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I'm a wife, mother and grandmother. I'm opinionated. I contradict myself frequently. Most of all, I love my kids. I believe in them. I fight for them. They're weird and wonderful. If you want to know more, here's a bunch of other stuff from my old site.

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Archive for the ‘dog’ Category

The Girl And Her Pit Bull

I have no idea what has grabbed Kendyll and Belle’s attention in this picture. They’re looking straight into the foyer where there’s a picture window. Except from that angle, you can’t see out the window. Maybe they were both simply fascinated with the afternoon sunlight streaming in. Like when they get fixated on ceiling fans whirling overhead.

I just know I came from the kitchen to check on Kendyll and found her with Belle, just like this. After about 15 seconds of holding back my giggles, I ran to my office to get the camera. Neither of them moved until I walked around to the front. That’s when Belle stood up, Kendyll slid off the back to the floor and cried. I should have snapped this photo and walked away, I guess.

Kendyll and Belle

Michael Vick Pleads Guilty

According to this report from CBS News, Michael Vick has agreed to plead guilty to the federal charges against him. Those charges carry up to a $250,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison. Speculation is that Vick will get 18 months.

Of course, the neat little statement by Vick’s attorney is using “oops!” terms like “mistake” and sending out apologies to “those I hurt.” Yeah, I’m sure the dogs that were hung or electrocuted, mauled to death or otherwise put down are resting peacefully now with that apology.

I’ve not found an official statement from the Falcons, the NFL or any Corporate Sponsors. If you see one, please link it here. I think it’s time to end Vick’s football career. We’ll have to wait to see what happens next.

ETA: Seems the charges have to do with conspiracy to transport dogs for illegal purposes or something. According to the three others who already reached plea agreements and implicated the Falcon QB, Vick was the money man for the gambling end of the operation. Gambling charges would mean immediate permanent suspension. Vick should be charged with running a gambling ring and cruelty to animals. Anything less is a travesty.

Jesse Lost His Dog

For over five years, everyone has known that Belle belongs to Jesse and me. Jesse is the alpha male when he’s around. Otherwise, Belle is my dog. Oh, but poor Jesse can’t call Belle his dog anymore.

Since the day we brought Kendyll into this house, Belle has been fascinated with her. If Kendyll cried, Belle whined. When Kendyll learned to sit up, Belle positioned herself right behind the baby so that Kendyll wouldn’t tumble over. As Kendyll became mobile, Belle took it upon herself to follow the baby and warn us when danger lurked. Seriously, the first time Kendyll made her way all the way to the two steps leading to my office, Belle went ballistic, barking and yelping and generally being annoying until we paid attention.

Now, Kendyll is paying back the favor. No matter what Kendyll is eating, she shares with Belle. If we tell Kendyll, “No!” she simply waits until we’re not looking to sneak Belle a little food.

I hate to be the one to break it to Jesse, but Belle is no longer his or even mine. Belle now belongs to Kendyll. Belle follows her through the house, sits through Dora and Diego DVDs and even lets Kendyll use her as a pillow when they’re on the floor together.

Yesterday, Brit told Kendyll to stop feeding Belle. Then Brit went over to the dishwasher and when she turned back around, Kendyll was feeding Belle from her high chair! Grammy was not far away and got this rare glimpse of the a girl and her dog.

belle

Unchain Your Dogs

I’m going to guess that most people have seen a dog chained up outside, near a dog box, with only 10 or 15 feet of chain. Typically, these dogs are not removed from that chain at all.

Listen up, folks. That is abuse. I don’t care if the laws in your state or community say it’s fine as long as the dog has food, water and shelter. The law is wrong; that’s abuse.

Dogs are social creatures. They live in packs, not alone. To chain a dog outside to spend its live alone, away from its family is cruel. It goes against nature. And that cruelty creates a very emotionally sick animal.

If you care about dogs and want to help, please visit the Unchain Your Dog website to find out what you can do about dogs that are chained up outside, never able to interact with people. Among their suggestions:

# Bring your dog inside! Dogs get bored and lonely sitting on the same patch of packed dirt day after day, month after month, year after year. Dogs want to be inside the house with their “pack”: their human family. Read tips on housetraining and behavior modification to help your dog be a good “inside” dog. Did you know that inside dogs make the best guard dogs?

# Get to know the dog’s guardian if you are concerned about someone else’s chained dog. See tips on talking to a stranger about helping their chained dog.

