A few weeks ago, I wrote about this subject and then just this past week, I got an e-mail from two other concerned dog owners asking me to support them about this kind of behavior on Facebook. I never posted this on my blog, but now I am.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THOSE WHO ARE ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE
I bet most of the people that are on your Facebook page you don�t even know. I doubt that most of us know the couple of hundred or more people that call us �friends� as friends. I mean can you call anyone of them up at three o�clock in the morning needing help and expecting to hear them say, �I�ll be right over!�
When I joined Facebook, I did so because I wanted to connect with family and friends and perhaps make some new friends. I joined to be entertained and amused and never took it seriously. I considered it light entertainment. I enjoy looking and sharing pictures and videos with my friends. I enjoy reading and posting quotations. What I don�t enjoy looking at or reading about is cruelty to animals! I am repulsed and sickened by the horrific and graphic pictures that some post on Facebook! I did not invite anyone on my Facebook to post such disgusting pictures.
A couple of weeks ago someone felt the need to post a picture of a dog being roasted on an open pit like a suckling pig! I see pictures of dogs used as target practice with their bloody wounds practically bleeding through the page. It's just too much sometimes. Then just a few nights ago when I thought I seen it all, I hadn�t. As I scrolled down the page, imagine my shock and repulsion when staring helplessly back at me was a picture of a German Shepherd (or what was left of him) with half his face blown off! It seems that some perverted kids were looking to have �fun� and decided to stick explosives in this poor helpless dog�s mouth that they so generously duct taped shut! I�m surprised he was still alive��his whole jaw and nose was missing. Obviously he must have been put to sleep as he could never live without these things on his face.
We live in a sometimes very brutal and sadistic world. I know what goes on out there. I read the news or see it on television. I do not need or appreciate seeing these types of graphic photographs on my Facebook page. This person was removed from sending me any more photographs as was the second person that felt the need to post it again last night.
If one feels like they MUST get the word out there about the lowest ones that masquerade themselves as human beings, PLEASE put a WARNING on your subject matter and include a link for those that want to view the photograph. I choose not to look at these types of pictures and would NEVER open a link that warned me about the graphic nature of the subject. But at least I get to choose what I want to look at or not. PLEASE don�t make up my mind for me by sending this type of material through.
Let me tell you how I reacted when I saw the roasted dog. I cried and had a talk to God about the cruelty in the world. I shook my head in disbelief. Now how did I act upon seeing the German Shepherd with half his face blown off? I became hysterical crying and I had to get up and go into the bathroom because I was gagging so badly from the sight of the horrific picture. The dog�s black eye�s stared back at me from the white page with his erect ears still standing tall reminding me that he was still a German Shepherd with only a bloody pulp left where his beautiful nose and mouth once graced his face. What did this poor animal do to deserve this fate? Nothing he could have done could ever have warranted this type of punishment!
I never did read the story because I was too sick to do so. I just read that some kids did this to him. When we live in a society that produces MONSTER�S in children, I say to myself that I don�t belong here. So let�s see now what our law enforcement will do about this? Are they underage kids? Will they get a slap on their wrists? Will they have to do community service for a month or two? Community service? What the hell does that teach them? Go blow up an animal or torture it to death and for your punishment you�ll have to sweep the streets of its debris for a month or two. I�m sure they�ll learn their lesson with that one! Their sorry little butts need to be locked away for awhile with some real hard ass criminals that will teach them a thing or two about what it means to be scared. Just like they scared this dog when they taped his month shut. Oh boy, these kids are lucky they don�t have me as a parent��but then again if I produced kids like this, I�d pick up the mirror and question myself as a parent to begin with! If this case ever went to court (I doubt it), these kids would never want me on the jury. I�d do everything in my power to make sure that they �reaped what they sowed!�
Until our laws change and take animal abuse more seriously, we will be rubbing elbows with the future menaces to society. Animal abuse is the first step in the serial killers demonic �rap sheet!�
So once again if I see anymore of these disgusting pictures, I will delete the people that are responsible for posting it. I know we live in a sometimes cruel, cold world, but there is also many good things going on in it as well. I choose to read about those things. Let me have a choice as to what it is I want to read and see. Put a WARNING on your post so I know to avoid it!
My rating: 1 - 4 depending.....
Showing posts with label natural dog food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural dog food. Show all posts
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Monday, 13 December 2010
NOT CREATED FOR BORING SAMENESS
I confess that the title of this article wasn�t the brain child of myself, but came from a program I was listening to over the week-end. It got me to thinking of how it applies to us and our dogs.
One of the great things about the German Shepherd Dog is that he is so versatile. If you don�t want to show him in conformation shows any longer, you can train him for obedience trials. If you don�t want to do that, you can just enjoy him as your family pet. He wasn�t born for just one thing. Take him for hikes, take him camping, boating, fishing, jogging or even for rides in the car. He�s not picky. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing; the German Shepherd Dog enjoys doing it with you. There probably isn�t a better companion dog than this breed! Truly this dog�s happiness comes from his interaction with his owner!
How much of your dog�s brain is being utilized? Do you provide him with the stimulation that he needs to develop his fullest potential? How many of these dogs die never knowing what it is to come out of a kennel and go for a walk with their owners? How many fetch a ball? In fact how many of them even know what a ball is and what to do with it?
If your dog was hooked up to one of those brain monitors in the hospital, would a straight line appear all across the screen indicating that he�s brain dead? Or would there be a lively zig zag running across the screen indicating that this dog�s brain is well and very much alive because his owner recognized the need for stimulation in this dog�s life?
Do we owe our dogs anything more than food, water and shelter? Does our responsibility to them extend further than the heat in their kennels in the winter and the air-conditioner in the summer? Is that enough? Do we owe them more than this or are we of the mind set that their basic needs are being met and they�re only a dog and some of us put too much time into �humanizing� them?
So what does that mean��.humanizing them? It would seem to some beyond the three essentials (food, water and shelter) anything more would give the dog a more human nature than that of an animal. So does he need more than the essentials to live? No he could and many do exist just on the essentials. Day in and day out, the same old/same old! After all some would argue, he�s an animal and his basic needs are being met so what more could he want?
To agree with this mind set would be to ignore the very nature of the dog and that is foremost and above all else the reason for his existence in the first place. That is to be a companion to man. Very simple. Very basic. He wants and needs to be with his owner. Once his basic needs are met, his primary goal is to be with his master. Now if one owns a kennel full of dogs, that�s not going to happen too often for most or them or even a few of them.
