Author Archives: jennariedi

The proper way to introduce yourself to and pet a dog

Posted on by jennariedi
The main thing to keep in mind when meeting a new dog is that they are not humans and therefore we must be mindful of what our body language means to them.  For example, eye contact in the dog world is an extremely aggressive thing to do.  Try a staring contest with a dog and you could very well end up with a bite to the face.  So try your best to not hold eye contact with a dog for more than a few seconds.  Another example is with our actual bodies.  Facing a dog with our chests directly pointing at them is also a sign of aggression in the dog world. So if you are meeting a dog that doesn’t know you and/or seems somewhat fearful, turn your body a little so you are at an angle.  This will tell them you mean no harm.

So when you meet a dog, your first instinct is most likely to put your hand on their head/neck to pet them as a greeting.  While some dogs are perfectly fine with this and your own dog may tolerate it, this is scary for most dogs.  The best way to pet a dog is to first let them smell your hand that is in a fist, and then open your hand up to pet their chin and upper neck.   Once a dog gets to know you and understands that no fights are necessary, you can usually pet wherever you want.  My own dog, Monty, will not only let me pet him anywhere, but will also engage in some serious staring contests with me sometimes.  He knows me all too well and understands that I would never harm him and therefore allows these behaviors. 

I always recommend asking the owner ahead of time if it’s okay to pet their dog.  Owners will know better than anyone else if their dog is not in the mood for strangers or has a fear of certain kinds of people.

Many children that are bit by dogs most likely are doing the things that I recommend you not do.  They like to run up to a strange dog, put their arms around their necks (thus touching the back of the neck) and will look the dog straight in the face in hopes of the “kiss”.  I admit, when I was about 7 I did this myself with a maltese and still have the scar on my lip to show for it.  PLEASE teach your children the proper way to pet a dog.  Also teach them to ALWAYS ask the owner if it’s okay first and to NEVER pet a dog that is unattended.

The Tragedy of Sea World

Posted on by jennariedi

It is so tragic what happened at Sea World yesterday. If you have not heard, a trainer was killed by one of their killer whales. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/24/killer.whale.trainer.death/index.html?hpt=T2


We have no right to imprison these animals in an environment in which we profit.  Would the world really suffer if there were no Circus, no Sea World, no Zoos?  You take an animal from a home where the boundaries are endless and place them in a tank to simply put on a show for you? How dare these places profit from a wild animal’s captivity.


 In the wild, whales swim hundreds of miles a day in the open ocean and they have complex family networks and specific ways of hunting.  In captivity, their natural instincts and ways of being are completely suppressed.  The same can be said for all the species of animals kept in captivity at zoos, circuses, aquariums, and places like Sea World. 


A family has lost a daughter, mother, sister.  This whale has been ruined by the selfishness of mankind.  But to keep it in an even smaller tank now as punishment for a natural action, is worse.  I’m sickened every day by the shallowness of those who take their children to see what is really nothing less than a disgusting freak show.  Honestly, the best thing they can do now is release Tillikum back into the wild (heck, they should shut down Sea World and release all their animals back into their natural habitats).


If you wish to have a day out with your children and enjoy nature, visit a local park or volunteer at the local animal shelter.  Say no to zoos, circuses, aquariums, and Sea World!

Protest Michael Vick’s Television Show

Posted on by jennariedi


The first time I heard that Michael Vick had a reality television show I honestly thought it was a sick joke.  Unfortunately, BET must have a love for sick jokes because they indeed are currently airing a show called “The Michael Vick Project”.  Now to be completely fair, I will admit right now that I have never seen this show nor have I seen any commercials relating to the promotion of it (the effects of not having cable, I guess).  However, I can easily say without having seen this show that it is absolutely disgusting that those at BET thought it a good idea to glorify a felon and animal cruelty.  What kind of message are they sending out to people?  “Hey, kids, it’s okay to torture and kill multiple living beings that were dependent upon you!  You will not only get your job back after a short stay in jail, but you will also get your own TV show!” 

