Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

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

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

Project 365 crosspost

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Crossposted from Project 365 at Haus Viersen

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Click the photo to see the full-size version on Flickr.

Project 365/21: On Day 18’s post, I remarked on Axel’s resemblance to “The Dog” bobblehead. So I thought it would make a cute picture to have Axel go nose to nose with one of my Rottweiler bobbleheads.

Not happening. The digital stack of outtakes is huge. My “obedience-trained” dog would not stay in a nose to nose position with the bobblehead. And despite the fact that he is a finished AKC Champion, he wouldn’t hold a nice alert expression for me. Sort of like this:

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Click the photo to see the full-size version on Flickr.

The paws picture turned out the best. Rottweiler bobbleheads, unlike actual Rottweilers, always stay where you put them!

Nikon Coolpix S51

The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop | Project 365

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My Project 365 is going pretty well so far. I haven’t improved much as a photographer yet, but we’re only two weeks into it. I haven’t missed a day yet, and I’ve been making an effort to use and learn more about my DSLR. Here are the pet-related photos from the past week:

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Click photos to go to the blog posts

It’s that time again: Saturday Pet Blogger Hop time! As always, a big thank you to Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume for bringing us all together every weekend!

Blog the Change for Animals: It’s the little things, too

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Blog the Change

Sometimes I wish that my twentysomething self would peek her idealistic head into my fiftysomething life, and tell me that I really can change the world, that all I need is faith and hope. I am no longer sure that is true. It can be very disheartening trying to raise awareness about topics such as breed specific legislation, puppy mills, and breed rescue and then…

  • your neighbor hates and fears your dog just because he is a Rottweiler
  • your coworker buys a puppy from a pet store after you have offered to put him in touch with breed rescue and some ethical breeders
  • your friend buys a cross-breed “designer dog” from a so-called breeder for more than you paid for your well-bred show dog… or your first car

And there is the unfortunate truth that awareness does not necessarily equal change or even concrete support. But I can’t quite bring myself to give up. My twentysomething self would be even more disappointed in me than she probably already is. What I do to keep myself sane is to try to remember that little things count, too. I may not be able to effect great changes in the world, but I can make life better for a few animals in it.

Right now, I can’t be very actively involved in breed rescue. I can always spare a few hours on a weekend every so often to help with transports, though. These usually involve moving a dog from a high-kill shelter to a rescue or foster home, or from a foster home to a forever home. As an experienced dog owner with a minivan that’s set up for traveling to shows and trials, it’s something that is a good fit for me as a way to contribute. I may not be making a big difference in the world, but I know I am making a difference to my canine passenger.

Between work, The Total Rottweiler Magazine, and the newly forming breed club I’m involved with, I’m on the computer a lot. One little tiny thing I can do while stuck behind the keyboard is to click to help. Not just donations, although I do that, too, while going through my favorite pet blogs. When you can’t make donations, you can still click (and shop) at The Animal Rescue Site and Freekibble.com to donate food and care to shelter animals.

What’s your sign, baby?

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An amazing-to-me number of people are all bent out of shape at the news that their zodiac signs have changed with the addition of a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus. I guess if I believed in astrology and actually thought that my personality would or should change to that of another sign, I would be upset, too.

I haven’t acknowledged the Western zodiac in years. If anyone starts talking about horoscopes or wants to know my sign, I tell them I am an Earth Dog and that is where it ends. I do acknowledge the Eastern zodiac (so proud to be Asian, our zodiac did not change) even though I don’t actually believe in it much more than I do the Western version. I find it completely amusing and appropriate that I was born in the Year of the Dog. I’ll let you do the math and guess what year that would be.

Interestingly enough, three of the six past and present resident Rottweilers are also Dogs. Well, of course they are dogs. I am still talking about the Eastern zodiac. Heidi and Oscar were Wood Dogs, and Axel is a Fire Dog.

I found a Chinese zodiac site describing each of the Five Types of Dog and I had to laugh at the Fire Dog writeup. It is so Axel!

“A highly dramatic and attractive type of Dog who will be thrown into the limelight by his alluring yet friendly personality.” — Well, he’s not really that friendly, but he’s very dramatic and attractive enough to be an AKC Champion. He was definitely thrown into the limelight as he chased his my championship dreams.

“He will be defiant and rebellious when forced to do something against his will…” — This pretty much describes every Rottweiler, I think.

“…but he will be very popular with the opposite sex.” — That gives me some hope for his success as a stud dog!