I�ve read that the brain of a German Shepherd is equal to the brain of a seven year old child. Gee, considering that most of what we learn, we learn in the first five years of life, means that this breed of dog has the capacity to learn so very much. How many of them are being taught all that they can learn? How much stimulation do they receive lying on the floor of a kennel? Very little.
We now know that the dog is capable of more than having an intelligent, teachable brain. We now know that he is also very capable of emotions and feelings. He�s sad when he loses one of his own kind and sad if he should lose his owner. He mourns losses just like we do. He rejoices in companionship with his kind and our kind.
When�s the last time you looked into your dog�s eyes and seen that there is a whole lot more going on behind those �Hershey Browns� then just a dumb dog looking for a treat from his owner? Get close to a dog and he anticipates your every motion. He responses to your every mood. Sometimes it�s as if he knows you�re going to do something before you do! They have this uncanny ability to read us better than we read ourselves.
When you have a �love affair� with your dog�..that is letting him participate in your life, the enrichment that he brings to it would never have been fully realized without him having your permission to truly live his life. In this writer�s opinion a dog that lives his life ONLY in a kennel has never truly lived, rather he�s existed in a small fenced in area in a great big world because his owner didn�t invest the time it would take to realize his dog�s potential. Just imagine what that would be like only being able to walk back and forth, day in and day out and you had the intelligence of a seven year old kid? Now that�s called sad�..
From the book: "HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE"....Kaufman, director of the Option Institute and author of A Land Beyond Tears ( LJ 4/1/82), contends that if you change a belief or attitude you can change your life. A decision to pursue happiness, he claims, can improve relations with others: "We can engineer our own responses, choosing love over hate, peace over conflict and happiness over depression." The first five sections relate Kaufman's philosophy and offer stories of clients' successful changes while in therapy. Section six has short chapters detailing shortcuts to happiness. The book has a four-page bibliography and two pages of additional readings. A cut above most self-help books; recommended.
My rating: Teaching and training the GSD: (4)
One of the great things about the German Shepherd Dog is that he is so versatile. If you don�t want to show him in conformation shows any longer, you can train him for obedience trials. If you don�t want to do that, you can just enjoy him as your family pet. He wasn�t born for just one thing. Take him for hikes, take him camping, boating, fishing, jogging or even for rides in the car. He�s not picky. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing; the German Shepherd Dog enjoys doing it with you. There probably isn�t a better companion dog than this breed! Truly this dog�s happiness comes from his interaction with his owner!
How much of your dog�s brain is being utilized? Do you provide him with the stimulation that he needs to develop his fullest potential? How many of these dogs die never knowing what it is to come out of a kennel and go for a walk with their owners? How many fetch a ball? In fact how many of them even know what a ball is and what to do with it?
If your dog was hooked up to one of those brain monitors in the hospital, would a straight line appear all across the screen indicating that he�s brain dead? Or would there be a lively zig zag running across the screen indicating that this dog�s brain is well and very much alive because his owner recognized the need for stimulation in this dog�s life?
Do we owe our dogs anything more than food, water and shelter? Does our responsibility to them extend further than the heat in their kennels in the winter and the air-conditioner in the summer? Is that enough? Do we owe them more than this or are we of the mind set that their basic needs are being met and they�re only a dog and some of us put too much time into �humanizing� them?
So what does that mean��.humanizing them? It would seem to some beyond the three essentials (food, water and shelter) anything more would give the dog a more human nature than that of an animal. So does he need more than the essentials to live? No he could and many do exist just on the essentials. Day in and day out, the same old/same old! After all some would argue, he�s an animal and his basic needs are being met so what more could he want?
To agree with this mind set would be to ignore the very nature of the dog and that is foremost and above all else the reason for his existence in the first place. That is to be a companion to man. Very simple. Very basic. He wants and needs to be with his owner. Once his basic needs are met, his primary goal is to be with his master. Now if one owns a kennel full of dogs, that�s not going to happen too often for most or them or even a few of them.
I�ve read that the brain of a German Shepherd is equal to the brain of a seven year old child. Gee, considering that most of what we learn, we learn in the first five years of life, means that this breed of dog has the capacity to learn so very much. How many of them are being taught all that they can learn? How much stimulation do they receive lying on the floor of a kennel? Very little.
We now know that the dog is capable of more than having an intelligent, teachable brain. We now know that he is also very capable of emotions and feelings. He�s sad when he loses one of his own kind and sad if he should lose his owner. He mourns losses just like we do. He rejoices in companionship with his kind and our kind.
When�s the last time you looked into your dog�s eyes and seen that there is a whole lot more going on behind those �Hershey Browns� then just a dumb dog looking for a treat from his owner? Get close to a dog and he anticipates your every motion. He responses to your every mood. Sometimes it�s as if he knows you�re going to do something before you do! They have this uncanny ability to read us better than we read ourselves.
When you have a �love affair� with your dog�..that is letting him participate in your life, the enrichment that he brings to it would never have been fully realized without him having your permission to truly live his life. In this writer�s opinion a dog that lives his life ONLY in a kennel has never truly lived, rather he�s existed in a small fenced in area in a great big world because his owner didn�t invest the time it would take to realize his dog�s potential. Just imagine what that would be like only being able to walk back and forth, day in and day out and you had the intelligence of a seven year old kid? Now that�s called sad�..
From the book: "HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE"....Kaufman, director of the Option Institute and author of A Land Beyond Tears ( LJ 4/1/82), contends that if you change a belief or attitude you can change your life. A decision to pursue happiness, he claims, can improve relations with others: "We can engineer our own responses, choosing love over hate, peace over conflict and happiness over depression." The first five sections relate Kaufman's philosophy and offer stories of clients' successful changes while in therapy. Section six has short chapters detailing shortcuts to happiness. The book has a four-page bibliography and two pages of additional readings. A cut above most self-help books; recommended.
My rating: Teaching and training the GSD: (4)
Thursday, 26 August 2010
THE DOG OWNERS BILL OF RIGHTS
The dog owner has the right not to have to share his bed with a 90 lb. flea bitten, hair shedding, bad breath �in your face� dog who hogs all the pillows.
The dog owner has the right not to be awakened at 4:00 am because his dog didn�t finish his business outside the night before and decides he wants to finish what he started now.
