to win at the specialties. �SQUISH!�
Maybe I shouldn�t breed my bitch to that dog because I hear too many negative rumors about him. Maybe I should breed her to so and so�s dog instead. Nope, he�s got two missing teeth. I could always breed her to that famous Select dog. Yeah but there�s enough of his bloodlines already out there. "SQUISH!"
Squish, squash, and squelch what ever name you want to give it, it all means the same thing���..the act of suppressing, stepping on or crushing something or someone. Are you allowing someone to do this to you? Is someone feeding you negative, false information and programming you for failure? Have you heard this all your life? Can you rise above it? You can and you will if YOU decide to remove �can�t� and �won�t� from your vocabulary and decide not to listen to it from anyone else.
Probably the biggest concern and worry for many people now is the economy. It forces us to look at the way we live and to make changes to our accustomed lifestyle. It doesn�t mean that we will fail. It just means that we are retraining ourselves to a different way of living. When we fill our heads with worry, and negativity it takes so much space up in our brain that there�s no room left for the positive things that we need to do to succeed. �I�m going to lose my house. How am I going to feed my family? I�ve got to get rid of some of these dogs. I just can�t cope.� "SQUISH!"
The old saying that most of the things we worry about never come true anyway, is right on. Just stop and think about all the things that you ever worried about. How many of them came true? In order to change things in our lives for the positive, we must BELIEVE that we can. Take a look at that word BELIEVE. If you divide it in two, this is what you get. BE��the change you want to make and LEAVE (lieve) the rest behind!
I�m here to tell you that you can do whatever it is you set your little �itty bitty� heart on. Think about all the things (even if it�s just small things) that you have done when others said that you couldn�t. So think about what you still want to do. Find the good in life. Embrace the positive and SQUISH the negatives. Come on pick yourself up, turn the nagging voices off. Get rid of the �don�t have your best interests at heart� type of people from your life and do it anyway! Go on. What are you waiting for? Do you have a good idea, a great invention, or a wonderful story to tell? Do you know how to save money? Do you have a superstar puppy that you�ve been waiting to bring out but afraid of what some people might say? Do you know how to make the most delicious chocolate chip cookies on the planet? Do you produce one good quality litter of puppies after another? Everything you do is uniquely you. SUCCESS is something someone else is doing while you are still wondering if the same idea will succeed. He�s not any smarter than you or I. He had the same doubts��FOR JUST A MOMENT (and that�s the key), but he did it anyway!
Must you follow the leaders in the breed to get ahead? Can you do it on your own? Will anyone take you seriously? Do you believe everything that you are told by the breeder that has done all the winning? He must be right. After all his dogs are winning and yours are loosing. Are you getting second thoughts about what you are doing in the breed? Maybe you should just start all over again. �SQUISH.�
Do what you love in this breed. Do it for no other reason but because you love the German Shepherd Dog. Don�t do something because someone tells you that in order to win, you�ve got to do it his way. �SQUISH� the negative people and those that are only interested in you if you follow them. Just think about some of the more successful people in the breed. They haven�t all ways gotten it right. For every success that they have had, there have been many more unsuccessful attempts in their breeding and showing careers. Don�t all ways look at them and say, �Why them and not me?� They have paid their dues many times over as well, only you�re not aware of them. Those are the things that people are not advertising. They�ve had their share of heartaches as well as their successes. So before you throw in the towel, realize that your success may have been your very next attempt, but you�ll never realize it because you decided to give up. �SQUISH!�
From the book: THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING: Translated into fifteen languages with more than 7 million copies sold, The Power of Positive Thinking is unparalleled in its extraordinary capacity for restoring the faltering faith of millions. In this insightful program, Dr. Peale offers the essence of his profound method for mastering the problems of everyday living. You will learn: How to eliminate that most devastating handicap---self doubt How to free yourself from worry, stress and resentment How to climb above problems to visualize solutions and then attain them Simple prayerful exercises that you can do every day, through-out the day, to reinforce your new-found habit of happiness Eliminating all the negative thoughts that prevent you from achieving happiness and success, The Power of Positive Thinking is an inspiring program that will help you create a positive change in your life.
