Cesar and QVC, and “Marley and Me”
- When Cesar appears on QVC, watch him! Always training people, Cesar can’t help teaching us on any program on which he appears. On his show which aired on Saturday, for example, he cautioned people who would adopt and/or rescue a new pet to approach the shelter situation with high energy. Our energy level forms our decisions and can even impact on our new relationship. In the QVC spirit he did introduce his 3 new treats on the program. A dog’s brain is 60% controlled by the nose he maintains– thus one treat is for exercise (like a power bar), one is for discipline–the filet mignon of treats–and one is for affection or relaxation.
- Then President-Elect Obama referred to George Washington, founder of our nation, in his inaugural address. But, the AKC calls Washington the “Father of Foxhounds”. At one time Washington owned more than 30 Foxhounds with such names as Drunkard, Tipler, and Tipsy!!
- According to Julius Prager, the cropping/tail docking bill is so badly written –with very little provision for record-keeping–that it will be difficult to enforce.
- For those who have Internet access, a great resource for training and behavior problems by Dr. Ian Dunbar may be found at: www.dogstardaily.com
- From a veterinarian: “Adorable mixed breeds get cancer, epilepsy, allergies, heart disease and have orthopedic problems just like purebreds. I see it every day in my practice. But, mixed breeds aren’t tracked like the purebreds so they have a reputation as “healthier” that is actually undeserved in many cases. All animals have a certain amount of genetic load which is to say there is no animal without some sort of genetic problem.” And, writing about Joe Biden’s choice of hobby breeder, she says it was an unfortunate choice but then bad breeders are easy to find because they have a high profile and produce a high volume. And, that brings us to Marley–
“Marley and Me” is coming to Susquehanna Valley libraries billed as “read across the valley”. Beware. The fall event is supposed to culminate in a parade. The stakeholders in this event are not Labrador Retrievers and dog owners but the author and his publisher. Add Purina and pet supply stores to the profit mix. Who benefits? We already have too many mixed-breed dogs that have Labrador in their gene pool. The difference between the puppy in training for shelter life and a happy dog is TRAINING. Valley dog lovers, kennel clubs and training organizations must control the message. Veterinarians, groomers, trainers, and rescue adoption teams must step up and be part of the dialogue. This is not the time for a parade. A parade is entertainment. With so many dogs suffering with their owners through these hard economic times–we need dog training, owner education and not entertainment in the form of promoting canine misbehavior to sell books. Marley must not be welcome in this part of Pennsylvania! If Marley appears in your library make sure there are other books there too–and magazines and handouts. There is a great deal of free information from the American Kennel Club, the American Veterinary Medical Association and local groups that could change and save live