Finding Your Perfect Pet with Petfinder.com

Petfinder.com is a great place to find all pets in your area that are in need of a home.  So, before you go to a pet store and buy a puppy, please do some research first.  These are my top 5 reasons for not buying a puppy from a pet store:

• It encourages the puppy mills, cruel places in which dogs are kept locked in cages, standing in their own fecal matter, often without medical care for their entire lives.  Despite what the store may say, the vast majority of pet store puppies come from puppy mills. 
• All that inattentive breeding leads to dogs with massive health problems due to a limited gene pool - what's cute now can be expensive and heartbreaking later.
• There are over 13,000 animals just in the vegas area that need a home.
• Adult dogs from the shelter are often already trained/housebroken.
• Adopting a dog that needs a home will give you the warm and fuzzies and add meaning to your life.

So that's it.  If you decide you want to adopt a pet, you can do all your research and find the little fuzzie on Petfinder.com and here is a short video to show you how:

What's your breed?

I mentioned before that I much prefer mix breed dogs over pure bred for a few ethical and practical reasons.  At the same time, I am fascinated by the idea that we evolved with dogs for thousands of years and in the last few hundred years we've consciously evolved dogs using selective breeding.  For better and for worse we have created new dog breeds that could help us with specialized tools and traits.

I've created a survey to find out the most interesting breeds to our class.  At the top of this spreadsheet you will see the numbers for America's favorite breeds, and in the second table, please increase the number next to your favorite breed(s).

Flickr Photos of my Kids

 I promised photos of my pups to you all and am glad for the Flickr assignment to show you my "kids".  And they really are my kids, as my husband and I are staying away from 2-legged children.

These photos were all taken in my home which I suppose is the theme.  We don't need to go out to get any entertainment ever again with these critters around.  You will see a Golden Retriever who I haven't mentioned before; her name is Kiva and we are indefinitely fostering her unless the right family comes along.  Sadly, she has bounced around homes a little bit and we aren't willing to give her up unless we know it will be forever and she will be treated like a princess.

Also - a little back story on the video, Strummer's nickname is now Charlie Brown because Karma does this to him almost every night: she acts like she wants to play which gets him to stand up (and clear the bed and drop the bone she really wants) and once she takes his place, she turns mean and growls and snaps at him until he goes away.  You can almost see his heart breaking in the video.  Apparently, I'm just as evil because all I can do is laugh (sorry for the shaking camera).

Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com//photos/77843435@N08/sets/72157629563914250/show/

Book Report

Web 2.0: Reasons to Love It or Hate It and Definitely Stay Tuned In

A Review of The Digital Divide edited by Mark Bauerlein

For people like me, who love to ask questions and hate making decisions, The Digital Divide is a stupendous book.  While I, in general, believe that the vast majority of Web 2.0 apps will, in the end, be determined to be beneficial to humankind, this book was great fun to read because there are a lot of theories that argue the opposite (as well as agree with me).  A collection of essays, The Digital Divide, brings together viewpoints from the 1990’s through the late 2010’s and covers topics from your brain on social media, identity issues, privacy issues, child development and beyond.
          One of my favorite themes of the book is our brains: how they’re changing for better or for worse, the problems with the non-digital world not adjusting to the new way of thinking and learning, and vice versa, and the problems our brains have with learning all this new digital stuff.  Two of the essays talk about two polar opposite groups of people who tend to not understand each other: digital natives and digital immigrants.  In my Mom’s house, it’s my mom versus Taylor, my 14-year old sister.  I found these essays very enlightening and in defense of both groups that, try as they might to communicate to each other, are not speaking the same language.  As a result, we have digital immigrants (those who weren’t brought up in a digital world) teaching digital natives (those who were).   As a student who has been in this situation, I totally understand, and I think it is of great value to both sides for them to understand that they, literally, aren't speaking the same language (and this book would be of value to them).  There is research to show that the way we currently teach kids is losing its effectiveness because these teachers cannot or will not adapt. Marc Prensky writes in Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants:

Digital immigrants don’t believe their students can learn successfully while watching TV or listening to music, because they (the immigrants) can’t.  Of course not -- they didn’t practice this skill constantly for all their formative years.

