Non-Rottweiler Pets and Animals

Urban wildlife

November 5, 2009 by kathi

We’re on the lookout for urban wildlife once again!

squirrelnest_0196

This rather messy and chaotic creation is the nest of a squirrel. The window is that of a seldom-used office on the fourth floor of a six-story office building in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. The photo is taken from our office, across a little courtyard that’s not really a courtyard.

I saw the squirrel go into his? her? all right, its! nest late on Monday afternoon. Since then, we’ve seen it out and about in the courtyard area and on the second floor deck every day, but we’ve not yet seen it entering or emerging from its nest.

We set up a video camera but haven’t caught it yet. Still trying, though, so maybe tomorrow.

(NaBloPoMo | November ’09: 5 of 30 | 75% Challenge: 250 of 274)

Rescue me (this time, not the TV show)

November 1, 2009 by kathi

These days, I’m not able to contribute as much time and money as I would like to… well, a number of very good causes. One of those causes is Rottweiler rescue. Today I gave a few hours of my time to help get Rollo, an abandoned Rottweiler, from his temporary foster home in Ohio to the rescue in Wisconsin who will be getting him ready for his next chance at a good life. He was a little scared, but he was a nice dog, not aggressive or wild, and traveled well for me as we went from a meeting spot in the southwest suburbs to the next meeting spot just over the Illinois/Wisconsin state line.

Although many potential adopters are now aware of the number of purebred dogs that find themselves homeless each year, I am not sure that the advantages of adopting from a breed rescue rather than a shelter could be considered widespread common knowledge yet.

In most cases, a dog adopted through breed rescue has been evaluated by people familiar with and knowledgeable about the breed. The dog may have also spent time with a foster family where any problems would be noted and worked on, and information passed on to the adopter.

If you are concerned that adopting a dog through breed rescue means condemning a shelter dog to death, please know that in many cases, purebred rescue dogs do come from shelters. Many of the transports I have assisted with are to move a dog from a high-kill shelter to a breed rescue foster home.

My current dogs were both acquired as show prospects. This does not mean that I do not support rescue, just that I wanted a show dog. Our last rescued Rottweiler was a very important part of our family and we miss her to this day. She was a very maternal presence of the tough love variety and when Freya and Axel were puppies, I always wished that Missy were still around to “raise” them.

If you are looking to add a purebred dog to your family, and are not interested in showing or breeding, please consider your local breed rescue as you go about your search.

(NaBloPoMo | November ’09: 1 of 30 | 75% Challenge: 246 of 274)

Pet blessings

October 4, 2009 by kathi

The feast day of the patron saint of animals, St. Francis of Assisi, is today, October 4. Though several churches in our immediate area, and this year also one of our usual dog training schools as well, do a Pet Blessing ceremony every year, we’ve never taken any of our pets to one. I’ve often enjoyed seeing the news video clips or photos following the ceremonies, although I do wonder if it is absolutely necessary to sprinkle the cats with holy water (many of them don’t act very blessed about that). If that seems like a stupid observation, please remember that I wasn’t brought up Christian!

I know Rottweilers are not inherently evil, but after The Omen I cannot easily picture my crew standing inside any of the churches in our neighborhood. Plus it would set back the cause of anti-breed specific legislation a good dozen years when the holy water hits them and the smoke starts rising off their fur. Okay, just kidding. I think. Anyway, it is we humans that are truly blessed by sharing our lives with our dogs, cats and other animal and avian companions.

Random observations to round out the day:

We went to see the property that Dan’s sister Linda and her husband Casey are in the process of purchasing. The house needs some work, but not an overwhelming amount; it’s basically in good shape. It’s on five acres of land. Five acres is a LOT of land, and looks like even more if you have lived in the city all of your life and are used to postage-stamp sized lots where you are thisClose to people you would often not even want on the same planet with you, let alone thisClose to you.
If you are planning to buy a Suncast 7.5′ x 5.5′ Garden Shed, it will not fit in your Dodge Grand Caravan unless you have a roof rack for a couple of the panels. Even if you take it out of the really giant packing boxes. Just saying.
Linda will be at the Border Collie National Specialty this coming week; made me start thinking and you know, I have never been to my own breed’s national specialty? And I’m not even sure when the last time our specialty was in the Midwest. I have been to Medallion Rottweiler Club’s specialty (the one most local to us) many times and I will be there this year, but mostly just to drop off Axel for his hopeful championship road trip. I actually have until Wednesday morning to decide if I’m going to do one or more of the specialty’s rally trials with Freya, but right now I think we’re going to pass. She’s not really at her best at Rottweiler-only events, plus we’ve been concentrating on UKC rules rather than AKC rules.

(NaBloPoMo | October ’09: 4 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 226 of 274)

Goodbye, good boy

August 27, 2009 by kathi

My brother’s dog went to the Rainbow Bridge on Monday at age 13. Starbuck was a Brittany, Jon’s first dog, constant bird hunting companion, make that constant companion, period. And clearly his “heart” dog. Starbuck’s second favorite person was Jon’s ex-wife Steph. Steph was never an ex-anything to him. They were both with Starbuck to help him to the Bridge.

For a number of reasons, some good and some not quite so good, Dan and I hadn’t seen much of our canine nephew in recent years. We’ll miss his wild ways and enthusiastic love of life.

Hug your dogs now. They are here for such a short time.

(NaBloPoMo | August ’09: 27 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 215 of 274)