Why So Few Positive Mentions of Dogs in the Bible

Dogs dont get many positive mentions in the Bible. Good people can disagree why. Some think its because prior to the modern age of vaccines and pesticides, dogs carried rabies, fleas, and ticks. Others think its because feral dogs were associated with trash and grave robbing. The real reason, of course, is that Noah got tired of holding the damn umbrella.

Read More..

Tip of the Day Teach Kids to Be a Tree So a Dog Goes Away

Dogs are stimulated by movement and noise and children are known for their movement and noise! Still, it is possible to work toward and achieve positive and comfortable relationships between dogs and kids.

One of the most valuable skills that children can learn is to stand still and “Be a Tree” if a strange dog comes near them, or if a dog is bothering them or becoming too frisky (even their own dog).

Here is how to Be a Tree:

1. Stop
2. Fold in your branches (hand folded in front)
3. Watch your roots grow (look at your feet)
4. Count your breaths in your head until help comes or the dog goes away

"Trees" are boring to the dog and the dog will just sniff and then go away. No matter what the dog does, just stand still, avoid eye contact (by looking at your feet) and stay quiet.

You may have heard of other versions of being a tree involving moving hands up under the chin or under the arm pits and/or looking at the sky. We have done experiments and have consulted with many experts and have concluded that the Doggone Safe way to Be a Tree is the safest and easiest for kids to actually do. For more information on the reasons for this please click here.

Here is a video that shows how this works. (Please note that other videos that YouTube might display after these videos are chosen by them and may not be related to us or our messages in any way)

And another one. Notice that as soon as the person stops moving the dog loses interest. Please note that this video is for illustration purposes to demonstrate how well being a tree works with a frisky dog (using a teenager and a well trained dog). This is NOT a safe game for a child to play with a dog. If your dog gets too frisky and overly aroused, the kids should Be a Tree and then you should intervene and redirect the dog to another activity where he is no longer around the children.

Practice, practice, practice

It is not enough just to tell your kids about this, they need to practice it in a low stress environment to have the best chance of being able to do it under real life conditions if a dog threatens them. One way to practice is to play the Doggone Crazy! board game. Another way is to play role playing games where everyone takes tuns pretending to be a dog and the others practice being trees when the dog comes near them. You can also practice this with a stuffed dog. If you have a puppy or a small dog, you may be able to play with the real dog. Every one moves around and when the dog comes up to them they assume the tree position. The adult says the dogs name before he gets to the child and gives the dog a treat (or better still, clicks and gives the dog a treat). This way the  dog is rewarded for keeping all his feet on the ground around the kids. He will soon learn that when the kids do the tree that no-one is going to move or play with him anymore and he will see this as a cue to stop chasing or trying to play.

With a larger dog or a very frisky dog, start with the dog on a leash. Approach one of the kids in the game, the child will be a tree and you will say the dogs name, ask him to sit and give him a treat. Repeat until the dog automatically looks at you and sits when he sees a kid being a tree. Keep things calm with the kids. It is not a good idea for them to run around and get the dog all riled up.

It Works!

Here are some testimonials from people who have found being a tree to work in a real life situation with their kids:

Jake jumped back (the dog followed barking) and Jake snapped into the Tree pose so fast I thought Id seen him turn to stone. I couldnt believe he actually thought to do it - it had been over a year since weve had time to play Doggone Crazy. The dog immediately stopped barking, jumped back into his blankie and further trouble was thus averted. Beth Wheeler, Marblehead MA

One day my [4 year old] son was outside playing, those dogs were in their house, I was standing in our doorway watching Thomas play. Suddenly the back door to the house behind us opened and out flew the dogs. The male spotted Thomas immediately and charged him, clearing the fence easily, Thomas saw this and began to run for me. I yelled immediately for him to STOP and stand like a "tree". Thankfully Thomas did both, for the dog stopped, looked around and then headed back over the fence to his own yard. Another call went out to animal control, and a big hug to my son. Kerry McDonald, Pembroke ON

As an Animal Behaviourist who has testified in numerous court cases as a designated "expert" witness in the field of canine aggression in Ontario, I came accross some information relevant to Doggone Safe when reviewing material for a recent case. The parents of a young child credited this program with saving their [3 year old] daughters life when she was confronted by a large, aggressive acting dog. According to them, had they not taught her the principles outlined in the Be a Tree program, the results of their daughters incident with this dog could have been disastrous. This account should tell you everything you need to know about the efficacy of Doggone Safe. Kerry Vinson, Animal Behaviour Consultant, Roseneath ON

Read More..

Steffi is a great family dog and so much more

Steffi is going to be 16 soon. These pictures are too good not to share. Thank you Danny!

Read More..

The Dogs Are the Experts

"This book ... is great reading for all terriermen and women." -- Jack Russell Terrier Club of America.  Order yours here.

Read More..

Tis the season to be Doggy fa la la la laaaa

Hey Julie,

I absolutely LOVE Project: Play with your Dog study and how the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab are crowd sourcing using citizen science! I dont think a better way of contributing to scientific understanding can possibly exist! I look forward to hearing updates about how the research goes. I will certainly participate - next time we head to the river to play, well take our camera to get some video!