He continues to argue that video games have proven to be a successful, fun, and engaging way to educate digital natives and we should continue to be open minded and willing to adapt our teaching/learning styles from traditional methods.  While Prensky’s essay is interesting, it lacks a lot of concrete evidence to support his theories besides a couple anecdotes, but his second essay, Do They Really Think Differently, tackles some of these issues.
    He begins with some mildly startling statistics about how much the modern kid is exposed to video games, the internet, emails, texts, TV, commercials, and more.  All this stimulus actually changes the brain’s structure and how people think. This is a phenomenon called neuroplasticity and if true, our brains reorganize every time we experience new things.  Prensky goes on to argue that the modern child does not have a short attention span as parents and teachers love to conclude, but just lacks interested in the “old” ways of learning and doing; her attention span is just fine when she is doing what she wants.  One area for concern may be that because we are so stimulated in our modern world, we are losing the ability and the time to reflect and learn from our experiences, but Prensky argues that if educators were more willing to adapt game based learning we could more quickly figure out how to solve this issue.  In the end, the ideas are complex, interesting, and no where near resolved, but I do tend to agree that the world is changing and there seem to be many people who are doing it a disservice by digging in their heels and clinging to the past; one of the big things I’ve learned in CIT 154 is that Web 2.0 is always changing and evolving.
         The rest of this first section continues to focus on some common themes with some focus on how learning all these new Web 2.0 apps is actually good for us because we are stretching our brains (even though it may seem painful at times), and how the blogging and social media has allowed the average person to write and engage an audience(not matter the size) about whatever topic is important to them - a feat that never would have been possible in world just 15 years ago.  From our class, I have to come to understand a lot of these ideas more personally.  It was my first blog (but not my last) created in CIT 154 and by far the most digital collaboration I’ve ever participated in.  I have ever done Nicholas Carr’s article, Is Google Making Us Stupid, definitely was the voice of the devils advocate here - arguing that the ADD style of learning that Web 2.0 is inspiring may be, somehow, making us less human.  But his mildly humoristic approach without much to back up his instincts, doesn’t leave much for a scientist to ponder on.

Another excerpt, from User Skills Improving but Only Slightly by Jakob Nielsen, seemed out of place as it seemed more of a how-to for web designers.  It went into user research statistics, the only interesting part the fact that this research has shown that the general public is slowly learning how to use the internet better.

          The book covers many more topics from our identity creations, collective research, activism, and theories on what’s next.  It would be of great value to anyone who was a philosophical interest in Web 2.0 things and how we humans and the world are changing.  I could write 1,000 pages for each one of these topics, but I’ll close with my favorite part of the whole book because I think it neatly, coherently, sums up exactly how much we don’t know and cannot predict about how Web 2.0 application can and will change ourselves and our world: Douglas Rushkoff’s They Call Me Cyberboy.  A self-proclaimed Internet Evangelist from the early ‘80s, he talks about how he and his fellow nerd buddies would dream of the internet in its full glory, connecting people to each other and endless knowledge; making the world a vastly better place for all of its inhabitants while envisioning themselves as these rogue geniuses who no one understood.  They had to coax people and businesses to join them and each new recruit was celebrated.  But, something they did not expect to happen, happened.  Businesses almost overnight one night jumped on the bandwagon and soon the internet was just another way to sell stuff.  Online banking, stock-trading, direct marketing soon became the norm and the ideology of a nerd paradise connected techno-hippies disappeared.  Rushkoff sadly chuckles at his naivety, but in a world as truly unnavigated as ours, I understand why he was so and it’s why I don’t like to make decisions.  As educated as they may be, in the end they are guesses, but I can’t wait to see what happens next.

975 Miles to $550,000

Today, 66 people were pulled away by a team of dogs on the first day of the 40th annual Iditarod sled-dog race - arguably one of the most grueling races of all time.  The trail itself is 100 years old and was established as a primary means for transporting goods to Nome, Alaska when roads, railroads, equestrian, and air transit were not options due to the winter weather.  The race begins in Anchorage and teams take 10 days to make it to Nome.

