I try to read as many dog training blogs as I can. I always learn something (even when it’s like the old joke about how the only thing two dog trainers can agree upon is that the third dog trainer is doing it all wrong). Sometimes a post really hits home. This one did that, and also made me laugh out loud: Dog Trainer or Victim? from Denise Fenzi’s blog.
She talks about a doctor’s visit where she’s asked a number of leading questions about bruises and scratches on her thighs, and the reaction to her response that they were caused by… dog training, of course!
At almost any given time, I also have bruises, scratches, and tooth marks caused by the only domestic violence that takes place here… Rottweilers at work or play. The sweetest, mildest one we ever owned, Heidi, once almost gave Dan a concussion when she knocked him over out of sheer joy at his coming home from, well, only a few hours out. Good thing it wasn’t a week-long trip or she might have put him in a coma. Axe has no idea how big he is, and neither did Oscar before him.
It’s been a long time though since I’ve heard the pointed question “Is everything all right at home?” when I’m sporting bruises from dog training!
My attempt at doing a photo-a-day Project 365 petered out in April. Since then, I’ve gone between days and weeks of taking dozens of photos and other times when I take no photos for a few weeks. I have managed to learn enough about my DSLR to be able to pick which of my two lenses is the better one for a given situation and to figure out the right manual settings more than half of the time.
This, unfortunately, is from the less than half of the time when I didn’t figure the settings out correctly…
…still not a master work, but at least it’s Facebook-able and friends-and-family shareable. I love you, Photoshop. That is all.
I’m having a tough time getting back into the rhythm of daily writing. As I’ve mentioned before, November is not the best time for me to start any kind of involved personal project.
Today was a particularly aggravating day with no chance to enjoy the unseasonably mild weather. All week, AT&T repair trucks have been working in the alley behind the house, mostly blocking our garage. It has been a real inconvenience, plus I hate to open the garage when strangers of any variety are around. The work day started early and ended late. In between, we were missing several people due to illness or minor emergencies. When I finally got home, it was to the news that one of our neighbors had his home broken into.
I know I have complained about the jagoffs in my neighborhood quite often. The neighbor whose home was broken into is not one of them. He is a very nice older gentleman who certainly did not deserve the headache. Thankfully he was not home at the time, and the only saving grace is that the scumbag criminals did not hurt his dog. Not physically, anyway. I hope she was not too traumatized by the invasion.
I put part of the blame on another neighbor who is definitely one of the jagoffs. His constant yard sales (so many as to be in violation of city ordinances, but of course since it’s not a “real” crime nothing has been done) bring around unknowns and undesirables as well as legitimate neighborhood bargain seekers. I would not be surprised if some of the unknowns were also casing out the area for easy marks.
I’ve always bought into the conventional wisdom that having a dog is a deterrent to break-ins. Now I’m not so sure. I do know that when the Rottweilers bark and growl at unknowns or unfriendlies, I won’t be making an effort to stop them any longer. This is one time that I plan to use the stereotype of killer Rottweilers for good — our good. I truly hate that I feel I have to do that.
I’ve been away from the blog for quite a while, and I’m trying to decide the best way to catch up. Life hasn’t been super fabulously exciting, but there has been enough going on that I’m not sure where to start.
Freya is still on hiatus from training and trialing. Axe is mostly relaxing out of the spotlight as well. He passed his second and final try at the ATTS temperament test this spring. He earned another V rating, but sadly no placement, at a recent sieger show as well. Those will be more fun to talk about when I have photos ready, though.
It’s been a long busy week at work and I’m not sure how much longer I want to stare into a computer screen, so I don’t think I’m starting tonight.
Although I first learned about the GNC Pets line of vitamins and supplements last October, I didn’t get around to actually trying any of the products until last month. Freya and Axel have just finished their first bottle of GNC Pets Mega Hip & Joint Health with what seem to be satisfactory results.
I give all of my dogs joint health supplements once they reach adulthood. The ones who did have hip or elbow problems visibly benefited after a month or so. I feel the supplements help as a preventive measure for the others. It’s difficult for us to do a full review of any joint health products, though, since neither of the current dogs suffers from any hip or joint ailments. Axel failed OFA elbows with DJD1 (degenerative joint disease, Grade 1) but is completely asymptomatic. Freya passed OFA hips and elbows but has just entered her senior years as she turned seven in November.
At first, I was a little bit put off by the slightly chemical smell of the chewable tablets. They definitely did not smell like “Savory Beef” to me. I was concerned that the dogs would also find the chemical smell objectionable. They won’t take the tablets like treats, but they will happily eat them when mixed into their regular meals.
The pricing and ingredients are comparable to the brands I’ve tried in the past, and it is convenient to order them at GNC.com along with my own vitamins. I will likely purchase this product again in the future.
This product was purchased at a regularly advertised sale price. I have no connection to GNC other than as a generally satisfied customer, nor did I receive compensation for this quick review.
Hmmm, do they still say “put to bed” for sending a publication to the printer? The printer is here in Illinois, just two hours southwest of me. But I won’t be arranging for a courier or driving flats or film to the printer myself. Our editor Jane is in British Columbia, finishing up last-minute page corrections and uploading them to the printer’s server. I’m doing the final check and approval on those pages as she finishes uploading them. Everything is done online.
During the 17 years I have been in Rottweilers, many breed specific publications have come and gone. I still have fond memories of the original TRQ — The Rottweiler Quarterly. It may have often been way behind schedule, but the original owners always made good on subscriptions and advertising payments, one way or another. I can’t say the same for subsequent owners, and there are a few other now-defunct Rottweiler publications that out and out screwed over their subscribers and advertisers.
So I’m not surprised there was a place for us — so many others have bailed, some with honor and others without any class at all. And I’m not surprised that Jane has been able to keep the magazine going. She is one of the most determined people I’ve ever met. Her past life in accounting didn’t hurt either. I think a lack of knowledge in that area is what sent some of the other magazines to an early demise.
But it really did sneak up on me that we are just now finishing up issue number ten. Feels like a real accomplishment to hit that number!
Those things that I said were going on this month? Yup, they are going on all right. Here it is, almost tomorrow and I’ve just gotten here. Sorry… all you get today is a gratuitous Rottweiler.