My rating: Positive thinking: (4)
Ever have one of those days when everything seems to go wrong? You know the type of day I�m talking about. You get up in a bad mood and don�t even know why. You�re cranky, you�re miserable, you�re talking to yourself. The dog looks at you like you�re crazy and you give him the evil eye and tell him �Don�t even think about dropping that dirty bone of yours on my lap!� He whines a little, turns around in a circle and thinks about it some more and goes and lies down in the corner with a watchful eye on you just in case you all of a sudden swallow a �happy pill!�
I�m the kind of person that everyone brings me their problems all the time. They bellyache about this or that. The kids are driving them crazy, the husband barely acknowledges them, the dog missed and didn�t have any puppies, their stud dog is sterile, this one done me wrong, that one done me wrong, blah, blah, and some more blah! I listen and shake my head up and down sympathizing with them. They forget to ask what�s going on in my life. They�re too focused on what�s going on in their lives to even think that perhaps I don�t have all the answers and my life is no bowl of cherries either. Just when you�ve about to share with them the kind of day that you�re having, they interrupt you before you get two words out and say, �Love to talk to you some more, but got to go now!�
So I admit that I am a procrastinator because my mind never lets me rest filling me up with doubts and worries sometimes preventing me from taking the necessary steps to go forward. Maybe I should do something this way. No, it�s better to do it that way. What if they don�t like it? Maybe I should just start all over again. Oh those little annoying voices in my head. SQUISH!
You know the drill. You maybe heard it all your life or maybe it�s something that comes up occasionally. Sooner or later, we all deal with it. Some of us better than others. �You�ll never amount to anything. Why can�t you be more like your brother? What does he see in her? Just look at her. Who would want her? So you want to be a singer? Who would buy your music? Who�s going to hire you? What have you ever done with your life? After all, she�s not even college educated? Son, you might as well face it. This is as far as you �re ever going to go.� "SQUISH!"
Who would buy a show quality puppy from your lines? What have you done in the breed? You have the nerve to show that in the ring? I wouldn�t give you two cents for that dog. The only place that your dog can win is in the All-Breed show. He�s not good enough to win at the specialties. �SQUISH!�
Maybe I shouldn�t breed my bitch to that dog because I hear too many negative rumors about him. Maybe I should breed her to so and so�s dog instead. Nope, he�s got two missing teeth. I could always breed her to that famous Select dog. Yeah but there�s enough of his bloodlines already out there. "SQUISH!"
Squish, squash, and squelch what ever name you want to give it, it all means the same thing���..the act of suppressing, stepping on or crushing something or someone. Are you allowing someone to do this to you? Is someone feeding you negative, false information and programming you for failure? Have you heard this all your life? Can you rise above it? You can and you will if YOU decide to remove �can�t� and �won�t� from your vocabulary and decide not to listen to it from anyone else.
Probably the biggest concern and worry for many people now is the economy. It forces us to look at the way we live and to make changes to our accustomed lifestyle. It doesn�t mean that we will fail. It just means that we are retraining ourselves to a different way of living. When we fill our heads with worry, and negativity it takes so much space up in our brain that there�s no room left for the positive things that we need to do to succeed. �I�m going to lose my house. How am I going to feed my family? I�ve got to get rid of some of these dogs. I just can�t cope.� "SQUISH!"
The old saying that most of the things we worry about never come true anyway, is right on. Just stop and think about all the things that you ever worried about. How many of them came true? In order to change things in our lives for the positive, we must BELIEVE that we can. Take a look at that word BELIEVE. If you divide it in two, this is what you get. BE��the change you want to make and LEAVE (lieve) the rest behind!
I�m here to tell you that you can do whatever it is you set your little �itty bitty� heart on. Think about all the things (even if it�s just small things) that you have done when others said that you couldn�t. So think about what you still want to do. Find the good in life. Embrace the positive and SQUISH the negatives. Come on pick yourself up, turn the nagging voices off. Get rid of the �don�t have your best interests at heart� type of people from your life and do it anyway! Go on. What are you waiting for? Do you have a good idea, a great invention, or a wonderful story to tell? Do you know how to save money? Do you have a superstar puppy that you�ve been waiting to bring out but afraid of what some people might say? Do you know how to make the most delicious chocolate chip cookies on the planet? Do you produce one good quality litter of puppies after another? Everything you do is uniquely you. SUCCESS is something someone else is doing while you are still wondering if the same idea will succeed. He�s not any smarter than you or I. He had the same doubts��FOR JUST A MOMENT (and that�s the key), but he did it anyway!