I encourage you to read my post on the connection between animal cruelty and crimes against humans.  There is a very strong connection and it is our job as a society to end the cruelty to animals to not only save the lives of these helpless creatures that we as humans made helpless through domestication, but to also protect the lives of children and other individuals who would otherwise become targets of deranged individuals.  If a person is capable of inflicting pain upon a helpless creature, there is something seriously wrong with them mentally and they need to be removed from society immediately.  Promoting Vick as a good person will only serve to show children that murder and torture are okay.

Already we have cases of children abusing animals and running dog fighting rings, then telling the police they did it because they want to be “the next Michael Vick”.  http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=11905000  Please join me in writing to BET and the corporate sponsors during Vick’s show telling them that we are not okay with glorifying criminals and sending the message to children that animal cruelty is not a bad thing.  Help me pressure them to end this horrific show.

Please contact BET and tell them what you think of the show: https://bet.wufoo.com/forms/contact-us-bet-programming/
Please contact the sponsors of the Michael Vick Reality Show and express your opposition to their financial support of the program. As a result of their advertising, Vick is profiting from a lucrative reality television contract while showing absolutely no remorse for the atrocious crimes he committed. This show is beyond wicked and evil and must be canceled immediately. Please also stop buying these companies’ products immediately (and make sure to mention you are doing this in your letter of complaint to them!) and ask your friends and family to do the same. 

Maybelline http://www.maybelline.com/customerservice/contactus.aspx

Checkers http://checkers.com/contact.html

nc.com
1-866-492-5336

Hotwire marketing@hotwire.com

Ford https://secure.ford.com/footer/contact-ford/contact-us-email?contactMainTopic=PublicAffairs

McDonalds http://www1.mcdonalds.com/contactus/navigate.do?link=marketing

Progressive https://www.progressive.com/contact-us.aspx

5-Hour Energy http://www.5hourenergy.com/contactus.asp

7-Up http://www.econsumeraffairs.com/am_bev/contactus.htm?F1=7up&F2=7up

Lysol http://lysol.com/corporate/contact-us/contact-form-s/

Subway http://www.subway.com/Applications/CustService/frmCustomerService.aspx

Avon avoncr@avon.com

KFC http://www.kfc.com/contact/

TurboTax julie_miller@intuit.com

Overture Films info@epk.tv

Buick http://www.buick.com/pages/mds/helpcenter/contactUs.do

Bally Fitness http://www.ballyfitness.com/contact-us.aspx?culture=en

Hershey’s http://www.hersheys.com/contactus/contact-us-date.asp

Footlocker http://www.footlocker.com/customerserv/help:contactUs/

Chevy http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/mds/helpcenter/contactUs.do

Appelbee’s http://www.applebees.com/GuestContact.aspx

Sprint http://www.sprint.com/contactus/

Broadview Security (formerly Brinks Security) http://www.broadviewsecurity-home.com/contactus.htm

**For more information about Pitbulls and how they are actually amazing companions, please check out the great book by Karen Delise: The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression

Collars

Posted on by jennariedi



The best way to find a good collar is to take your dog to the pet store and try collars on.  When you find one you like, take it off and start to tighten the collar.  Slide it over your dog’s head and then try to put your fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck.  You should only be able to comfortably fit two fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck. This is the perfect fit for your dog!

If your dog is an escape artist when it comes to collars, I recommend the martingale collar.  This collar will tighten up when your dog pulls on the leash, but does not actually choke your dog.  It just keeps your dog from being able to slip out of the collar.  To fit the martingale, pull the d-ring (where you attach the leash) out and do the two finger test with the collar tightened all the way.  This way when your dog pulls and the collar tightens, it does not choke them.

When your dog is safely in the home, it is a good idea to take his/her collar off.  Dogs can get themselves into trouble and I have heard too many stories of dog’s choking themselves to death because their collar go caught on something in the house.

For cats:  I recommend the same fitting process (obviously you cannot take your cat to the pet store, so just make sure to pick one that is adjustable).  There are cat collars that have a release on them.  Basically, if you pull on the collar enough, it will snap open.  This is key for your cat (no matter how inactive you may think he is!) because you don’t want your cat getting caught on his collar for the same reason why I recommend taking your dog’s collar off when inside. 

