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Doghouse of God
The idea of the church-going canine in not a new one. It is people's receptivity to the notion of dogs in pews that has done a complete turnabout.
The Gonzales (Texas) Inquirer, May 6, 1882 — After calm deliberation and mature judgment, we …Read more.
For the Love of Dog, Be the Pig
The best places to shop are those with the most lenient return policies. Nothing sets the alarm bells off like an "all sales are final" sign. "Store credit or exchange only" isn't much better. But full permission to return a lamp …Read more.
Some Promises Are Better Broken
The notion that a promise is a promise is born of the very worthy goals of building character and integrity in young people, infusing trust into personal and professional relationships, and generally encouraging people to hold up their end of a …Read more.
Loose Dogs Say Cheese
Complaints about dog owners who allow their dogs to run loose are as widespread as promises from politicians. They're also as empty. As the following letter from a reader shows, it takes perseverance to bring an uncooperative neighbor and their …Read more.
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Dog Eat DogWhat better time to discuss dogfights than on the heels of Michael Vick's readmission to the NFL? On July 20, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback completed his 23-month federal sentence for bankrolling the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation. Seven days later, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell granted Vick conditional reinstatement to the NFL. Now all he needs is a team that will have him. Anyone? Dogfights, however, are not limited to grisly underground matches orchestrated and attended by sociopaths. They happen every day — in nature, on the streets, in quaint, fenced-in dog parks and in homes across the globe. Consider the following story from a reader: "My 6-year-old dog, Bosley, is aggressive toward our other dog, Rocco, and often redirects this aggression toward my wife or me when we try to break up a fight. We have both been bitten six times. My wife wants to relocate Bosley or have him euthanized. We hope to avoid the latter, but we are trying to have children and everything I have read says this is not possible with him in the house. I also understand that many shelters and most people will not take him because of his aggression. "We have worked with trainers since we got him when he was 9 months old. Nothing seems to work. My wife is a dog walker, and we are both pretty diligent about giving him exercise, as well as training. We love him dearly and want him to lead a happy life, and I find the thought of euthanasia unbearable. Please help." And another: "About a year ago, a black Lab mix we dubbed "Joe" wandered into our garage, skinny and scared and looking like he had been lost for some time. We checked the neighborhood to see whether he belonged to anyone, to no avail, so we called the local shelter to come pick him up. During that time, Joe interacted with our other dogs, Dooder and Meathead, with no problems. "The shelter came to get Joe, and since he was so sweet, we put our name on the list to adopt him if nobody claimed him. "Two weeks went by before the first fight broke out. Joe and Meathead went at each other's throats and were not going to quit until one of them was dead. Luckily, my father-in-law and I were able to pry them apart, with quite a bit of injury to both dogs. Since then, we've done everything in our power to keep the two dogs separated, but every now and then, there is a slip in our routine, and they get together for one of their horrible battles. I recently ordered muzzles for both dogs, which should help, but both my father-in-law and I have been bitten while breaking up dogfights. Each dog weighs nearly 100 pounds. "We love them very much and do not want to get rid of either one of them. They have the best temperaments — when they are separated or with Dooder, a neutered male Newfoundland weighing about 160 pounds. Having to keep one locked away so the other can have the run of the house, and visa versa, is getting old, but we don't want to give up any of the dogs. Can you please help us?" Between Dooder, Meathead and Joe, these people are living with 360 pounds of dog, 200 pounds of which are drawn to potentially lethal conflict. Dogfights are dangerous. Dogs get injured. People get injured. Many times seriously. Sometimes fatally. And the more fights a dog participates in, the more of a loose cannon he becomes. This is why so many of Vick's dogs were ineligible for adoption. If you live with dogs that don't like each other and you don't have an easy and certain way to keep them apart, the best course of action for everyone involved is to find a new childless, petless home for one of them. Both dogs will thank you. Woof! Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
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