Must you follow the leaders in the breed to get ahead? Can you do it on your own? Will anyone take you seriously? Do you believe everything that you are told by the breeder that has done all the winning? He must be right. After all his dogs are winning and yours are loosing. Are you getting second thoughts about what you are doing in the breed? Maybe you should just start all over again. �SQUISH.�
Do what you love in this breed. Do it for no other reason but because you love the German Shepherd Dog. Don�t do something because someone tells you that in order to win, you�ve got to do it his way. �SQUISH� the negative people and those that are only interested in you if you follow them. Just think about some of the more successful people in the breed. They haven�t all ways gotten it right. For every success that they have had, there have been many more unsuccessful attempts in their breeding and showing careers. Don�t all ways look at them and say, �Why them and not me?� They have paid their dues many times over as well, only you�re not aware of them. Those are the things that people are not advertising. They�ve had their share of heartaches as well as their successes. So before you throw in the towel, realize that your success may have been your very next attempt, but you�ll never realize it because you decided to give up. �SQUISH!�
From the book: THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING: Translated into fifteen languages with more than 7 million copies sold, The Power of Positive Thinking is unparalleled in its extraordinary capacity for restoring the faltering faith of millions. In this insightful program, Dr. Peale offers the essence of his profound method for mastering the problems of everyday living. You will learn: How to eliminate that most devastating handicap---self doubt How to free yourself from worry, stress and resentment How to climb above problems to visualize solutions and then attain them Simple prayerful exercises that you can do every day, through-out the day, to reinforce your new-found habit of happiness Eliminating all the negative thoughts that prevent you from achieving happiness and success, The Power of Positive Thinking is an inspiring program that will help you create a positive change in your life.
My rating: Positive thinking: (4)
Monday, 28 June 2010
HE SAID WHAT?
So yesterday I wrote on a few e-mail lists about something someone wrote about on a social network group that I belong to. For those that didn�t read it, and for those that are not on those e-mail lists, I�ll write about it again here because it fits in with today�s topic.
This woman wanted to know what she could do about a male dog that she owns that has been driving her crazy with his constant whining. Hmmmm, all right, so I read on. It seems that the dog has a one track mind. You see this woman also owns another dog which is a female that just so happens to be in season. She�s not a breeder, but a pet owner. Obviously neither one of the dogs is altered. She wanted to know what she could do about his constant whining besides having them altered. Oh yeah, she keeps the female up on the bed with her while the male paces around the floor. So I write to her trying to convince her to get both dogs altered. I told her how her male could end up having prostrate problems if she doesn�t have him �fixed!� I don�t think she liked my answer because she never wrote back. She�s more focused on trying to get him to stop making so much noise rather than fix the problem at its source. Wouldn�t you think that someone would have more common sense than this? I guess not. People never fail to amaze me��even though we have more intelligence than animals do! Sometimes I wonder!
Looking back through the years and the people we�ve all dealt with��wow the stories that we could tell. Some of them may have made us laugh and others may have made us shake our heads in disbelief. Sometimes friends will share their stories with me and we�ll giggle about some of them. So here�s a couple of more that I share with you.
Seems this woman was a neat freak. She liked everything to be perfect in her house. She had owned other breeds of dogs before, but this time she wanted a German Shepherd. When the breeder told her the only negative thing about this breed was their excessive shedding, the woman squirmed in her chair a little bit, but she wasn�t convinced that this could be a problem for her. As time went by she would call the breeder with her puppy tales about her new dog. The breeder really didn�t hear about too many complaints so she was happy. One day she got a letter and a couple of pictures from the woman. In one of the pictures she could see that it was taken in the winter time. She saw the dog in boots and rain gear. In the summer pictures, she saw that the dog had been shaven. The breeder was concerned so she called the owner. The owner just said that she was making sure that her house would remain clean. All winter long she kept the boots on the dog every time he went in and out of the house. The rain gear prevented him from getting water or snow on her Oriental carpets. The shaving of his coat prevented him from shedding too much. Forget about the fact that he needed that undercoat to protect him from the elements. Forget about the fact that now he could get sunburned. So she says, �I�m a fashionable woman, and the dog that lives in my home must also be fashionable and keep up with the latest trends!� She planned on keeping the dog dressed in designer clothes! So I guess that no harm was done except maybe the loss of the nobility of the German Shepherd! He really didn�t care though. He was very much loved and at the same time became quite a fashionable fellow among the local neighborhood dogs I�m told!