While undoubtedly tough for the musher - the dogs doing most of real work, running and pulling several hundred pounds for an average of 100 miles/day.  The crazy thing?  They love it.  These dogs can't seem to get enough of it - they can run and pull, run and pull literally all day.  Apparently, they consume 10,000 calories a day while racing to compensate for how much energy they are burning.  To give you a comparison - Ginny (80lbs chocolate lab) eats 750 calories a day and she exercises for at least an hour a day.

You can read more about the Iditarod on their website and I suggest you do.  This history is really interesting and the race is very intense.  I wish the best of luck to all the mushers and dogs and I hope no one gets seriously hurt!

My Diigo Library

Below is  a link to some other really great dog blogs.  There are some pretty amazing stories about how animals have affected people's lives. 
http://www.diigo.com/user/ameliarae?type=all&privacy=public
Enjoy!

The One

We dog owners love all dogs and especially our dogs.  We have memories of our dogs from childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and if we're lucky enough to make it, our golden years.  While every dog has a special place in our hearts, there is usually one who sticks out in our memories, even after they start to fade.  The One will surface in your dreams 50 years after he crossed the bridge.  When you see other dogs on the street - you'll be reminded of the one.

This is the story about The One in my life (I actually have two ones, but I'll save the other for another story): Goober.

Goober wasn't always called Goober.  When we first brought him home as an 8-week-old puppy, his name was Louie and he looked liked Marlo Brando in The Godfather.  Over a year or so, my family realized that he had a personality not like a mob boss but like a Buddha.  He's a tri-colored shih tzu and is about 150% larger than he should be (most males weigh around 15 lbs, he tips the scales at 22.5), but he isn't fat.  He's just big.  And it's a good thing because when we brought him home almost 15 years ago, my sister was a couple months away from being conceived.  After she was born, she would bang on him like a drum, tackle him, pull on his tail and face.  He never minded it at all.

I was 11 when we picked him up from the breeder.  I still remember the ride home with the tiny shaggy puppy in my lap.  He slept the whole way.  His training crate was set up in my room and ready to go - this was my dog and I knew on that ride home we were buds.  He slept next to me almost every night for the next 7 years, until I moved away to college.

Goober is turning 15 in April and he lives with my mom (who fortunately lives close to me so I get to see him all the time).  By the time I had the chance to take him back and have him live with me - he was too used to my Mom's house.  If I brought him to my house, he would stress while I was gone and he was home alone (I assume due to the new surroundings) and I didn't want to put him through that.  He is now completely deaf and nearly blind and my mom's afraid to move the furniture on him.   When I come over to the house and he starts to talk & waits for me to pick him up and love on him.  We are still best buds - in part because of what we have gone through together.

Like many teenagers, I had some struggles growing up.  I suffered from depression, and I abused drugs and alcohol.  My mom was in a tumultuous and sometimes violent relationship which made me even more confused.  Goober was my only friend at times and the only creature who experienced the traumas with me.

When my mom and step-dad would fight, we would run to my room together and cuddle.  If I wasn't home, he'd hide under my bed.  I'd turn up the music to muffle the yelling and pet him until I fell asleep.  I'd wake up in the morning and he'd still be in my arms.  It wasn't all good between us, though.  I had some anger issues and he was sometimes the only one there for me to express my frustrations.  There were times I would scream at him, push him away from me, or hit him (it pains me today to think about it) for no good reason other than I had learned no other means of expressing myself.  Goober understood and never let it affect our relationship for long.  As soon as I needed my friend and recognized it wasn't him I was angry at, he would be there for me again.  If it weren't for Goober, I'm not sure I'd have made it through those years.

Goober is in his golden years now and I feel like I'm just starting my life.  Just writing this post makes me cry because I'm very aware that he won't be in my life much longer.  I wonder how I'll get through the really tough stuff that is ahead.  And that's where Goober is really magical.  He taught me so much when no one else could.  He taught me to stay patient and be loving - no matter what.  He taught me that real friends, while few and far between, are more important than anything material because they will save your life in one way or another, even if they can't talk.  Finally, he taught me to forgive myself and without that, I would not be here.  Goober is The One because he saved my life and taught me to be a better person.

