Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

Rottweilers. Computers. Cameras. World Domination. Not necessarily in that order.

Rottweilers.
Computers. Cameras.
World Domination.
Not necessarily in that order.

Almost an actual dog training post

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You’ll remember that training hasn’t been going so well for Freya and me. We haven’t been doing very much training except for our minimum daily requirements of sit, down, stand or some combo thereof before meals. This is partly because I was debating about doing a thyroid panel, then doing it and waiting for the results. Also, partly because we both need a break from anything negative, and training and trialing were definitely becoming pretty negative.

I still try to keep up daily with the various dog training blogs in my feed reader. I read several agility blogs. Even though I have almost no interest in ever participating in agility myself, I have a lot of interest in some of the training methods discussed.

The last several posts on Susan Garrett’s agility training blog have been about recalls. Now there is something that the dogs and I definitely need work on. In fact, that is something that most people would (or should) admit needing to work on with their dogs. I’m still working through them, but the posts themselves as well as everyone’s insightful comments and questions are giving me a lot of food for thought.

Check it out if you want to see what I’m reading! Start out with Relationship Truce and go from there.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 8 of 31)

Update: Mary Wild sentencing

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Last month, Mary Wild was convicted on eight counts of misdemeanor animal abuse for leaving eight show dogs in a poorly-ventilated van overnight, causing the deaths of seven of those dogs due to heat stroke. She could have faced up to eight years in jail plus up to $8,000 in fines. Instead, she will serve no time in jail (suspended sentence, two years probation), do 80 hours of community service at the Jefferson County Animal Control Center, and write a 750-word essay on how heat impacts dog.

I am saddened and disappointed in the leniency of the sentence by Judge Raymond Dickhaner. He said the matter of restitution should be handled by the civil courts. No word yet on whether the American Kennel Club will impose any sanctions on Ms. Wild. I sincerely hope they are less forgiving of the painful deaths of seven dogs than the courts of Missouri.

News and blog links:
The Dog Press: Mary Wild Sentenced
Di’s My Akita Kids: Mary Wild Gets a “Time Out”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Handler gets probation in deaths of seven show dogs

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 3 of 31)

Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop, Week 9

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It’s the ninth week of the Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop, co-hosted by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Nip and Bones. Join in, if you would, please! We missed a few weeks when last month went to… well, more like away from… the dogs.

Neil at Life With Dogs asks about holiday plans. I’m happy to say that our plans include relaxing, catching up, and more relaxing. That is, when the dogs are not involved in defending home and property from the “war” they are sure is going on. I mean, if there is no war, then why are things exploding? Although we will try to be safely indoors with television or music playing during the loudest part of the night, it’s still bound to be quite a long weekend until they are satisfied that we are at peace once again.
[Read more…]

Update: Mary Wild – show dog heat stroke deaths

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Last June, dog handler Mary Wild left eight show dogs, including her teenaged assistant’s dog and the #1 Akita bitch in the country at that time, in a poorly ventilated cargo van overnight after returning home from a show. Seven of the dogs, including those two, died of heat stroke. This afternoon, Ms. Wild was convicted on eight counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. Sentencing will be in July. The maximum penalty for this type of offense is up to one year in jail and a fine up to $1,000. I sincerely hope that the maximum penalties are applied in this case.

Links to coverage from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Judge convicts dog handler on all counts – June 4, 2010
Trial opens in deaths of 7 show dogs – June 3, 2010
(this link also contains the original news story from June 24, 2009)

(NaBloPoMo | June ’10: 4 of 30)