The dog owner has a right to eat his food in peace without having his dog think �everything she eats, I eat.�
The dog owner has the right to talk on the telephone to her friend without having her dog dropping dirty toys on her lap, nudging her hand for a pat, or circling her while barking in protest for being ignored.
The dog owner has a right to put the dog in the run to do his business outside rather than have him come back in and deposit it on the floor.
The dog owner has a right to use the bathroom and close the door without you sticking your nose in and making your presence known by bringing your ball in and looking for the owner to play catch with you at this very �private� moment.
The dog owner has a right to get up from his chair at his desk and not have to step over you to prevent him from falling on the floor.
The dog owner has a right to have a clean house without picking up dog hair on the bottom of his socks or picking it out of his food.
The dog owner has a right to have a well behaved dog that comes when he�s called and stays when he�s told to rather than be ignored hoping you go away.
The dog owner has a right to get up in the middle of the night to go in the kitchen for a snack and not step on one of your squeaky toys thinking he just stepped on a mouse.
The dog owner has a right to take a vacation once in awhile that doesn�t include going to a dog show or taking a dog with him.
The dog owner has a right to take a ride in his car that he just washed and waxed and not take you for a ride slobbering all over the windows or throwing up all over the back seat.
The dog owner has a right to have beautiful wooden end tables in his living room rather than wired dog crates with your toenails sticking out the front end.
The dog owner has a right to kiss his wife and perhaps look for a little �amour� without having you pop your head up between the blankets planting a wet one on his face.
The dog owner has a right to buy herself a fashionable outfit without feeling guilty that she didn�t spend the money on another workout outfit to pick up your dog run.
The dog owner has the right and the need to be the alpha without you challenging her every step of the way.
The dog owner has rights even if you see it a different way!
My rating: Dogs and people sharing their lives: (4)
The dog owner has the right not to be awakened at 4:00 am because his dog didn�t finish his business outside the night before and decides he wants to finish what he started now.
The dog owner has a right to eat his food in peace without having his dog think �everything she eats, I eat.�
The dog owner has the right to talk on the telephone to her friend without having her dog dropping dirty toys on her lap, nudging her hand for a pat, or circling her while barking in protest for being ignored.
The dog owner has a right to put the dog in the run to do his business outside rather than have him come back in and deposit it on the floor.
The dog owner has a right to use the bathroom and close the door without you sticking your nose in and making your presence known by bringing your ball in and looking for the owner to play catch with you at this very �private� moment.
The dog owner has a right to get up from his chair at his desk and not have to step over you to prevent him from falling on the floor.
The dog owner has a right to have a clean house without picking up dog hair on the bottom of his socks or picking it out of his food.
The dog owner has a right to have a well behaved dog that comes when he�s called and stays when he�s told to rather than be ignored hoping you go away.
The dog owner has a right to get up in the middle of the night to go in the kitchen for a snack and not step on one of your squeaky toys thinking he just stepped on a mouse.
The dog owner has a right to take a vacation once in awhile that doesn�t include going to a dog show or taking a dog with him.
The dog owner has a right to take a ride in his car that he just washed and waxed and not take you for a ride slobbering all over the windows or throwing up all over the back seat.
The dog owner has a right to have beautiful wooden end tables in his living room rather than wired dog crates with your toenails sticking out the front end.
The dog owner has a right to kiss his wife and perhaps look for a little �amour� without having you pop your head up between the blankets planting a wet one on his face.
The dog owner has a right to buy herself a fashionable outfit without feeling guilty that she didn�t spend the money on another workout outfit to pick up your dog run.
The dog owner has the right and the need to be the alpha without you challenging her every step of the way.
The dog owner has rights even if you see it a different way!
My rating: Dogs and people sharing their lives: (4)
Friday, 30 July 2010
OH THEY SLEEP VERY WELL!
Well here it is Friday and the start of another week-end already. I�ve never seen time go by so quickly. My mother always told me after my twenties, time will fly by quickly. Well I haven�t seen my twenties in quite sometime, but I can attest to the fact that time indeed flies by too quickly. For instance, where the heck is the summer going? In a couple of days, August will be here. And fall, I just love the fall, but it goes by way too quickly and then we�re looking at �Old Man Winter� who always hangs around a lot longer than we want him to. Oh well onto today�s subject.
I got a little more mail than usual this week about some of the subjects that I wrote about pertaining to breeding problems with the German Shepherd Dog. Quite a few were very concerned about the practices that they are witnessing in our breed by those breeders that never take into consideration the health of our breed. Someone wrote to me to tell me of a breeder that continues to breed one of his animals that has produced mega in two litters and is now repeating it for the third time. Must make that almighty dollar no matter how you have to do it! And now he can use the bad economy as an excuse!
Someone also wrote to tell me of a so called �big shot� breeder that just dumped his dog in a shelter because the dog that he had been using for his breeding program was no longer of use to him so he dumped him in a shelter complaining about the dogs bad temperament. As this writer continued, just imagine how stressful the kill shelter environment was for that already fearful animal!
Then there�s another letter someone else wrote talking about those breeders that knowingly breed dogs with terrible temperament and then send it off to a handler for training so he can be shown. The dog may be so well trained in the ring and behaves flawlessly, but step out of the ring with a crowd of people gathering around him and his shaking legs can barely hold him up. This man questioned how these people sleep at night. My response to him was, �Oh they sleep very well.� These are the type of people in the breed strictly for what the breed can do for them. Winning at any cost is their motto.
Oh and here was the best one. Someone wrote to say that a dog that someone bought for showing turned up having seizures and the owner decided he wasn�t going to use the dog for his breeding program. The breeder has the nerve to ask him, �You�re still going to show him, aren�t you?� Where�s my gun???
I have a couple of problems with some of this. First of all, why are dogs that have bad temperaments being sent to handlers to �fix� so they can be shown in the first place? Answer: So they can produce another champion and give some more ROM (register of merit) points to their undeserving breeding animals. And why are handlers even taking these dogs to train them to stand for examination? Let�s take it one step further, WHY ARE SOME BREEDERS BREEDING TO DOGS WITH BAD TEMPERAMENTS TO BEGIN WITH? What is that about? What are they doing to the breed? And even more amazing, they're paying a big stud service for the "privilege" of breeding to the bad tempered male! In this writer�s opinion, breeders are responsible for nearly ever genetic problem that we have in this breed.
As in one correspondence that I had with someone last night, we discussed that if the �forces to be� tells the fancy that this is the dog that they should be breeding to then those that are easily influenced will do just that. Then I don�t call that person that is easily influenced a breeder. They�re just a follower.