Little Big Dog

I introduced you to Pepe, my 8-year-old chihuahua mix, in an earlier post as my cantankerous little guy.  Affectionately, we call him Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because he can be sweet, affectionate, calm, and loving in one moment and ferocious in the next often without apparent reason.  When I'm home alone, I walk around singing to him (he cocks his head, wags his tail, and starts to jump up and down so I think he likes it), but my lyrics are bitterly truthful despite a jovial tune - think Disney song meets George Carlin lyrics (I can't, in good conscience, write the words onto the pages of these here internets).

Anyway, despite Pepe's lack of size (he's about 6.5 lbs), he is always undeterred from doing anything he wants - including playing tug with my boxer mix, Strummer.  I keep telling my friends that I need to get it on video - those who have seen it have all doubled over in laughter.  I will do my best to describe it: Strummer will usually be playing tug with our lab Ginny until Pepe decides he wants to play.  At which point, he will go over to Ginny (who is 80 lbs and a little bit intimidated by Pepe) and tell her to go away with a subtle growl.  Once she drops the rope, he picks up the end she had and starts to growl ferociously (I like to think he thinks he sounds like a lion, but you'd guess it was the world's tiniest yard edger if you didn't know any better).

At this point, the most amazing thing happens - Strummer, who at 65 lbs is fully capable of flipping his head and launching Pepe across the living room, just hangs on.  Meanwhile, Pepe turns the fiesty onto full blast and is pulling as hard as can while growling as loud as he can.  If Strummer pulls back, Pepe digs in his heels and is dragged across the floor.  This goes on until Strummer gets bored and drops it and Pepe cocks his head, ears erect, seemingly asking, "Why did you stop?"

There have been times in my life where I have been Strummer and times when I have been Pepe.  Times when I've had a perfect opportunity to take advantage of another person because I've had the upper hand.  There have also been times when I was the little lady, struggling to prove myself, my worth, and my tenacity.  Having the perspective of both - helps me to understand those I work with every day on daily basis and react to these situations effectively.  As a result, I try not to take advantage of people and actually try to elevate people with positive feedback and encouragement.  I also try to be self-aware so that I understand when I'm a Pepe and need to take the time to appreciate those who are patient with me when I'm learning and growing.

I obviously believe we have a lot to learn from our creatures.  If you have any stories, please share them in your comments.  Have a great day!

Popping Along Despite Funny Looks

One of my favorite rescue groups is Best Friends Animal Sanctuary located in Utah.  This rescue group works wonders and refuses to turn its back on any animal - regardless of its physical condition or personality "flaws." This group fought a judge for a possession of the most aggressive dogs in Michael Vick's possession when his dog fighting ring was dismantled - the dogs that no one else wanted.  I'm relaying today's story from them:

Poppy is a dog who recently came to Best Friends as a likely survivor of distemper.  She is aptly named as she "pops" all the time and looks like she's trying to dance.  Despite this disability, she loves to walk, play, cuddle and has a great time; it's almost as if she has no idea there is anything wrong with her.  Dogs like Poppy are an inspiration because even though she has nerve damage and she is a little bit different from all the other dogs, she doesn't let it affect the quality of her life.

Poppy is an amazing inspiration to people.  As humans, we can get so lost in what other people think about us, that we forget to live our lives to fullest.  Even though she may be "just" a dog, Poppy reminds us that our imperfections are only as disabling as we allow them to be.  In the end, we define ourselves, not other people, and no one can bring you down or elevate you like yourself.

So the next time you're feeling a little bit down on yourself, put a little pop in your step and think, "What would Poppy do?"

Read the whole article here.