# Call your local animal control office, humane society, or sheriff’s department if you see a dog who is:

* consistently without food, water or shelter
* sick or infested with parasites
* too skinny

Plus there are 18 more suggestions on ways you can help. Keep in mind that putting your dog out on a chain for short periods of time is not considered cruel. I put Belle out on a chain for anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes, depending on the weather and her mood. My neighbors chain one of their 5 dogs to go outside because that one dog is an escape artist. (And climbs the chain link fence like a cat!) What I’m talking about and UnchainYourDog.org is fighting against are owners who chain their dogs outside 24/7. That is cruel.

Dogs can’t speak up for themselves. Those of us with compassion for these loyal, loving creatures must speak for them. Please, if you see a dog chained outside, away from human contact, consult the website and determine a course of action. Let’s stop the cruelty.

Sack Michael Vick: Join Now

I know that we’re supposed to wait until Michael Vick’s guilt or innocence is determined in a court of law. However, our court system, while the best in the world, is not infallible. Since I’ve already voted with my dollar many times when I’ve bought products that Vick endorsed or had his name emblazoned on them, then I believe I have a right and an obligation to speak out now. Naturally, Vick won’t be fined or imprisoned unless the courts find him guilty. Until then, I’m speaking out as are other bloggers.

My friend Brett has launched a website that calls on bloggers to join together toSack Vick. This campaign aims to let the the government know that we’re watching and we care about the outcome of this trial. It also lets the NFL, Nike and others know that until this is settled, we are not supporting Michael Vick or those who are associated with him.

Dog fighting is NOT a sport. Dog fighting is not the same as boxing or wrestling. People have choices, these dogs do not. People place these loving animals in situations that require that they fight or die. When one dog loses the fight but remains alive, they are killed by electrocution, drowning or hanging.

Anyone who thinks dog fighting is a sport is either terribly naive or just as morally bankrupt as those who engage in this activity. If you are ignorant of the facts, please educate yourself by visiting the Off The Chain website and purchasing the video.

I encourage all bloggers to post about the SackVick campaign. We bloggers have become a powerful force and with power comes responsibility. Today, that responsibility is to speak out for those unable to speak for themselves.

Please consider joining us by posting about it on your site. SackVick.net is updated often with all of the latest developments. Bookmark it, Digg it, pass it on to your readers.

Let’s Set The Record Straight

Every once in a while, I need to go over this with everyone. If you’ve read my rantings on this in the past, just skip it. If not, listen up. And learn.

Michael Vick ought to be banned from the NFL. I know, we don’t have all the details. He claims he knew nothing of the activities on his property. However, I saw the stuff they carried out of that house and from the grounds and there is no way anyone could have spent more than 10 minutes there without knowing what was happening on that property. I don’t care if Vick was an active participant or just turned a blind eye to it. If he knew it was happening (and I believe he did) then he’s as guilty as those who were there running the show.

Which brings me to my other rant. Pay attention.

Pit Bulls are not “naturally” human aggressive. Pit Bulls are not “naturally” skittish, nor are they more likely to “turn on you” than any other breed of dog. In fact, the opposite is true.

Pit Bulls were bred as fighting dogs, this is true. Over the course of their long history, they fought bulls, rats and each other. I won’t comment on the cruelty of this “sport” since I’m referring to a time before even I was born. I raise this issue, though, because the nature of the sport tells the truth about this breed.

During the match in the pit, the Pit Bulls were not simply let loose while they attacked either another animal or each other. Rather, the dogs’ owners as well as a referee were in the pit with the dog or dogs, ready to stop the fight at any time.

Now think about that. Picture it in your mind. Two Pit Bulls fighting to the death, two owners wanting the fight to stop, a referee calling the fight. These three men would then separate the dogs – dogs that are tearing each other apart.

If it were true that the American Pit Bull Terrier is naturally human aggressive, these men would be putting their lives in extreme danger. But that isn’t the truth. Because of the nature of the sport and the necessity of humans in the pit, the American Pit Bull Terrier was bred to be extremely human passive and have a very controlled and predictable disposition. A Pit Bull that showed human aggressiveness was considered defective and put down.

Now, before anyone decides to report to me all the various Pit Bull attacks they know about, please keep in mind that there are over 20 breeds of dog that are commonly mistaken for Pit Bulls. It isn’t unusual for the media to report a Pit Bull attack, learn that the dog or dogs were not Pit Bulls and then just drop the story rather than correcting it. After all, how exciting is a Ca Da Bou dog attack story?