Someone wrote to ask how come some judges are putting up bad temperament? Now they�re not talking about dogs that have a reputation for this type of temperament. They�re talking about those dogs that spook from the judge in the ring and they still put them up because of who�s on the end of the lead or who owns the dog. In these types of scenarios, I�m always amused (sort of) when I see the �big shot� owner on the outside of the ring bringing attention to herself to make sure the judge knows who owns that dog. It�s is so obvious what they are doing.
Our dogs deserve better reputations than this. Bad temperament is a reflection on bad breeding and lack of proper socialization in my opinion. If a breeder knowingly breeds a dog that has a bad temperament or breeds to one that does, the offspring shouldn�t have to suffer because of their greed and lack of concern for their dogs. Giving them the needle or dumping them at a shelter isn�t the answer. Why should the dog have to give up his life when they are the one that made him this way in the first place? The answer is don�t intentionally breed to bad temperament. Everyone now and again may produce a puppy or two that doesn�t have the ideal temperament. But to knowingly breed to it is a crime against this noble breed.
I�m smart enough to know that just because I write about this it won�t amount to a hill of beans to those that are guilty of these practices. But for those that do care and love the German Shepherd Dog, hopefully they will stay away from those who continue to poison the genetic pool with their unhealthy breeding practices.
From the book: FRIENDS TO THE END: THE TRUE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP..... Friends and life. Life and friends. The two are so tightly interwoven it's impossible to imagine one being remotely worthwhile without the other. As Bradley Trevor Greive points out, "there are very few truly solitary creatures on this planet. And most of them have serious personal hygiene issues." What makes friends so special? What does our choice of friends say about us? What sparks the best friendships and keeps them burning? In Friends To The End: The True Value of Friendship, BTG uses hit trademark witty narrative illustrated with irresistible animal photos to explore the daily magic we experience through our friends. Best described as a cross between his famously successful Dear Mom and The Blue Day Book, Friends to the End examines themes such as why we can't live without friends, how great friendships grow from humble beginnings, how to identify different types of friendship, what to do when good friends turn bad, and why it's all so worthwhile. "When I think back to all the really great or the horrendously bad times in my life," says BTG, "I can't help but think about how my friends made the former all the more enjoyable and the latter at least survivable. I want this book to help people appreciate friendship for all it is and all it can be." Friends to the End promises to have the same cultural impact achieved by his previous books. His modern classics The Blue Day Book and Dear Mom have been New York Times best-sellers and made the author a household name in more than 35 countries. BTG's seven previous volumes have sold more than eight million copies worldwide.
My rating: Temperament problems: (1)
I got a little more mail than usual this week about some of the subjects that I wrote about pertaining to breeding problems with the German Shepherd Dog. Quite a few were very concerned about the practices that they are witnessing in our breed by those breeders that never take into consideration the health of our breed. Someone wrote to me to tell me of a breeder that continues to breed one of his animals that has produced mega in two litters and is now repeating it for the third time. Must make that almighty dollar no matter how you have to do it! And now he can use the bad economy as an excuse!
Someone also wrote to tell me of a so called �big shot� breeder that just dumped his dog in a shelter because the dog that he had been using for his breeding program was no longer of use to him so he dumped him in a shelter complaining about the dogs bad temperament. As this writer continued, just imagine how stressful the kill shelter environment was for that already fearful animal!
Then there�s another letter someone else wrote talking about those breeders that knowingly breed dogs with terrible temperament and then send it off to a handler for training so he can be shown. The dog may be so well trained in the ring and behaves flawlessly, but step out of the ring with a crowd of people gathering around him and his shaking legs can barely hold him up. This man questioned how these people sleep at night. My response to him was, �Oh they sleep very well.� These are the type of people in the breed strictly for what the breed can do for them. Winning at any cost is their motto.
Oh and here was the best one. Someone wrote to say that a dog that someone bought for showing turned up having seizures and the owner decided he wasn�t going to use the dog for his breeding program. The breeder has the nerve to ask him, �You�re still going to show him, aren�t you?� Where�s my gun???
I have a couple of problems with some of this. First of all, why are dogs that have bad temperaments being sent to handlers to �fix� so they can be shown in the first place? Answer: So they can produce another champion and give some more ROM (register of merit) points to their undeserving breeding animals. And why are handlers even taking these dogs to train them to stand for examination? Let�s take it one step further, WHY ARE SOME BREEDERS BREEDING TO DOGS WITH BAD TEMPERAMENTS TO BEGIN WITH? What is that about? What are they doing to the breed? And even more amazing, they're paying a big stud service for the "privilege" of breeding to the bad tempered male! In this writer�s opinion, breeders are responsible for nearly ever genetic problem that we have in this breed.
As in one correspondence that I had with someone last night, we discussed that if the �forces to be� tells the fancy that this is the dog that they should be breeding to then those that are easily influenced will do just that. Then I don�t call that person that is easily influenced a breeder. They�re just a follower.
Someone wrote to ask how come some judges are putting up bad temperament? Now they�re not talking about dogs that have a reputation for this type of temperament. They�re talking about those dogs that spook from the judge in the ring and they still put them up because of who�s on the end of the lead or who owns the dog. In these types of scenarios, I�m always amused (sort of) when I see the �big shot� owner on the outside of the ring bringing attention to herself to make sure the judge knows who owns that dog. It�s is so obvious what they are doing.
Our dogs deserve better reputations than this. Bad temperament is a reflection on bad breeding and lack of proper socialization in my opinion. If a breeder knowingly breeds a dog that has a bad temperament or breeds to one that does, the offspring shouldn�t have to suffer because of their greed and lack of concern for their dogs. Giving them the needle or dumping them at a shelter isn�t the answer. Why should the dog have to give up his life when they are the one that made him this way in the first place? The answer is don�t intentionally breed to bad temperament. Everyone now and again may produce a puppy or two that doesn�t have the ideal temperament. But to knowingly breed to it is a crime against this noble breed.
I�m smart enough to know that just because I write about this it won�t amount to a hill of beans to those that are guilty of these practices. But for those that do care and love the German Shepherd Dog, hopefully they will stay away from those who continue to poison the genetic pool with their unhealthy breeding practices.