A Brief History

I thought I'd take a moment to tell you about the mutts I currently own.  Like with any good story, character development is crucial for a good understanding - so without further adieu (from largest to smallest):

Ginny (yes, my husband and I are Harry Potter nerds) is an 80lb chocolate lab.  We adopted her last year when she was 7.  At the time of adoption, she weighed 100+ lbs and was covered in scabs and skin growths due to food allergies.   Despite the fact that she had to heave and it was a struggle to stand up - she loved to walk.  She was exhausted easily and when she wasn't walking or eating, she slept.  She didn't play or ask for attention, she just moped (we affectionately call her Eeyore to this day).  But, in a matter of a few short months full of lots of walks and wheat-free food, she made a turn around even we didn't expect.  She now jumps, hikes, and runs at full speed after ropes and tennis balls for hours on end.

Strummer (named for The Clash lead singer, Joe Strummer) is a svelte 3-year-old 65lb boxer mix.  He may also be lab, pit, Rhodesian ridgeback, or who knows what - we adopted him last year at the same time we adopted Ginny.  He is a happy-go-lucky and highly energetic dog.  He loves to play chase and will pester any other dog by gently poking them with his nose until they get irritated and chase him off.  The madder the other dog gets, the funnier he thinks it is.  Strummer also likes to be held upside down like a baby.  In terms of personality - he and I are very much a like.  We are 'doers' or 'a-types' and the kind of creatures who prefer to ask forgiveness than permission for the sake of a good time.  He is also a klutz - he runs into doors, people, and walls like he's a ball in a pinball game.

Karma (so we could say, "Good Karma" or "Bad bad Karma") is a 6-year-old chihuahua and dachshund mix.  She is timid and weary of strangers, but once she opens up to you, you might as well be t-bone steak because she won't leave you alone.  She is the demure 'belle' of the group who gently reminds you to pet her by sticking her nose under your hand and lifting it gently.  She also loves to walk for the sake of walking and surprises me regularly by how far her short little legs can carry her.

Last but not least is Pepe, our 8-year-old chihuahua mix.  Pepe and Karma we adopted from our vet's office - another elderly client of his brought them in after his wife passed away.  Stricken with grief - he asked out vet to euthanize them to which our vet replied that he couldn't do that but would put them up for adoption and ensure they went to a new home together.  It is a good thing - because not many things in this world understand Pepe, and Karma is one of them.  Pepe is, well, cantankerous.  We believe he is chihuahua and min-pin with a little twist of Tasmanian devil.  I call him Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because one moment he acts as if he wants to bite your face off and the next he is all snuggles.  He also loves to play tug with Stummer (who is, quite literally, 10 times Pepe's size) - but the good natured Strummer makes him feel good by just hanging on to one end of the rope instead of sending him across the room.

So that's my crew.  The only other animal worth mentioning is my husband, John.  He has the biggest heart of anyone I know which can make discipline and boundaries tricky with so many cute faces.  We're making it though!

If we aren't learning at least we're entertained.

That's what I say to my husband about 12,000 times a day.  That might be a slight exaggeration, but we have four dogs and negotiating ourselves to 'pack leaders' amongst the gang of puppy pirates can be interesting at times.  Patience is lost, yelling happens, or fuzzy faces frown to the point you think your heart is going to drop out of your chest.  But, if we stop, take a deep breath, and seek to understand and connect with these mangy mutts (and other things fuzzy) - I have noticed that we as fallible, sometimes oblivious, but well-intentioned humans can have moments of transcendence.  It happens when you realize that the dog really doesn't speak English and is trying his hardest to make you happy, despite outward appearances (Down is fun and I want to play with you; that's why I tore up the pillow!).  It happens when you lose your job or a relative dies and head on your lap abates the pain better than a narcotic.  It happens when your a small farmer and your animals are more than pets, more than food, more than money - they are what make life worth living.  It happens when you make eye contact with a beast, large or small, and you see yourself in the beast.

It happens all the time to those of us who are near animals and let them get to know us.  We all have the stories, I plan on sharing mine.  EnDogue is all about animals, why we love them, and how they make us better people. I'll also share useful tips, tricks, and things that I have learned over the years relating to creatures.

I hope you enjoy this blog built to celebrate the at least entertaining if not enlightening world of animals.