One day I got a call about a litter of puppies that I had advertised in the New York Times. I had a pleasant conversation with a man that told me what he was looking for in a dog. He had told me that he owned a German Shepherd before. He seemed intelligent and educated about the proper way of taking care of this breed. He promised he would do the best by my puppy and that the puppy would be very much loved. He told me his dogs slept in the bed with him. Well he seemed like the perfect type of person that I wanted for one of my puppies. He was adamant about the fact that the puppy had to be a female and told me that he wanted the biggest one in the litter. He said that size was very important to him. He didn�t want the runt of the litter. Well these requirements seemed reasonable enough. I reassured him that my puppies were big and healthy. He seemed happy with my response to the size question. Then he proceeds to tell me (I don�t know if you guys are ready for this), the reason that he wanted the biggest female in the litter was because he wanted to have sex with her. I kid you not!! I almost dropped the phone on the floor. I thought I must be hearing incorrectly. I asked him to repeat himself hoping that I was wrong. Nope, I wasn�t and yes this is what he wanted the large female for. I slammed the phone down and stood in the middle of the floor with my mouth open. I just couldn�t believe what I just heard! Ahh�..just another reason why I like animals better than most people.
Then there�s the story of Mr. Jones. Now Mr. Jones was the kind of man that everyone liked. You just couldn�t get mad at Mr. Jones. He was a refined elderly type of gentlemen. He would come to obedience classes all dressed up in a suit and tie. He was very distinguished looking. Everything he did was slow and deliberate. He took his time when all those around him were loud and boisterous. Mr. Jones wasn�t in any hurry. And one could tell this by looking at his dog that he brought to class with him. He too was a quiet sort of dog. Oh Mr. Jones was very proud of his dog Rusty. He didn�t care about his pedigree or that he wasn�t a show dog. Mr. Jones just loved good old Rusty. The instructor of the class was very patient with Mr. Jones because after all, who could ever get mad at him? He was just too nice! Well the instructor would tell the class what she wanted them to do with their dog, whether it be to sit, stay, down, come, etc. So one night the instructor tells us to make our dogs sit and stay and then for us to walk across the floor to the other side of the room. Mr. Jones tells Rusty to sit and stay as the rest of us are telling our dogs the same thing. So we all are walking across the floor to the other side of the room. Our dogs are doing what we commanded them to do��except for Rusty. Rusty is closely following Mr. Jones across to the other side of the room. Mr. Jones is not even aware of it as he�s walking calmly with his dog wiping up the rear. You could just about hear a pin drop even though some of us were trying to hold back our giggles. �Mr. Jones� the instructor calls out to him. �Correct your dog.� He looks at her like if to say, �Who me?� But one never to argue or question anyone, he turns around and see�s Rusty standing right behind him. He say�s �F�.Rusty what are you doing boy?� Well all of our mouths dropped as the refined elderly Mr. Jones just burst our bubble! He was human after all!
So there you have just some of the stories about people and their quirky ways. I�m sure many of you have your own stories you could tell when dealing with the public. Dealing with the public is by far my most disliked area when selling puppies.
My rating: no bad dogs: (4), dysfunctional people: (1)
This woman wanted to know what she could do about a male dog that she owns that has been driving her crazy with his constant whining. Hmmmm, all right, so I read on. It seems that the dog has a one track mind. You see this woman also owns another dog which is a female that just so happens to be in season. She�s not a breeder, but a pet owner. Obviously neither one of the dogs is altered. She wanted to know what she could do about his constant whining besides having them altered. Oh yeah, she keeps the female up on the bed with her while the male paces around the floor. So I write to her trying to convince her to get both dogs altered. I told her how her male could end up having prostrate problems if she doesn�t have him �fixed!� I don�t think she liked my answer because she never wrote back. She�s more focused on trying to get him to stop making so much noise rather than fix the problem at its source. Wouldn�t you think that someone would have more common sense than this? I guess not. People never fail to amaze me��even though we have more intelligence than animals do! Sometimes I wonder!
Looking back through the years and the people we�ve all dealt with��wow the stories that we could tell. Some of them may have made us laugh and others may have made us shake our heads in disbelief. Sometimes friends will share their stories with me and we�ll giggle about some of them. So here�s a couple of more that I share with you.