Even if you have a collar on your pet and have their tags attached, I strongly urge you to also have your pet microchipped.  This is a simple, painless process for your pet and ensures that even if your pet loses their collar while lost, you will still be able to reunite with them.  Ask your vet or local shelter for more information!

Cat collar photo from: www.equinecaninefeline.com
Dog collar photo from: www.sylvans.net

Spay Day: 2/23/10

Posted on by jennariedi

Vote for Miss Moneypenny in the Spay Day Photo Contest!

https://photocontest.humanesociety.org/contest.html?page=viewInd&id=56671&contestId=2
As many of you may know, I am not the biggest fan of HSUS because of their archaic beliefs in regards to animal rights and welfare.  In case you do not know, HSUS is as anti-nokill as an animals rights group can get (they are right up there with the ASPCA).  They prefer to kill an animal rather than have it be homeless, believe that feral cats should all be killed, wanted Vick’s dogs to all be killed (see a pattern here?).  Unfortunately, HSUS believes that doing business as usual like they have been for decades is the way to go.  I understand that it is hard to admit that what you have been doing for so long is not the best way to go about things.  But these are living creatures we are talking about, so HSUS needs to suck it up (to put it eloquently), admit their mistake, and make the switch to the nokill philosophy.


Now, let’s be honest, while I do not approve of all their tactics I do support some of the things they do (it’s pretty hard for an animal rights group to be 100% bad).  HSUS has the money to air rather emotional television advertisements that educate the viewer on adopting rather than buying.  They also have Spay Day…

Spay Day, taking place Tuesday, February 23rd,  is an amazing event where shelters across the nation fix as many animals as possible in a day (some shelters actually take more time!).  And these animals are not just their own.  In fact, the majority of the animals being fixed are those already in homes or feral cats.  So this is a great event for getting the word out about spaying/neutering as well as actually getting a lot of unaltered animals fixed so we don’t have to worry about them having any more litters (or health problems such as cancer).  

So your vote donation is not directly going to HSUS, but actually going to the organizations participating in Spay Day; they will use your donation to help pay for the surgeries.  Plus your vote goes towards supporting Miss Moneypenny in her attempt in becoming the cutest puppy mill rescue of all time!  This little lady was rescued from Wallace Haven’s “Puppy Haven” facility, where at the ripe old age of one already had had a litter, had two ear infections, two bad knees requiring surgery, was completely matted, and was covered in urine since cleaning cages or letting dogs out of cages aren’t really a priority at puppy mills.  Penny now spends her days sleeping on couches and beds, cuddling with her humans, eating really expensive dog food, going for walks, and playing with her mouse toy. 🙂

So please support Spay Day and vote for Miss Moneypenny!  And if you are interested in spaying/neutering your pet, please contact your vet!  It is the best thing you can do for your companion animal.  If you need more information on the benefits of spay/neuter, please see here:  http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/spay-neuter-top-ten.html

In case of a disaster

Posted on by jennariedi




In case of a flood, fire, earthquake, hazardous spill or other disaster, your animals will rely on you to help them escape to safety. Therefore the more prepared you are, the safer you and your pets will be.  The following are my recommendations of what to have prepared in your “disaster kit.”  I also have a shopping list below for you to consider.  I recommend keeping these items in the vehicle you would use to evacuate your home.

– Three-plus days supply food and food bowls, water and two weeks of your pet’s medications
– Litter boxes with litter, if you have cats
– Extra leashes and collars
– Copies of vaccination and medical records
– Photos and descriptions of each pet
– Pet first aid kit and pet first aid book
– Stickers you can write and attach to your pet’s tags the information of your intended destination and outside temporary contact information


Pet Emergency Kit Shopping List-Dog
– First aid kit
– 5lb bag of your dog’s food
– Two small bowls
– Slip lead leash
– 2 liters of water
– Small blanket
– Plastic bags


Pet Emergency Kit Shopping List-Cat
– First aid kit
– 4lb bag of your cat’s food
– Two small bowls
– Cardboard carrier
– 2 liters of water
– Small blanket
– Disposable litter box with litter

TNR – The feral solution

Posted on by jennariedi


Most communities hold the belief that if there is a stray and/or feral animal “situation” or “overpopulation” in their area, the best way to handle it is to trap these animals and kill them.  However, it has been proven time and again that removing a population slowly and killing them does not have a negative effect on the stray population.  Rather, (channel high school biology!) the ecological system of a specific community can support a certain number of stray dogs and/or feral and stray cats.  Let’s pretend that number is 100.  If you trap and kill ten, you still have ninety and since the environment can support 100, those ninety will quickly reproduce and get back to their capacity in no less than two months. 