From the book: FRIENDS TO THE END: THE TRUE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP..... Friends and life. Life and friends. The two are so tightly interwoven it's impossible to imagine one being remotely worthwhile without the other. As Bradley Trevor Greive points out, "there are very few truly solitary creatures on this planet. And most of them have serious personal hygiene issues." What makes friends so special? What does our choice of friends say about us? What sparks the best friendships and keeps them burning? In Friends To The End: The True Value of Friendship, BTG uses hit trademark witty narrative illustrated with irresistible animal photos to explore the daily magic we experience through our friends. Best described as a cross between his famously successful Dear Mom and The Blue Day Book, Friends to the End examines themes such as why we can't live without friends, how great friendships grow from humble beginnings, how to identify different types of friendship, what to do when good friends turn bad, and why it's all so worthwhile. "When I think back to all the really great or the horrendously bad times in my life," says BTG, "I can't help but think about how my friends made the former all the more enjoyable and the latter at least survivable. I want this book to help people appreciate friendship for all it is and all it can be." Friends to the End promises to have the same cultural impact achieved by his previous books. His modern classics The Blue Day Book and Dear Mom have been New York Times best-sellers and made the author a household name in more than 35 countries. BTG's seven previous volumes have sold more than eight million copies worldwide.
My rating: Temperament problems: (1)
Thursday, 29 July 2010
WHAT YOUR EYE IS USED TO LOOKING AT
I�ve done articles here before about the different coat colors and coat lengths of the German Shepherd Dog. We have a breed standard, but you could line up all these different dogs with their unique coloring or coat length and there really wouldn�t be any consistency in their breed type. Oh they may all be beautifully structured, but they really wouldn�t look alike except for the erect ears that this breed is known for. So even if they all were the best representatives of their breed only in different colors and coat length, no two of them would look alike.
Many pet people have never seen an all black German Shepherd for instance. Some have never seen or know what a sable looks like. A bi-color may totally confuse them. Most people have seen a white German Shepherd so that wouldn�t be too confusing. Probably the most favored color is the black and tan dog.
Over time if you live with one of the different types of this breed, your eye gets used to looking at that type of dog. Correct or not, this is what you�re used to seeing so when you see something else that doesn�t look like your dog and may even be a better representative of the breed, you still think that you dog has the better quality. That�s because that�s what your eye is used to looking at.
For example, if you are used to showing a specialty type of dog that has more hindquarter than an All-Breed dog, than that�s what you think is correct. It works both ways. The All-breed exhibitor will think his dog is the correct standard for the breed. If your kennel is known for producing good fronts, you will automatically be looking at the competition to see if they have the front and side gait that you�re used to looking at. The same thing goes for the kennel that consistently produces good hindquarter angulation. If a dog has anything less than what you�re used to looking at, then you�ll think it lacks hindquarter. It�s all because this is what you are used to looking at in your own dogs.
Many times you can follow a specialty judge and know what he likes by looking at the type of animals he�s bred and raised. If he�s bred some top winning dogs, many times that�s the type he�s going to put up. It�s what he�s used to looking at everyday and it�s what he�s won with. Some judges are movement judges. Some are breed type judges. Some like lots of rear. Some like lots of front. Ideally you want to show under a judge that takes the whole package into consideration when he judges. Hopefully you show under a judge that has a �trained� eye. He�s lived with and knows dogs and specifically the German Shepherd Dog.
It can be very difficult for some people to develop a �trained� eye. You will never know what a good dog is unless you�ve lived with them and bred them. Living with these beautiful specimens of the breed is all the education one needs. To have bred and lived with dogs that �take your breath� away is the best education you could ever hope for when you step into the middle of that ring. No book, no magazine, no video could ever prepare you to what it�s like living with one of these properly structured animals. I used to love letting my dogs out in the back yard and just sit watching them float around the yard like it was no effort at all. And that�s the key��a good dog moves like there is no effort at all. The other dogs will have to put out more energy to move. That�s probably why you see your better movers in the ring floating rather than charging. The dog that is not as good of a mover will have to put out harder to make up for the lack of his proper structure, whereas the good mover makes it look easy. You won�t see him huffing and puffing at the end of his lead like the charging dogs in the ring next to him.
Someone said to me not too long ago when talking about a fellow exhibitor, �What does she see in that dog? Why is she still showing him?� She said that the dog was a really horrible dog. I replied to her, �It�s what she�s used to looking at.� Is the owner right or is he wrong in showing his poorly structured dog? It�s really not a question of right or wrong. It�s all about what her eye is used to looking at. Until she educates herself, she will still think her poorly structured dog is correct.
So if your dog lacks the front or rear and he�s not a very good mover, you won�t really know it until you put him in the ring next to those that have these attributes. When you watch a dog that is not properly put together, because you live with him, you believe he�s the best thing next to a �hot off the grill� cheeseburger. Then when you put him in the show ring and you see the other dogs, you think that there�s something the matter with the other dogs. They look nothing like your dog does. It�s all what your eye is used to looking at. This is called being kennel blind. Your education begins when you are forced to re-evaluate your breeding and show stock.
You can chose to like whatever it is that you find appealing in this breed�s structure (hindquarters, fronts, movement, etc.) but for all the variety that is out there, there is only one correct structure and that is dictated by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America�s breed standard. Once you become familiar with it, you may come to realize what your eye has become used to is not what the standard calls for in a correctly structured animal.
My rating: Get familiar with the breed standard: (4)
Many pet people have never seen an all black German Shepherd for instance. Some have never seen or know what a sable looks like. A bi-color may totally confuse them. Most people have seen a white German Shepherd so that wouldn�t be too confusing. Probably the most favored color is the black and tan dog.
Over time if you live with one of the different types of this breed, your eye gets used to looking at that type of dog. Correct or not, this is what you�re used to seeing so when you see something else that doesn�t look like your dog and may even be a better representative of the breed, you still think that you dog has the better quality. That�s because that�s what your eye is used to looking at.
For example, if you are used to showing a specialty type of dog that has more hindquarter than an All-Breed dog, than that�s what you think is correct. It works both ways. The All-breed exhibitor will think his dog is the correct standard for the breed. If your kennel is known for producing good fronts, you will automatically be looking at the competition to see if they have the front and side gait that you�re used to looking at. The same thing goes for the kennel that consistently produces good hindquarter angulation. If a dog has anything less than what you�re used to looking at, then you�ll think it lacks hindquarter. It�s all because this is what you are used to looking at in your own dogs.