Don’t believe me about the false identification? Okay, why don’t you try it yourself. There are a few of these games out there but this Find the Pit Bull game is the one I have bookmarked. Of course, there’s no way for me to know if you picked the right dog or not but I don’t expect you to report back to me anyway. Just see if you can find the Pit Bull on the first try.

All I really ask is that you consider that maybe, the American Pit Bull Terrier has gotten a bad rap and is not the monster so many people think it is.

The Fashionable Dog

It isn’t that I think dogs need clothes any more than I think I need a Coach bag or Betsey Johnson shoes. No, it isn’t about need. It’s all about fashion and making a statement. In this case, the statement is: I’m a girly girl. And Belle is making that statement loud and clear.

If you head on over to DoggieTshirts.com, you’ll first notice the great prices when you buy multiples. Buy three, get one free. Whether you have several dogs to clothe or just one who doesn’t want to be seen in the same t-shirt twice, that’s a real money-saving deal!

doggyTI had a little trouble deciding on the t-shirt I wanted. I had to get the kids involved to cast their votes. We came really close to going with the “What would Scooby Do?” shirt but in the end, Belle’s penchant for feline as a delicacy won out. That, and the fact that my daughter Maggie, my son Jesse and I all follow the Atkins way of eating made our choice obvious. Doesn’t Belle look adorable? (Click the picture for a larger photo.) If it’s still hard to see, the shirt says, Cat: Atkins-approved diet.

As some of you may know, Belle accompanies me on my walks along the hiking and biking trail down by the river. Some mornings are little cool so I always wear my hoodie. Well, Belle now has a hoodie of her own for those early morning walks. doggyT

Let me tell you, we’ll be stylin’ now! The trail runs between the river and State Rt. 2 which means we see a lot of vehicles driving by while we’re walking. I just know Belle will be the talk of the town now, with her new girly hoodie. When Tammie and I put this on Belle, she practically pranced around, showing off for all of us. Oh, yes. My Belle is a girly girl. (This photo is clickable for a larger pic, too.)

I’ve got quite a shopping list going now for Belle’s new clothes. The size charts made ordering so easy and really fool-proof. (Note: there’s a separate size chart for Hoodies.) And I really like that the shipping charges are spelled out clearly. I hate placing an order only to discover unreasonable shipping charges at the very end. These shipping charges are more than reasonable!

My only complaint about DoggieTshirts.com is that their blog, while terribly entertaining, is not updated frequently enough. I want more doggie blog!

Anyone who has a dog really needs to head on over and pick up a few of these great t-shirts and hoodies. Belle and I give these great doggie duds our wholehearted approval!

I’ve Created A Monster!

I love my dog, Belle. She’s a member of our family and if you ask her she’ll tell you that she is not a dog. She’s just another kid who happens to walk a little different than the rest of the kids.

Belle has to have a snack whenever one of the kids gets a snack. Belle has to be covered up with a blanket when the kids are wrapped up in a blanket watching TV. Belle has to get hugs and kisses when someone comes in and hugs and kisses anyone else in the family.

And yet, even though she thinks she’s a real person, Belle is still a dog. Being a dog, she does some Dog Things that people don’t do. Being a Pit Bull, she does those Dog Things bigger and louder than other dogs who are not Pit Bulls.

For instance, barking.

Although Belle is a big baby and does more harm with her wagging tail than any other part of her body, she does have a ferocious bark. It’s loud and deep and not at all ladylike. No matter how many times we admonish her to use her Inside Voice, she just ignores us and continues to warn us of every creature passing by the front of our house. On more than a few occasions, Belle has wakened the husband and/or the baby. Not good.

It seems, too, that certain people who walk around our neighborhood are convinced that Belle is going to break through our picture window and lunge at them. This is silly. The few times that Belle ran off, she was much more interested in getting to the field to chase butterflies or trying to jump the fence to visit her brother down the street than chasing after people. Well, that is unless the people have dog treats or offer to rub her belly.

Bark CollarRecently, Belle has also begun to bark quite a bit when she’s outside on her chain. We’ve been keeping her on the closed-in side of the yard so that she doesn’t bark at the dogs next door. Instead, Belle barks constantly for someone to pay attention to her when she’s outside. She’s so spoiled. She can’t be out back for more than 3 minutes by herself. So now, not only does she bark at every stray sound when she’s in the house, but she’s also barking the whole time she’s outside!