Seems this woman was a neat freak. She liked everything to be perfect in her house. She had owned other breeds of dogs before, but this time she wanted a German Shepherd. When the breeder told her the only negative thing about this breed was their excessive shedding, the woman squirmed in her chair a little bit, but she wasn�t convinced that this could be a problem for her. As time went by she would call the breeder with her puppy tales about her new dog. The breeder really didn�t hear about too many complaints so she was happy. One day she got a letter and a couple of pictures from the woman. In one of the pictures she could see that it was taken in the winter time. She saw the dog in boots and rain gear. In the summer pictures, she saw that the dog had been shaven. The breeder was concerned so she called the owner. The owner just said that she was making sure that her house would remain clean. All winter long she kept the boots on the dog every time he went in and out of the house. The rain gear prevented him from getting water or snow on her Oriental carpets. The shaving of his coat prevented him from shedding too much. Forget about the fact that he needed that undercoat to protect him from the elements. Forget about the fact that now he could get sunburned. So she says, �I�m a fashionable woman, and the dog that lives in my home must also be fashionable and keep up with the latest trends!� She planned on keeping the dog dressed in designer clothes! So I guess that no harm was done except maybe the loss of the nobility of the German Shepherd! He really didn�t care though. He was very much loved and at the same time became quite a fashionable fellow among the local neighborhood dogs I�m told!
One day I got a call about a litter of puppies that I had advertised in the New York Times. I had a pleasant conversation with a man that told me what he was looking for in a dog. He had told me that he owned a German Shepherd before. He seemed intelligent and educated about the proper way of taking care of this breed. He promised he would do the best by my puppy and that the puppy would be very much loved. He told me his dogs slept in the bed with him. Well he seemed like the perfect type of person that I wanted for one of my puppies. He was adamant about the fact that the puppy had to be a female and told me that he wanted the biggest one in the litter. He said that size was very important to him. He didn�t want the runt of the litter. Well these requirements seemed reasonable enough. I reassured him that my puppies were big and healthy. He seemed happy with my response to the size question. Then he proceeds to tell me (I don�t know if you guys are ready for this), the reason that he wanted the biggest female in the litter was because he wanted to have sex with her. I kid you not!! I almost dropped the phone on the floor. I thought I must be hearing incorrectly. I asked him to repeat himself hoping that I was wrong. Nope, I wasn�t and yes this is what he wanted the large female for. I slammed the phone down and stood in the middle of the floor with my mouth open. I just couldn�t believe what I just heard! Ahh�..just another reason why I like animals better than most people.
Then there�s the story of Mr. Jones. Now Mr. Jones was the kind of man that everyone liked. You just couldn�t get mad at Mr. Jones. He was a refined elderly type of gentlemen. He would come to obedience classes all dressed up in a suit and tie. He was very distinguished looking. Everything he did was slow and deliberate. He took his time when all those around him were loud and boisterous. Mr. Jones wasn�t in any hurry. And one could tell this by looking at his dog that he brought to class with him. He too was a quiet sort of dog. Oh Mr. Jones was very proud of his dog Rusty. He didn�t care about his pedigree or that he wasn�t a show dog. Mr. Jones just loved good old Rusty. The instructor of the class was very patient with Mr. Jones because after all, who could ever get mad at him? He was just too nice! Well the instructor would tell the class what she wanted them to do with their dog, whether it be to sit, stay, down, come, etc. So one night the instructor tells us to make our dogs sit and stay and then for us to walk across the floor to the other side of the room. Mr. Jones tells Rusty to sit and stay as the rest of us are telling our dogs the same thing. So we all are walking across the floor to the other side of the room. Our dogs are doing what we commanded them to do��except for Rusty. Rusty is closely following Mr. Jones across to the other side of the room. Mr. Jones is not even aware of it as he�s walking calmly with his dog wiping up the rear. You could just about hear a pin drop even though some of us were trying to hold back our giggles. �Mr. Jones� the instructor calls out to him. �Correct your dog.� He looks at her like if to say, �Who me?� But one never to argue or question anyone, he turns around and see�s Rusty standing right behind him. He say�s �F�.Rusty what are you doing boy?� Well all of our mouths dropped as the refined elderly Mr. Jones just burst our bubble! He was human after all!