Many times you can follow a specialty judge and know what he likes by looking at the type of animals he�s bred and raised. If he�s bred some top winning dogs, many times that�s the type he�s going to put up. It�s what he�s used to looking at everyday and it�s what he�s won with. Some judges are movement judges. Some are breed type judges. Some like lots of rear. Some like lots of front. Ideally you want to show under a judge that takes the whole package into consideration when he judges. Hopefully you show under a judge that has a �trained� eye. He�s lived with and knows dogs and specifically the German Shepherd Dog.
It can be very difficult for some people to develop a �trained� eye. You will never know what a good dog is unless you�ve lived with them and bred them. Living with these beautiful specimens of the breed is all the education one needs. To have bred and lived with dogs that �take your breath� away is the best education you could ever hope for when you step into the middle of that ring. No book, no magazine, no video could ever prepare you to what it�s like living with one of these properly structured animals. I used to love letting my dogs out in the back yard and just sit watching them float around the yard like it was no effort at all. And that�s the key��a good dog moves like there is no effort at all. The other dogs will have to put out more energy to move. That�s probably why you see your better movers in the ring floating rather than charging. The dog that is not as good of a mover will have to put out harder to make up for the lack of his proper structure, whereas the good mover makes it look easy. You won�t see him huffing and puffing at the end of his lead like the charging dogs in the ring next to him.
Someone said to me not too long ago when talking about a fellow exhibitor, �What does she see in that dog? Why is she still showing him?� She said that the dog was a really horrible dog. I replied to her, �It�s what she�s used to looking at.� Is the owner right or is he wrong in showing his poorly structured dog? It�s really not a question of right or wrong. It�s all about what her eye is used to looking at. Until she educates herself, she will still think her poorly structured dog is correct.
So if your dog lacks the front or rear and he�s not a very good mover, you won�t really know it until you put him in the ring next to those that have these attributes. When you watch a dog that is not properly put together, because you live with him, you believe he�s the best thing next to a �hot off the grill� cheeseburger. Then when you put him in the show ring and you see the other dogs, you think that there�s something the matter with the other dogs. They look nothing like your dog does. It�s all what your eye is used to looking at. This is called being kennel blind. Your education begins when you are forced to re-evaluate your breeding and show stock.
You can chose to like whatever it is that you find appealing in this breed�s structure (hindquarters, fronts, movement, etc.) but for all the variety that is out there, there is only one correct structure and that is dictated by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America�s breed standard. Once you become familiar with it, you may come to realize what your eye has become used to is not what the standard calls for in a correctly structured animal.
My rating: Get familiar with the breed standard: (4)
Monday, 19 July 2010
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
Imagine jogging on a sandy beach somewhere with your dog and seeing a bottle bobbing up and down in the water. You watch as the next wave washes the bottle up on shore. You pick the bottle up and notice that there is a folded piece of paper in it. Could this mean there�s a message on that piece of paper? Perhaps it�s a map showing you where a buried treasure lays waiting to be discovered. You don�t even recognize the bottle because it�s very old and it�s not even made any longer. Your dog is barking and jumping up on you looking for you to throw the bottle in a game of fetch. You push him away and instead pick up a stick and throw it in the opposite direction. You struggle to remove the rusty cap trying to avoid cutting your fingers. At last the cap turns and you wonder how you are going to grab hold of the paper without tearing it. You shake the bottle and turn it a few times until you position the paper at the neck opening. A corner of the paper lies in the narrow opening and you gently and slowly pull the fragile paper out of the bottle. You make sure the paper doesn�t get wet as your heart beats a little faster in excited anticipation as you unfold the aged worn note. You see it�s dated Saturday June 18, 1921. All the note says is that someday the German Shepherd Dog will be one of the most beloved and popular dogs on earth. You look at the date again and smile in bewilderment knowing this writer wasn�t wrong. You look at your own dog who you continue to throw the stick for and ask yourself if you were to write a message in a bottle about the German Shepherd Dog, what would it be?
So if you were to write that message about our breed, what would you want the reader to know? If like me, you would probably like your message to be floating around the ocean for many years before someone �rescued� it and scooped it up out of its watery home. What would the recipient of your note be reading, lets say one hundred years from now?
You might tell him about the heroics of this breed. You could share with him the comedic personalities this breed exhibits. You could tell him about the beauty, the nobility or just the pure joy of having ownership of this great breed of ours. You might tell him of how he rescued a child. Maybe he alerted you and woke you from a deep sleep when a fire broke out in your house. You could tell him how he visits your Aunt Gertrude in the nursing home and the spark of light it ignites in her eyes every time she sees him. You might even be as bold to tell him that by the time he reads your note, the German Shepherd will go from being the number two dog in the country to the number one dog in the country. And if you really get daring, you could put your message in one of those big soda bottles and include a few pictures to show the world what the breed looked like in 2010! Yeah, I think if you�re going to do it right, you might as well include a few pictures for everyone�s enjoyment.
Who knows by the time someone finds your message in the bottle, there may even be a new breed standard by then. Yeah, I�m sure there will be. I wonder if the person that receives your message owns a German Shepherd Dog and as he looks at your picture and looks at his dog, he marvels at how much they�ve changed. I wonder how the German Shepherd will look in another 100 years!
Will there be dog shows one hundred years from now you wonder. Will the German Shepherd Dog have his own reality show on Animal Planet? Will Animal Planet even be around then? Will shelters be a thing of the past? Will there still be lots of breeders or will there only be a select few? Will there even be an AKC to register them with? Will registration even be necessary? Will there be a National Specialty show to go to? Will the German Shepherd Dog Club of America still be in existence?
If there are shows yet, will there still be professional handlers or have the exhibitors decided to show their own dogs? Will another great book be written about the breed? Will there be a German Shepherd Dog Review to advertise in? Will there be something to replace the internet?
What would your message be about our breed that you would like someone to read many years from now? Mine would be: The German Shepherd Dog was born of greatness, it is right now as I write this and until the time that you read this message in a bottle it always will be. I may be gone, but the German Shepherd will live on as long as people continue to love and nurture them. Time will never change that. Pass it on......
My rating: The German Shepherd for all time: (4)!
So if you were to write that message about our breed, what would you want the reader to know? If like me, you would probably like your message to be floating around the ocean for many years before someone �rescued� it and scooped it up out of its watery home. What would the recipient of your note be reading, lets say one hundred years from now?
