Australian Shephoarder

What's in Your Pet's Food

Eddie, the little dog who is the spokesdog for the EWA, is collecting money to test pet foods. These will be the same evaluations that are done on food for human consumption.
Let's face it. Pet food manufacturers are not required to be totally honest about their products. They approximate, they generalize and they condense the information about exactly what their products contain--even down to the TEFLON COATED BAGS! They do not have to mention it when they change their ingredients, either.
You can help Eddie & get lots of information by going here.

Dog Yard Float

Remember how proud I was the other day of the two new "turnouts?" I even posted photos of them.
To make them such wonderful doggie playgrounds, we had A LOT of work done to improve drainage. It cost A LOT of money--but it was necessary, as rainfall had begun causing pooling around the back yard area.

So, if you spend A LOT of money on a project like that, you kind of expect the situation to improve, just a little, whatever the circumstances.

Here is a photo from 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning:

See my less-than-a-week-old fence?
Do you suppose maybe there was a serious flaw in the design of the new drainage system?
At least it's getting fixed.
Maybe.

New Digs

When we had 8 dogs, we were getting a little cramped & decided to make some major changes around our house to accommodate the pack. We needed to 1)provide more "secure" play area and 2)work on the grass situation.

Drainage has always been a problem here and first of all we fixed that. Then we expanded the old dog yard & added a new one. The drainage thing, as some folks know, is amazingly expensive. The new drains in the dog's area absolutely call to the pack.

Here's the new main yard:

and here's the new "auxiliary" turnout:

Here is what a drain should look like after it is installed:

And, after my lovely animals play around it for a while:

The knuckleheads not only removed the cap/grill, but then began pulling out the underground tubing. Now we are repairing our repair.
But they've had a difficult week being crated while the fence was down & they will be much more tired next week.

Martha's Tribute

I don't have much in common with Martha Stewart, as a matter of fact, in most ways I am the opposite of Martha.

But Martha and I have something in common...loss of a beloved pet. On her blog, Martha has a wonderful tribute to her Chow Chow Paw Paw who died last weekend. Good writing and good photos. And, hey, I like that the dog is on the kitchen counter. Impressive!

Ruby Scoop

Last night, Ruby struck a classic pose for the camera I have to share:

Thunder Alley

Thunder, lightening, rain...we've had them all week.
Winston used to go wacko during thunderstorms, which basically, taught the other pack members to be skittish during bad weather.

At some point, however, it doesn't matter how long it rains, when you gotta go, you gotta go. The pack members are pretty good about "going" in the rain, but lightening sends them back inside for cover.

Olive was probably second worst about Tstorm nervousness, because she probably learned the most from Winston. However, Monday night as we were pounded for hours, she learned to "settle." We gently scratched her ears (while she lay on our bed) and soothed her back to sleep. We repeatedly calmed her when she startled.

Success.

Last night during the third pounding, I actually expected a little nervous bark/alert from her. The first loud crash she looked at me like, "Did you hear that?! Don't I need to sound my alert?" We shut off the lights and invited her to have her ears scratched & enjoy the sounds of nature.

After a while, I actually became concerned, because she hadn't barked or startled. She was snoozing in the middle of the floor.

Storm anxiety in dogs can be learned and unlearned; and I know dogs pick up on their humans' emotions. Tornado sirenIf they sense alarm and anxiety in us, they'll feel it too. Drugs administered were only those naturally released from ear scratching and tummy rubbing.

Dear Neighbor

Dear Neighbor,
As I drove down our street today, I saw your dog standing by the side of the road. I see him there quite often, but I don't see you.
You have a fenced yard. Did he get out? Will he not come back when you call? Certainly you don't purposely allow him to leave your yard, completely unattended & untethered!
I probably have more dogs than you do and if one of mine was out of the fence I would know it immediately and I would be frantic. If one of mine were out of his fence, you can just about bet I'm there, too AND that my dog is on a leash.
I don't want to bombard you with "what ifs," but I noticed him as I drove down the street and was careful--it's squirrel season & what if he ran after one & crossed the street in front of my car?
Why do I often see him running loose in that area? What if he ate a rancid or poisonous substance? What if he were attacked by another dog? What if he were bitten by a rabid skunk or poisonous snake? What if a driver wasn't paying attention? What if someone saw him & decided to steal him? He looks like a purebred.
Even more so, what if he got into a neighbor's trash? What if he attacked another dog? What if he dug a hole on your neighbor's property? What if he urinated or defecated on your neighbor's lawn?
I hate to be snarky, but do you want him injured? Do you want to help him cause damage to your neighbors' property? Do you want your neighbors to hate him and you? Obviously, you do not value him.
I know that if it were a $100, $50 or even a $20 bill, you wouldn't let it just lay by the side of the road. You'd probably rush out and grab it so that it wouldn't blow away. You'd probably make sure you kept that money tucked away in your purse. You'd probably take some action so that the cash wouldn't get stolen.
He looks like a nice enough dog. Nice dogs are invaluable and can offer unconditional love and companionship. There's no way to put a value on that.
Please love and value him.
Sincerely,
A concerned neighbor

p.s. I never even got around to mentioning the city's leash laws or the legal ramifications if your loose dog bit someone.

Live. From the Dogroom.

I got a new toy.
We installed a webcam in the dogroom.
It is very enlightening.
One of the things I like most about having so many dogs is that I get to watch then interact. I get to watch their behavior and communication with each other.
I like to see their antics & play.
But when I'm there, they are too focused on me. The presence of any family member draws them out of their natural play state.
This cam has shown me a few things I didn't know; and I can watch it right here from my desk.
I can see who appears nervous in a crate; I can see who has finished eating; I can see who plays in the water dish.
It's fun, and I'm already upgrading to a pan & tilt model.

They Are Temporary Gifts

Today I looked into the eyes of all 6 of my dogs and had a realization.
I'm just lucky. Lucky to have had the chance to spend time with Winston and Kodie these past years. I realize they were only a gift, on loan for a while.
I'm lucky I'm able to accept the privilege of having these beautiful creatures live with me in my home. Some people only see their dogs after work or between events. I'm lucky that I can arrange my life to get the most out of being with my dogs every day. I'm lucky to be able to take them places and do things with them. I'm lucky to be able to afford them (okay, maybe not so lucky there).
Each and every one of them enriches my life and the lives of my family members. They add to the quality and they contribute to our happiness and contentment. They are a part of us. They are each a blessing.

The Rest of the Pack

I think all the dogs new something was wrong with Winston. Last August, he began his journey & moved into the "penthouse," or the large, private dog residence in our bedroom (otherwise known as the master bath.) It has tile, wood floor and carpet and enough room to get out of the way in case of an accident.
Kodie never got there. He still lived with the pack in its room. Now, I think they are looking for him.
He was Piper's best bud.