So there you have just some of the stories about people and their quirky ways. I�m sure many of you have your own stories you could tell when dealing with the public. Dealing with the public is by far my most disliked area when selling puppies.
My rating: no bad dogs: (4), dysfunctional people: (1)
Friday, 28 May 2010
LONG AFTER THE APPLAUSE DIES DOWN
LONG AFTER THE APPLAUSE DIES DOWN
By
Barbara J. Galasso
The janitor sweeps up the floor of candy wrappers carelessly left behind. He walks up to the next roll of seats, picking up half empty cans of soda pop, an arm band is picked up, number 89 it reads and without giving much more thought to it, he throws it in the trash can. A half eaten hot dog lies neatly on a chair's arm rest like its owner might come back to claim the rest of it. An open catalog lies haphazardly on a chair with the numbers one, two, three and four circled next to strange unknown names. Moving among the seats, he notices a spray bottle on the cement floor. He picks it up and opens the cap. He thinks to himself that it smells very much like a hair conditioner. What would someone be doing with a hair condition in a sports arena he wonders? �What�s this, he mumbles to himself. Oh boy, it looks like someone left their eye glasses behind.� He picks them up and puts it in his pocket to turn it into the lost and found. It's been a long day, cleaning and polishing and making things look new again. He's tired as he reaches to turn the light switch off.
The stadium is dark as he climbs the steps that will lead him out the arena door. As he reaches for the handle, he hears a slight noise and turns to look in its direction. He hears it again and recognizes it as the echoes of people clapping and cheering, and screaming and laughing. He turns the switch back on once again and the arena is flooded with light as he takes a seat at the top of the arena and listens as the thunderous applause surrounds the stadium as it did just a few short days ago.
"Excuse me sir", someone says to him as they try to squeeze past him with popcorn and soda in their hands. A little bit of the soda falls on the janitor�s shoes and he tells the kid to watch where he�s going. �Well it�s not like I did it on purpose� the kid wise mouths him. �Kids today have no respect� he says to himself. "Over here Tony," he hears another kid say. I've found an empty seat. Excuse me mister� the kid says as he tries to squeeze himself past the old man. The janitor looks around the huge arena, and wonders why these kids can�t find another seat besides the ones next to him!
Dogs are lying in the aisles. He knows he recognizes this breed, but can't quite figure out what they call them. "Oh, yeah, they're those police dogs," he says to himself. He looks down at the middle of the arena floor and sees hundreds of police dogs in the center of the ring. He wonders what they�re all doing here. He sees dogs running around the stadium with people running after them on long leashes. He sees some lady in the middle of the ring open the dog�s mouth and is looking at its teeth. "She's a lot braver than me," he thinks to himself. "And why is she touching his private parts?" he wonders. "She's lucky he doesn't take those teeth and sink it into her leg," he chuckles to himself.
"Pardon me sir," a teenage boy says to him. "I think you're in my seat." �Go sit over there he tells him in a menacing voice. This is my seat. Got it?� This kid doesn�t answer him back and quickly takes a seat several rolls away. "Hey did somebody borrow my catalog? I want it back, someone cries out in protest. "Where the heck did I put my glasses?" a little old lady mumbles to herself as she sits down in front of the janitor as she starts to rummage through her pocketbook.
He hears the woman a few seats away from him saying to her friend, �Did you ever see such a horrible looking bitch? She has no front, her rear end is all over the place and she�s missing a couple of teeth on top of it! Her friend responds by saying, �You should see what she produces like. Her babies are just as ugly as she is!� �Wow, the janitor thinks to himself. In my time, women didn�t use such language and it was one thing talking about someone, but quite another to be talking about someone�s kids!� He decides to take another seat further down the roll away from these offending women.
He turns his attention back to the ring. The dogs are all lined up in a roll over against the wall now and standing just as proud as can be. "Wow, I like that one in the front," the janitor says to himself. I've never seen such pretty looking police dogs before." He hears someone whisper to another that they like the second dog better than the first dog and questions why the dog in 15th place is not moved up to the front of the line?
Just then the dogs start to run around the ring again, one faster than the other. He hears whistles, and bells, and chains that rattle. He sees people running around calling out names like Royce, and Lillie and running into one another. He wonders where they're all running to in such a hurry. He looks around uncomfortably to make sure there isn't a fire that�s started somewhere. He thinks maybe he should get up and investigate, but is having too much fun watching all the pretty police dogs.