Granted those numbers are completely made up, but biology teaches us that there are ecological niches and a general number of a certain species can be supported by it.  So the best way to control the strays is not to try to trap and kill all of them.  You will never get to all of them, and they will reproduce just as fast as they can be caught and killed.  This has been proven time and again in communities all over the world.  The community recognizes that they have a lot of strays/ferals, and maybe one of these animals hurt a person so the government is now paying attention.  They decide the best course of action is to trap all these animals and kill them, yet months or even years later the number of animals has not changed.


The best way to handle a stray and/or feral population is to trap, neuter (and vaccinate) and release the animals (TNR).  Once released, they are unable to reproduce, are vaccinated with a three year rabies shot so rabies will not be an issue, and hold the ecological niche population in place.  Most communities that have implemented this way of handling their stray and feral populations have also found that some of these animals are adoptable (not completely wild).  These animals are then fixed, vaccinated and adopted out to a loving home.  The animals that are trapped that prove to be wild are therefore simply returned to their habitat once they have recovered from their vet visit.


Please contact your local shelter/animal control facility and ask them what their procedure is for feral cats/dogs.  Strongly encourage them to adopt the Trap/Neuter/Release program for the ferals that cannot be domesticated.  I can provide you with specific evidence of how this works better than trapping and killing if you feel you need it to make your case.  For more information about TNR and other nokill solutions, check out Nathan Winograd’s book, Redemption.  Thanks!

The animal-to-human violence link

Posted on by jennariedi

We all know the story of Michael Vick. A man who decided it was not only okay, but also entertaining, to torture and kill numerous dogs. In light of his case bringing animal abuse to the nation’s attention, I would like to touch on why it’s very important for us as a nation to crack down on animal abusers and make their punishments more severe. Many people will argue with me that animals should not have the same legal protections as humans, but I believe that the law should have the same penalties for those who harm animals as those who harm children.

There is the case of Phoenix, a one-year-old pit bull terrier soaked in gasoline and set afire on May 27, 2009 by twin brothers Tremayne and Travers Johnson, 17. Phoenix was euthanized in caring hands after her kidneys failed. Swollen and charred, her immune system simply couldn’t handle burns covering over 95% of her body. http://bit.ly/1vLC51

Then there is the most recent case of Buddy, a shepherd/blue heeler mix who was stolen from his home, tied to a truck, and dragged around for 30 minutes until he finally died. Steven Clay Romero, 37, is in custody and does not understand why he is being punished nor has he been able to offer the police any kind of motive for his actions. http://bit.ly/4YJJuv

People who are capable of this kind of torture towards another living being are so desensitized to suffering, they ignored the cries of another living creature being torn apart in a dog fight, enveloped in flames, or being dragged to death.

Unfortunately, the felony animal cruelty penalties only include up to three years in prison and most who are sentenced rarely see more than a few months in prison if at all. Why should we care? Because those who harm animals are exponentially more likely to move on to harming humans.

Columbine’s Eric Harris, D.C. serial killer Lee Boyd Malvo, murderer Kip Kinkle and others “practiced” on animals before graduating to people. Andrew Golden, 11, and Mitchell Johnson, 13, killed dogs in Jonesboro, Arkansas prior to gunning down four students and one teacher. Mississippi 16-year-old Luke Woodham mortally stabbed his mother, killed three classmates and shot seven more. Later in court, he confessed to bludgeoning his dog with baseball bats and setting her on fire.

One U.S. study revealed that five of 11 killers involved in nine separate school rampages had formerly abused animals. In another study, “Childhood Cruelty Toward Animals Among Criminals and Noncriminals,” 25% of aggressive criminals confessed to five or more acts of torturing animals.