Ah, but I’m not one to do nothing about a problem. I’ve been out searching for solutions and I’ve found exactly what I need. The Pet Super Store has bark collars for dogs of all sizes. I’ve read the descriptions and done a little additional research. I can’t believe I didn’t know about these before. What a great idea!

There are several brands and models available but I really like the Yapper Stoppers S500. This waterproof collar has seven different intensity levels and is rechargeable. I’m not sure what level I’ll need for Belle but I like the idea of being able to start out low and increase the intensity only if needed.

I do wish I’d looked into this about a year ago when Belle’s barking became worse. I think it started when my granddaughter, Kendyll, was born. Perhaps Belle became more protective then. Being protective is a good thing but too much of a good thing is just plain annoying. Now, no more annoying!

And since I’m looking at products at The Pet Super Store, I think I’ll check out some of their other accessories, too. Belle loves getting presents, you know!

Name That Dog!

It’s no secret that I’m a dog person. Just look around my website and you’ll see that my Pit Bull, Belle, has her own page of pictures. Yes, I love dogs. Oh, sure, I like my mom’s cat, Calliope. She’s almost 18 years old and as much a part of the family as anyone. But I’ll choose a dog over a cat any day.

My husband, kids and I enjoy watching dog shows on TV and we’ve become quite good at being able to identify the various breeds. Or so I thought. The kids and I have been playing a Breed Recognition Game and so far, our high score is 127 out of 157. That didn’t even get us into the top 50!

The funny thing about this little game is that every time I go to review it and write about it, I start playing it and can’t quit. I’m determined to remember those breeds that are not quite so familiar to me and improve my score. And yet, every time, I get 127 out of 157. How do I keep doing that?

Maybe the best part of playing this game is the look on my kids’ faces when I get the dog breeds correct. They didn’t think their old mom knew that much about dogs. It’s good to remind your kids now and then that you’re still the smartest person alive. :)

Seriously, besides all the useful information on breeds and a great directory of breeders, BreederRetriever.com also has some really great puppy pictures. It’s the interactive game, though, that keeps my kids and me coming back to the site. We’ve signed up for free accounts so that we can claim our games, too. The first one of us to get all 157 correct will have bragging rights and you know I intend to be that person. Even if I’m not, this is a great learning experience for the kids.

Check the site out and tell me what you think. And be sure to let me know your score, too. Have you outdone mine yet?

This is a sponsored review.

The Fashionable Dog

I’ve been known to spoil my 5 sons and my daughter. What most people don’t know is that I also spoil Belle, our beautiful, golden-eyed American Pit Bull Terrier. Forget what you’ve been told by the media about this breed; it’s all wrong. Pit Bulls are naturally human friendly and their worst trait is believing that they’re lap dogs.

Belle has a few favorite spots to curl up, either the big comfy chair or the couch. Sometimes she moves back and forth between the two places, being displaced by Kendyll or Levi. Belle just gets up and moves. Of course, she never complains. That’s why I’ve been searching for a nice dog bed for her.

Unfortunately, everything I’ve found so far has been so common and run-of-the-mill. My beautiful Bella Donna deserves something special. I’ve been looking for a special seat for her that will blend in with our family room and that Belle will want to sleep on. That has been a difficult task, at least it had been up until now.

classic dog couchI’ve finally found the perfect pet beds for any animal. I just love the classic doggy couch and I know Belle will, too. I’ve talked to Jesse about it and I think we’ll split the cost on this one. Belle actually belongs to both Jesse and me so we’ll take care of it together.

What I really love about this doggy couch is that it’s built specifically for dogs. The high back and deep seat give a secure, comfortable place for Belle to relax. This is so much better than the typical oval dog bed that you find in most pet stores. It’s ergonomically correct for dogs and it goes perfectly with any decor.

To make ordering even easier, ohmydogsupplies.com suggests upper weight limits for the various sizes of dog beds. That really helped because Pit Bulls are not really “big” dogs but they are pretty solid. Belle would need a large bed, according to the weight limits on the site. I love when online stores give you guidelines like that for ordering. It’s so much better than guessing wrong and having to ship it back.

Now I have to email Jesse with all the details. He wants to look around at the site, too. Of course, there’s no telling what else he may add to our shopping cart once he starts looking around. Like Mother, like son, eh?

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