Then the lady in the middle of the ring points to the dog in first place and everyone stands up on their feet to a thunderous ovation. He wonders if he should be doing the same thing only he doesn't know what he'd be clapping for. He sees bulbs flashing as a photographer takes pictures, hands congratulating one another and others walking away cursing and tearing off their arm bands. A huge trophy is brought out to the center of the ring and the dog he likes is standing next to it. He's so beautiful, that he wants to go down there and pet him.
Just then he feels a hand on his shoulder and he say's to himself, "If someone asks me to move one more time, I might not be so accommodating as I was before!� "Come on Harry, for Pete's sake," he hears a familiar voice call out his name. "If Mr. Drake sees you napping again, you're going to be fired," he hears the voice say to him. He looks up and it's his co/worker John standing above him. "I'm not napping John," he tells him. "I'm watching the police dogs. Sit down and watch them with me," he tells him. "What police dogs? John snaps. There's nobody here but you and me, you old fool. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to lock up the doors and get home tonight."
Harry looks back at the arena, and the dogs are gone. He hears the applause dying down until there is nothing left but silence. He follows John to the door, scratching his head wondering if it was really just a dream after all. Maybe John is right. Maybe he is nothing but an old fool. But it all seemed so real.
He turns one more time to look at the arena and sees the beautiful dog with the trophy standing there looking up at him and wagging his tail, but decides not to say anything more to John about it. He all ready thinks his lost his mind. When they get out to the parking lot, he yawns as the night air hits his face. He waves good bye to John as he walks over to his car. He reaches in his pocket to get his keys out and feels the cold metal of an object. He wraps his fingers around it and pulls out the eye glasses of the little old lady.
From the book: "CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE DOG LOVER'S SOUL: STORIES OF CANINE COMPANIONSHIP, COMEDY AND COURAGE".....For thousands of years, dogs have been cherished as devoted companions and exuberant playmates�their unconditional love, limitless affection and unwavering loyalty never fail to melt our hearts. The stories in Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover�s Soul truly capture the special joy these four-legged creatures bring to our lives and hearts. From exciting and entertaining accounts of courage and humor to heartwarming tales of healing and learning, each touching story in this book will inspire dog lovers to rejoice in the unique bond they share with their canine companions.
My rating: dog stories: (4)
NO PART OF THIS STORY MAY BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR!
By
Barbara J. Galasso
The janitor sweeps up the floor of candy wrappers carelessly left behind. He walks up to the next roll of seats, picking up half empty cans of soda pop, an arm band is picked up, number 89 it reads and without giving much more thought to it, he throws it in the trash can. A half eaten hot dog lies neatly on a chair's arm rest like its owner might come back to claim the rest of it. An open catalog lies haphazardly on a chair with the numbers one, two, three and four circled next to strange unknown names. Moving among the seats, he notices a spray bottle on the cement floor. He picks it up and opens the cap. He thinks to himself that it smells very much like a hair conditioner. What would someone be doing with a hair condition in a sports arena he wonders? �What�s this, he mumbles to himself. Oh boy, it looks like someone left their eye glasses behind.� He picks them up and puts it in his pocket to turn it into the lost and found. It's been a long day, cleaning and polishing and making things look new again. He's tired as he reaches to turn the light switch off.
The stadium is dark as he climbs the steps that will lead him out the arena door. As he reaches for the handle, he hears a slight noise and turns to look in its direction. He hears it again and recognizes it as the echoes of people clapping and cheering, and screaming and laughing. He turns the switch back on once again and the arena is flooded with light as he takes a seat at the top of the arena and listens as the thunderous applause surrounds the stadium as it did just a few short days ago.
"Excuse me sir", someone says to him as they try to squeeze past him with popcorn and soda in their hands. A little bit of the soda falls on the janitor�s shoes and he tells the kid to watch where he�s going. �Well it�s not like I did it on purpose� the kid wise mouths him. �Kids today have no respect� he says to himself. "Over here Tony," he hears another kid say. I've found an empty seat. Excuse me mister� the kid says as he tries to squeeze himself past the old man. The janitor looks around the huge arena, and wonders why these kids can�t find another seat besides the ones next to him!