Clearly, the animal-to-human violence link demands our utmost attention. We need to empower animal control officers under the police department and advocate prosecution in all animal abuse and fighting cases. We need to stiffen laws to better protect companion animals. We need to require convicted animal abusers to register with their local police just like those who harm children must when they relocate.

These individuals are incapable of compassion, whether it’s a rat, a dog, or a child. Not only will these laws better protect companion animals from torture and unnecessary death, it will also help us identify mentally sick people who need to either be closely monitored and/or completely kept away from society.

Cutting Your Dog’s Nails

Posted on by jennariedi


If you have never cut your dog’s nails before, it is best to get her used to you touching her feet first. So for a few seconds, a couple times a day just hold her paws in your hands. Make sure to reward her for letting you do this-I always give a little treat so they know they are being good. Do this for a few days until she is tolerant of you holding them for more than a few seconds.
Now that your dog is used to you touching her feet, you can start cutting her nails.  I prefer using standard dog nail clippers (personally not a fan of the guillotine clippers, but go with whatever you feel most comfortable with).  I recommend just doing one foot at a time with a good, long break in between as a cooling off period. As time goes on, you may not need to do this since your dog will get used to the nail cutting. If your dog’s nails are white, you will notice some red running from the base, but not out into the tip. This red is blood and nerves, called the quick, so you do NOT want to cut into that! Just cut off the white tip of the nail. If your dog has black nails, you will want to cut off a tiny bit at a time and keep an eye on the surface where you are cutting. As you get close to the blood and nerves, a ring on their nail will appear where you are cutting. Once you see this ring in their nail, stop!
I recommend cutting your dog’s nails once a month. If your dog likes treats, it is always a good idea to reward her for a good job! And remember, your dog may not be a fan of the paw touching and nail cutting, so have some patience. It will take some time for her to adjust to this, but if you keep it positive and go slow she will be okay with it in no time!
Bonus: This method also works for cats! I cut my cat’s nails once a week to keep his nails short and dull at all times. It may take even more patience for your feline friend to be okay with paw handling, but go slow and reward liberally and your kitty will warm up to the idea eventually.  Once again, I prefer to use the standard cat nail clippers that you can find in any pet supply store.
*Picture taken from simplyk9.co.uk

How to teach your dog "lay down"

Posted on by jennariedi

As always, the first step is to find a treat your dog is really willing to work for! Once this treat has been identified, break them up into small pieces (no bigger than your pinky fingernail).

Essentially when you are teaching your dog a command, you will first teach them the result you are looking for (in this case, down) and once that is learned you are putting a verbal command to it. So to teach the result of laying down, first ask your dog to sit. Then, take a small treat in your hand and put it close to your dog’s nose and slowly move it to the ground towards your dog’s front feet. This motion of moving a treat from your dog’s nose to the floor will almost always result in your dog laying down so he can get to the treat. Once your dog does lay down, give him the treat immediately and praise him! Dogs only have an association period of about 1.5 seconds, so you need to get that treat to him in 1.5 seconds for him to understand that laying on the ground=treat.

Do this about a dozen times or so to make sure your dog is making the connection. Once your dog seems to be predicting what you want when you put the treat out by his nose, add the word “down” or “lay down” (pick one command and stick with it!) into the mix. So every time your dog puts his belly on the ground, say “lay down” and give the treat. Do this a few more dozen times and your dog should have it! Try just holding the treat in your hand, close to your chest, and say “lay down.” If he lays, praise him and give him that treat as soon as you can.

Do not be discouraged if your dog takes a while to catch on, some dogs are better at learning new things than others. Just keep doing each step over and over until your dog gets the hang of it before you move on to the next step. Some dogs figure this out in minutes (like my cavalier) while others take a bit longer (just like my chihuahua mix and border collie mix-they took a few days). My border collie actually hates the command and action of laying down. I have found in my experience that certain breeds are not fans of laying down or rolling over. So definitely be patient and make sure to reward the little victories!

Reminder: dogs get frustrated just like we do, so don’t train with your dog for more than 15 minutes at a time. That way, he can retain everything you are trying to teach him and not get so frustrated that he shuts down and you have set backs.