So you might have noticed the silly season of festivity has landed upon us... Assuming we live past Friday (and I really hope we do, because Friday is my birthday and I selfishly want the fun of a full birthday!) I thought Id look at some ideas that might inspire gifts for the two- and four-legged doggy friends and family members in our life.

(source)

1. Read about a Dog

I have been re-reading Inside of a Dog recently and thoroughly enjoying it (again). 

This book would make a fantastic gift for anyone who would like to understand more about dogs, the science looking at dogs, how it all fits together and is relevant to our shared encounters with dogs.

(source)

2. Give a Dog

After all those posts about the science of children and dogs I do think every child should have a dog. 

But make sure its an appropriate dog. 

(source)

(source)

Not every household or child is suited to owning a real dog, but that cant stop you giving that special little person in your life a gorgeous handmade pooch! 


Here are some I fell in love with on Etsy.

(source)

(source)

3. Holiday with a dog

(source)

Its Summertime in Australia right now and my dogs love nothing more than coming away on holiday/vacation with us to the beach. What better way to show your dog youve enjoyed their company than to include them on your trip away?

Winter escapes can be fun for dogs too!

(source)

Its easier than you might think to find pet-friendly accommodation in your favourite holiday destination. 

Just head to favourite online search engine and enter pet friendly accommodation *insert district name here*. 


Alternatively just ask normal rental options if theyll allow you to bring a 4-legged friend. You might be surprised how many places will say yes if you just enquire and give them some reassurance that your dog will respect the house rules!

(source)

(source)

4. Save a Dog


You can impress your dog loving friends or family members by donating money to your local welfare, shelter or dog rescue group in lieu of a gift. Who really needs another recipe book when the same amount of money could help pay for care to help save a 4-legged life?

 I do love Giddy and Twinkles words of wisdom! (source)

If you really need a gift to wrap, most of these non-profit, volunteer-driven organisations have calendars they sell to help raise funds.





5. Spend time with a Dog

(source)

At the end of the day, most of our dogs just want to spend time with us. 

So take time this festive season to go for that extra walk, give that extra pat, groom or game of fetch (depending on what your dog likes and if it is a game, be sure to take a video and submit it to help science!). 

If you dont have a dog, consider volunteering at your local shelter or welfare group. The festive season is an insanely busy period for these places and they are often overrun with dogs who have strayed while their owners are away, who are scared of fireworks or who have been dumped. 

(source)

Just volunteering your time to help clean, feed, walk and care for half a day or three could make a huge difference to the dedicated staff. These people tend to miss out on Christmas lunch with their families or New Years Eve partying year after year because they nobly spend it looking after our 4-legged friends.



So there you have it - my top 5 gift ideas for two- and four-legged friends this silly season. Whats on your gift list?

Wishing you and yours a safe and fun festive season this year Julie.
Heres hoping we all make it past Friday and if we do, Im sure 2013 is going to be a cracker!

Fa la la la laaaa, la la la laa!

x Mia 


Further reading:

Sitler R.K. (2006). The 2012 Phenomenon New Age Appropriation of an Ancient Mayan Calendar, Nova Religio, 9 (3) 24-38. DOI: 10.1525/nr.2006.9.3.024

© Mia Cobb 2012

Read More..

So much dog to talk about All the time in the world!

(source)

Hi Mia,

Yowzer!! We have so much to talk about! Dogs eating poop, welfare assessment, behavioural needs, enrichment and the “guilty look” are only the beginning! 

 

Speaking of which, I’m sure you have at least 7,000 more words on assessing welfare. Can you tell me more about assessing welfare?

You hyperlinked to a scientific journal article by Dr. Georgia Mason, and that made me smile a lot lot lot (or, Alot).

I am a bit of a Georgia Mason worshiper (for any of you who don’t know, she is a researcher in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Guelph. She explores how the housing of “Applied Animals,” those animals managed or controlled by humans, affects behaviour, brain functioning and welfare. She focuses on lab, farm and zoo animals... I feel like The Oz coming down and speaking to people other than you, Mia. Weird). Anyway, a while back, I gave Dr. Mason directions at a conference in France, and its still a big deal in my book.

So, yes! Tell me more about welfare assessment!!!

Life for me presently revolves around writing projects. Instead of writing about my writing projects, Ill give you a visual interpretation of what I’m working on and how I feel about it.

How I feel after reading a scientific paper and having a worthwhile thought:

Yay words! (source)

How I feel after sitting and writing for a long time:

(source)

Writing projects are about:

Chaser. (source)

Rico. (source)

Sofia. (source)

Another writing project on this beloved topic:

Whats the "guilty look" all about? (source)

And writing up research I presented at the 3rd Canine Science Forum in Barcelona, where we met, awww...

What is aesthetically pleasing? (source)

What is aesthetically pleasing? (source)

Come September well gear up to finish a study at the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab about this:

What the nose knows.(source)

I’ll tell you more about these pictures later.

Happy weekend!!!

JULIE 

Referenced

Mason, G. 1993. Why is there no simple way of Measuring Animal Welfare? Animal Welfare 2, 301-319. Click here for abstract.

© Julie Hecht 2012

Read More..