Dogs are lying in the aisles. He knows he recognizes this breed, but can't quite figure out what they call them. "Oh, yeah, they're those police dogs," he says to himself. He looks down at the middle of the arena floor and sees hundreds of police dogs in the center of the ring. He wonders what they�re all doing here. He sees dogs running around the stadium with people running after them on long leashes. He sees some lady in the middle of the ring open the dog�s mouth and is looking at its teeth. "She's a lot braver than me," he thinks to himself. "And why is she touching his private parts?" he wonders. "She's lucky he doesn't take those teeth and sink it into her leg," he chuckles to himself.
"Pardon me sir," a teenage boy says to him. "I think you're in my seat." �Go sit over there he tells him in a menacing voice. This is my seat. Got it?� This kid doesn�t answer him back and quickly takes a seat several rolls away. "Hey did somebody borrow my catalog? I want it back, someone cries out in protest. "Where the heck did I put my glasses?" a little old lady mumbles to herself as she sits down in front of the janitor as she starts to rummage through her pocketbook.
He hears the woman a few seats away from him saying to her friend, �Did you ever see such a horrible looking bitch? She has no front, her rear end is all over the place and she�s missing a couple of teeth on top of it! Her friend responds by saying, �You should see what she produces like. Her babies are just as ugly as she is!� �Wow, the janitor thinks to himself. In my time, women didn�t use such language and it was one thing talking about someone, but quite another to be talking about someone�s kids!� He decides to take another seat further down the roll away from these offending women.
He turns his attention back to the ring. The dogs are all lined up in a roll over against the wall now and standing just as proud as can be. "Wow, I like that one in the front," the janitor says to himself. I've never seen such pretty looking police dogs before." He hears someone whisper to another that they like the second dog better than the first dog and questions why the dog in 15th place is not moved up to the front of the line?
Just then the dogs start to run around the ring again, one faster than the other. He hears whistles, and bells, and chains that rattle. He sees people running around calling out names like Royce, and Lillie and running into one another. He wonders where they're all running to in such a hurry. He looks around uncomfortably to make sure there isn't a fire that�s started somewhere. He thinks maybe he should get up and investigate, but is having too much fun watching all the pretty police dogs.
Then the lady in the middle of the ring points to the dog in first place and everyone stands up on their feet to a thunderous ovation. He wonders if he should be doing the same thing only he doesn't know what he'd be clapping for. He sees bulbs flashing as a photographer takes pictures, hands congratulating one another and others walking away cursing and tearing off their arm bands. A huge trophy is brought out to the center of the ring and the dog he likes is standing next to it. He's so beautiful, that he wants to go down there and pet him.
Just then he feels a hand on his shoulder and he say's to himself, "If someone asks me to move one more time, I might not be so accommodating as I was before!� "Come on Harry, for Pete's sake," he hears a familiar voice call out his name. "If Mr. Drake sees you napping again, you're going to be fired," he hears the voice say to him. He looks up and it's his co/worker John standing above him. "I'm not napping John," he tells him. "I'm watching the police dogs. Sit down and watch them with me," he tells him. "What police dogs? John snaps. There's nobody here but you and me, you old fool. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to lock up the doors and get home tonight."
Harry looks back at the arena, and the dogs are gone. He hears the applause dying down until there is nothing left but silence. He follows John to the door, scratching his head wondering if it was really just a dream after all. Maybe John is right. Maybe he is nothing but an old fool. But it all seemed so real.
He turns one more time to look at the arena and sees the beautiful dog with the trophy standing there looking up at him and wagging his tail, but decides not to say anything more to John about it. He all ready thinks his lost his mind. When they get out to the parking lot, he yawns as the night air hits his face. He waves good bye to John as he walks over to his car. He reaches in his pocket to get his keys out and feels the cold metal of an object. He wraps his fingers around it and pulls out the eye glasses of the little old lady.
From the book: "CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE DOG LOVER'S SOUL: STORIES OF CANINE COMPANIONSHIP, COMEDY AND COURAGE".....For thousands of years, dogs have been cherished as devoted companions and exuberant playmates�their unconditional love, limitless affection and unwavering loyalty never fail to melt our hearts. The stories in Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover�s Soul truly capture the special joy these four-legged creatures bring to our lives and hearts. From exciting and entertaining accounts of courage and humor to heartwarming tales of healing and learning, each touching story in this book will inspire dog lovers to rejoice in the unique bond they share with their canine companions.
My rating: dog stories: (4)
NO PART OF THIS STORY MAY BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)