You might tell him about the heroics of this breed. You could share with him the comedic personalities this breed exhibits. You could tell him about the beauty, the nobility or just the pure joy of having ownership of this great breed of ours. You might tell him of how he rescued a child. Maybe he alerted you and woke you from a deep sleep when a fire broke out in your house. You could tell him how he visits your Aunt Gertrude in the nursing home and the spark of light it ignites in her eyes every time she sees him. You might even be as bold to tell him that by the time he reads your note, the German Shepherd will go from being the number two dog in the country to the number one dog in the country. And if you really get daring, you could put your message in one of those big soda bottles and include a few pictures to show the world what the breed looked like in 2010! Yeah, I think if you�re going to do it right, you might as well include a few pictures for everyone�s enjoyment.
Who knows by the time someone finds your message in the bottle, there may even be a new breed standard by then. Yeah, I�m sure there will be. I wonder if the person that receives your message owns a German Shepherd Dog and as he looks at your picture and looks at his dog, he marvels at how much they�ve changed. I wonder how the German Shepherd will look in another 100 years!
Will there be dog shows one hundred years from now you wonder. Will the German Shepherd Dog have his own reality show on Animal Planet? Will Animal Planet even be around then? Will shelters be a thing of the past? Will there still be lots of breeders or will there only be a select few? Will there even be an AKC to register them with? Will registration even be necessary? Will there be a National Specialty show to go to? Will the German Shepherd Dog Club of America still be in existence?
If there are shows yet, will there still be professional handlers or have the exhibitors decided to show their own dogs? Will another great book be written about the breed? Will there be a German Shepherd Dog Review to advertise in? Will there be something to replace the internet?
What would your message be about our breed that you would like someone to read many years from now? Mine would be: The German Shepherd Dog was born of greatness, it is right now as I write this and until the time that you read this message in a bottle it always will be. I may be gone, but the German Shepherd will live on as long as people continue to love and nurture them. Time will never change that. Pass it on......
My rating: The German Shepherd for all time: (4)!
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
EVERYONE'S GONE TO THE MOON
Yesterday�s blog about Specialty Clubs drew a lot of conversation on the different e-mails lists that I send this blog to everyday. One e-mail stood out in my mind. Someone wrote to me and said that she found this subject interesting as she contacted a specialty club in her area and she never heard from anyone. That�s very telling. Then someone called me this morning and asked me to continue this subject and perhaps talk about the lack of entries at shows. We touched upon some of the reasons that the clubs are falling that I wrote about yesterday. She agreed 100% with one writer that said that some of the fault lies with having access to the internet. We would have normally gone to a club to discuss certain things about the breed. However, with modern technology we no longer need to leave the comfort of our overstuffed furniture to get the answers to our questions about anything pertaining to our breed. You can �Google� anything and you�ll receive a gazillion answers. You can go on a German Shepherd Dog e-mail list and there�s a world of knowledgeable people willing to help you. We�ve become a lazy society. I jokingly said to my friend, �Heck why go to a dog show? We can have a virtual dog show right on our computer!�
So lets take this subject another step further as my friend requested. If the clubs fold up, so do the shows. The clubs are the ones that are responsible for putting on the shows. No club�..no show���hmmmmm, I wonder where that would leave the AKC? Would the AKC become just be a place to register dogs? They would no longer be anything called an AKC registered show.
So my friend brings up a very good point to me in our conversation about shows. She says to me, next time you go to a show take a look around you. What do you see? Who do you see at these shows? She answered her own question��she said most of the people that go to these shows are over 50 years old! She continued by saying it is very rare to see any young people. Very good observation, my friend! Where is the youth in our breed? Oh sure we have the junior handlers that love to show. But what percentage of these kids will actually be the breeders and ultimately the future of our breed? Have we seen the last of the likes of the Covy Tucker Hill or the Fran-Jo kennels? Are the days of the big show producing kennels a thing of the past? Who will the next great German Shepherd Dog book be written about? Will the author have to rely on the great dogs of the past to fill the pages of his up coming best seller? Will there be anyone left to even be interested enough to buy his book?
Serious show people still hunger for those major producing shows every week-end. Without them they can not finish their dog�s American championship. So they telephone their friends, they announce it over the e-mail lists asking for people to help make a major at these shows. Sometimes they�re successful in getting the right amount of entries by maybe one or two dogs, only to be sadly disappointed when those one or two dogs don�t show up making the show not able to hold the major points. Where does the fault lie? Again it goes back to the specialty clubs. If we want to have major pointed shows, we can�t depend on calling our friends or soliciting people on the e-mail lists for their entries. It might work for one or two shows, but ultimately it will fail. The only answer in my opinion is to strengthen relationships with your club members so another club doesn�t die a slow death.
Someone else wrote to me yesterday proudly telling me how well her club is doing. Perhaps someone from her club can tell others how they do it. Tell them how they attract new members and how they keep those that they have ensuring that they come back time and time again. Give the membership a reason to show up and I believe they will. If people are made to feel that they are important and that they count for something, I believe they will show their �pretty little faces� there each month. We can�t ask people to come out each month to an atmosphere filled with moans, groans, whines and complaints every time they walk through the door. We can�t ask people to come out only to be ignored when they get there. Give people a reason to come out and I believe that they will. Make them feel welcomed. Answer their questions. Mentor them. There is no better way to get to people than to make them feel like they are needed. It makes them feel good and when people feel good, then they�ll come back to the source that�s making them feel that way. Act like you don�t appreciate them. Act like your can�t be bothered with them because you�re better than they are because you�ve been around forever. Then watch the walls come crumbling down and say good bye to the once great club that you helped build.
The new generation needs the older generation to help show them the way and to pave out a future to ensure that our beloved German Shepherd Dog is properly presented to the general public. The only way we can do this is by educating them. There is no better teacher to the �newbie� than the seasoned experts of the breed to help lead the way. If we truly love this breed, each and every one of us owes it to the �best dog on the planet� to ensure that the next generation gets it right! It�s not fair to die with so much knowledge inside us without sharing it with the next generation. You may not get your name in the history books, but what you leave behind ensures that the German Shepherd Dog is properly taken care of and his legacy for generations lives on. The breed will love you for it!
No longer is it true���Give them a show� and they�ll come! I believe if we don�t start making showing dogs a fun and positive experience we will eventually see (like my friend suggested) only the geriatrics of the breed showing up. Then we can all sit around and complain about our arthritis, aches and pains without the worry of those pesky �youngins� (newbies) snickering and giggling at us.
