August 25, 2006
Carnival of the Dogs
Puppies in Need of Homes
*area code 214 is in Texas
Talkin' About Vets
World of Good Blogburst, Vetcharity Style
Travelin' Pup
Time for a Raincoat??
Fighting For Your Rights and Your Dog's
Phoebe Looking Very Cute
Weekend Hound Blogging: Workin' the Floor
Ridin' With The Pups
Happy Anniversary!
It’s the 1st Anniversary of The Poodle (and dog) blog
Good Advice!
The One Thing We Almost Always Forget to Do(And Why To Start Doing It)
Welcome To A New Member!
Hyenas??
Nigerian men with their pet Hyenas - Who needs a dog?
Thank You for Sharing Cooper With Us
So Big!!
Hmmmmm....
Angel and Jacqueline - always photogenic!
Jackie and Angel Cell Phone Pictures
Greyhound Racing - great post - And Check Out Tamale, she's a cutie!
Welcome Joey!
Weekend Hound Blogging: Three Dog Pack
*** And our condolences on your loss, Morrison looks like he was a real sweetie.
So That's How He Did It!
Trixie - Still looking beautiful :)
***************
I originally had a note on top when I started this week's Carnival, but then I accidently closed the window and had to start everything all over again! I had an apology for missing the last two weekends. My husband had a death in the family and I ran back up there and then stayed the following weekend for the service. I left quick, so I didn't get a chance to make other arrangements for the Carnival. Again, my apologies.
August 11, 2006
Carnival of the Dogs
Bath Time!
Angel Wins!
Blast From The Past
Okay....
Livestock, Pets Harnessed As Important New Energy Resource
August 4, 2006
Carnival of the Dogs
Sending a BIG WOOF out to Jeff and his buddies Angel and Jacqueline for taking such good care of the Carnival for us!! Thanks Jeff!!
This week's Carnival will contain some of the "missing lnks", posts that were sent my address while I was off getting hitched and didn't make their way to Jeff,
And this week's Carnival is dedicated to:
We're sorry for your loss, thank you for making this pup's life a peaceful one by your love.
And belated birthday greetings to:
Diamond - looking cool!
It's okay to have differing opinions around here
It’s Cruel to be the Alpha Dog
And they say politics has gone to the dogs....*G*
Lookin' good!
Okay.....*G*
That's just *wrong*! *G*
Why some dogs attack their owners
Hey, we have one of those too!
AHHHH!
An Artist??
Smart dog!
A story (2 parts)
Animals Behaving Typically (i.e. Badly)
Animals Behaving Typically (i.e. Badly)
As always, sound advice
Buying toys
What every Dog Owner must know about Dog Toys?
Gotta love that facial expression!
"I feel ridiculous. Get it off."
Looking sharp!
Starting a business
OOOH! Look how big puppy Kyan has gotten!
Ahhhh...they don't look neglected!
Friday Cat Blogging ~ on Sunday
Carnival of the Dogs - Op Ed
I don't usually do this and I think that everyone who posts here knows that I post the links that are sent in and just because I post, doesn't mean I agree with everything that is posted, although I reserve the right not to post links that I feel are offensive or detrimental, in this case, I feel strongly compelled to comment and I welcome feedback, since we're all dog lovers and owners.
I was sent the following link for the Carnival - It’s Cruel to be the Alpha Dog"
This poster asks, "Would you let your four year old rule the house by deciding her own bedtime, mealtime and everything else?" And goes on to say, "First, never apologize to your dog. Never! You may feel really bad that you stepped on his paw in the hallway while you were taking laundry to everyone’s bedrooms, but what was he doing lying in the hall in the first place?"
If you're going to equate your 4 year old and your dog, then do you expect your 4 year old to know that it isn't right to occasionally to play in say the hallway where you might trip on them and if you do, you shouldn't apologize if you step on their foot? You should take a tough shit attitude and flippantly say, "Well, you shouldn't have been there anyway?" My ex-husband made the mistake of thinking he didn't have to apologize to a child when he did something wrong, hasn't had the pleasure of his company since then. Life is well rounded, people make mistakes, they should apologize. I feel the same way about the dogs. The floor is their space, they lie there, they play there, they rest there, they sun there etc, with 6 dogs, we occasionally have to zig and zag around here and yes, we do bump into each other once in a awhile and I say," I'm sorry!" Just like I would if I bumped into a human. Do I have 6 little angels? No, but they're pretty damn close. Their worst habit is barking when someone is at the door, but that's primarily because the oldest dog is a firm believer that he is here to protect my son and he has instilled this in some degree in the other dogs.
There is no doubt in this house who the Alpha is. Even though my son is a young man and the dogs that came when he was older see him as an authority figure, they still all know that I am the Alpha and respect that. Like human siblings, I occasionally see them jockey for position in the pack, but there is no doubt that the 2 leggers around here are in charge.
It doesn't have to be cruel to be the alpha anymore than you have to be cruel to be a parent, love, respect and discipline go a long way and so does common courtesy. The younger ones even show this courtesy to the oldest dog. He can't overpower a single one of them, but they respect his place in the pack. His warning growl if they invade his space is nothing more than that, there's nothing behind it, he can't muster the same level aggression that any of the rest of them could, but they defer and step back, or playfully lick him to show respect. You do have to establish yourself as the Alpha, I totally agree with that, just not with some of the posters, well, actually most of the posters tactics. My advice if you're getting a puppy, read a lot of advice and talk to your vet and treat your dog as you would a child, with discipline, structure, courtesy and lots of love.