Then one day, there are no more shows. The geriatrics no longer shows up because �Everyone�s gone to the moon!�
From the book: "FRIENDS TO THE END: THE TRUE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP".....Friends and life. Life and friends. The two are so tightly interwoven it's impossible to imagine one being remotely worthwhile without the other. As Bradley Trevor Greive points out, "there are very few truly solitary creatures on this planet. And most of them have serious personal hygiene issues." What makes friends so special? What does our choice of friends say about us? What sparks the best friendships and keeps them burning? In Friends To The End: The True Value of Friendship, BTG uses hit trademark witty narrative illustrated with irresistible animal photos to explore the daily magic we experience through our friends. Best described as a cross between his famously successful Dear Mom and The Blue Day Book, Friends to the End examines themes such as why we can't live without friends, how great friendships grow from humble beginnings, how to identify different types of friendship, what to do when good friends turn bad, and why it's all so worthwhile. "When I think back to all the really great or the horrendously bad times in my life," says BTG, "I can't help but think about how my friends made the former all the more enjoyable and the latter at least survivable. I want this book to help people appreciate friendship for all it is and all it can be." Friends to the End promises to have the same cultural impact achieved by his previous books. His modern classics The Blue Day Book and Dear Mom have been New York Times best-sellers and made the author a household name in more than 35 countries. BTG's seven previous volumes have sold more than eight million copies worldwide.
My rating: The importance of dog clubs: (4), The importance of mentoring: (4), The importance of friendships: (4)
So lets take this subject another step further as my friend requested. If the clubs fold up, so do the shows. The clubs are the ones that are responsible for putting on the shows. No club�..no show���hmmmmm, I wonder where that would leave the AKC? Would the AKC become just be a place to register dogs? They would no longer be anything called an AKC registered show.
So my friend brings up a very good point to me in our conversation about shows. She says to me, next time you go to a show take a look around you. What do you see? Who do you see at these shows? She answered her own question��she said most of the people that go to these shows are over 50 years old! She continued by saying it is very rare to see any young people. Very good observation, my friend! Where is the youth in our breed? Oh sure we have the junior handlers that love to show. But what percentage of these kids will actually be the breeders and ultimately the future of our breed? Have we seen the last of the likes of the Covy Tucker Hill or the Fran-Jo kennels? Are the days of the big show producing kennels a thing of the past? Who will the next great German Shepherd Dog book be written about? Will the author have to rely on the great dogs of the past to fill the pages of his up coming best seller? Will there be anyone left to even be interested enough to buy his book?
Serious show people still hunger for those major producing shows every week-end. Without them they can not finish their dog�s American championship. So they telephone their friends, they announce it over the e-mail lists asking for people to help make a major at these shows. Sometimes they�re successful in getting the right amount of entries by maybe one or two dogs, only to be sadly disappointed when those one or two dogs don�t show up making the show not able to hold the major points. Where does the fault lie? Again it goes back to the specialty clubs. If we want to have major pointed shows, we can�t depend on calling our friends or soliciting people on the e-mail lists for their entries. It might work for one or two shows, but ultimately it will fail. The only answer in my opinion is to strengthen relationships with your club members so another club doesn�t die a slow death.
Someone else wrote to me yesterday proudly telling me how well her club is doing. Perhaps someone from her club can tell others how they do it. Tell them how they attract new members and how they keep those that they have ensuring that they come back time and time again. Give the membership a reason to show up and I believe they will. If people are made to feel that they are important and that they count for something, I believe they will show their �pretty little faces� there each month. We can�t ask people to come out each month to an atmosphere filled with moans, groans, whines and complaints every time they walk through the door. We can�t ask people to come out only to be ignored when they get there. Give people a reason to come out and I believe that they will. Make them feel welcomed. Answer their questions. Mentor them. There is no better way to get to people than to make them feel like they are needed. It makes them feel good and when people feel good, then they�ll come back to the source that�s making them feel that way. Act like you don�t appreciate them. Act like your can�t be bothered with them because you�re better than they are because you�ve been around forever. Then watch the walls come crumbling down and say good bye to the once great club that you helped build.
The new generation needs the older generation to help show them the way and to pave out a future to ensure that our beloved German Shepherd Dog is properly presented to the general public. The only way we can do this is by educating them. There is no better teacher to the �newbie� than the seasoned experts of the breed to help lead the way. If we truly love this breed, each and every one of us owes it to the �best dog on the planet� to ensure that the next generation gets it right! It�s not fair to die with so much knowledge inside us without sharing it with the next generation. You may not get your name in the history books, but what you leave behind ensures that the German Shepherd Dog is properly taken care of and his legacy for generations lives on. The breed will love you for it!
No longer is it true���Give them a show� and they�ll come! I believe if we don�t start making showing dogs a fun and positive experience we will eventually see (like my friend suggested) only the geriatrics of the breed showing up. Then we can all sit around and complain about our arthritis, aches and pains without the worry of those pesky �youngins� (newbies) snickering and giggling at us.
Then one day, there are no more shows. The geriatrics no longer shows up because �Everyone�s gone to the moon!�
From the book: "FRIENDS TO THE END: THE TRUE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP".....Friends and life. Life and friends. The two are so tightly interwoven it's impossible to imagine one being remotely worthwhile without the other. As Bradley Trevor Greive points out, "there are very few truly solitary creatures on this planet. And most of them have serious personal hygiene issues." What makes friends so special? What does our choice of friends say about us? What sparks the best friendships and keeps them burning? In Friends To The End: The True Value of Friendship, BTG uses hit trademark witty narrative illustrated with irresistible animal photos to explore the daily magic we experience through our friends. Best described as a cross between his famously successful Dear Mom and The Blue Day Book, Friends to the End examines themes such as why we can't live without friends, how great friendships grow from humble beginnings, how to identify different types of friendship, what to do when good friends turn bad, and why it's all so worthwhile. "When I think back to all the really great or the horrendously bad times in my life," says BTG, "I can't help but think about how my friends made the former all the more enjoyable and the latter at least survivable. I want this book to help people appreciate friendship for all it is and all it can be." Friends to the End promises to have the same cultural impact achieved by his previous books. His modern classics The Blue Day Book and Dear Mom have been New York Times best-sellers and made the author a household name in more than 35 countries. BTG's seven previous volumes have sold more than eight million copies worldwide.
My rating: The importance of dog clubs: (4), The importance of mentoring: (4), The importance of friendships: (4)
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