HSUS and Wayne Building Better Laws For Dogs? Not!

Wayne Pacelle Battling to Breed Better Laws? For who? (OR HB2470)

Baby Broke the Same Leg 5 Times?

Play the Dogs Daily Bread

Play Time is  The Dog’s Work Time

Play, by definition, is fun. When play stops being fun it stops being play. Play is a pleasurable activity during which animals engage in behaviors that are not part of the immediate business of life, but rather are performed in mimicry, rehearsal or display. During play, dogs behave without real seriousness - running, jumping, chasing, mouthing, chewing, wrestling, biting, hiding and even humping. In play, all behaviors are a game to the players and are performed for fun.  Play is a dog’s way of sorting out the playground politics in a socially gentle and benefical way.

Dogs have a unique gesture, the play bow, that signals “play mode.” The signal involves dogs going down on their elbows with their rear end elevated, tail raised and wagging. During such posturing, they have on their “play face,” with mouth open and ears pricked. They may bark to signal their wish to solicit another’s involvement, and may approach or withdraw from a potential play partner while pouncing and leaping about.

Play is usually, but not always, between two or more individuals. Sometimes dogs without partners will play by themselves. And there are dog games that five or ten dogs can play together.

Why Play?

It has been suggested that play is a necessary part of growing up for all young social animals and that without it they may not develop to their full potential. This does not appear to be the case, as animals deprived of play for reasons of sickness or ill health grow up to be behaviorally indistinguishable from their play-satiated peers. This is not to say that “players” may not develop more rapidly than their play-deprived peers, just that the end result often turns out to be more or less the same.

If play is not absolutely imperative for normal development to develop, what good is it? Well, play is a role-playing rehearsal for adult behaviors and as such will prepare a youngster for what lies ahead. During play, pups exercise their bodies and minds, making them healthier and smarter for it. Mouthiness is first seen at 3 weeks of age, right after the transitional period. Then come play solicitation, play fighting, scruff holding, deference, and finally sexual play.

Social Play

Social skills are honed by playful interactions between individuals. One pup may jump on another pup, pin him, and then mouth him around the head and neck. If the pressure of the pup’s bite exceeds tolerable limits, the temporary underdog will roll over, yelp or run away. Both parties learn an important lesson. The biter learns to inhibit his bite if he wishes the fun to continue, and the pup that is bitten learns that deference or escape will cause the unpleasant experience to come to an end.

Of course, sudden role reversal is also a feature of play, with provisional subordinates suddenly becoming pursuers and “attackers.” A happy medium is reached when truly dominant dogs learn their gift for mastery, and subordinates learn how to avoid or deter unpleasant exchanges. This dynamic may explain why dominant dogs are less successful than their subordinates in soliciting play.

Aloof pups that don’t play much, and orphaned pups, often grow up to be socially inappropriate. These dogs have poor social IQ’s,  they may send a message that is too loud, coarse or rough; failing to inhibit their bite - and they may not be able to deliver convincing messages of deference.

Sexual Play

This mostly takes the form of mounting, clasping and pelvic thrusting (”humping”). The lack of seriousness is indicated by the somewhat haphazard orientation of this behavior, initially. Male and female pups are equally likely to be targeted, or in their absence, peoples’ legs and cushions may have to suffice. The relationship between humping and dominance must be born in mind if the correct human-companion animal relationship is to be preserved.

Predatory Play

Chasing moving objects is a sure way of fine-tuning predatory skills. Ball chasing, stick chasing, and leaf chasing, are all ways in which this play form is expressed. With appropriate opportunity and guidance, pups will learn the ins and outs of the chase – how to accelerate, turn on a dime, brake suddenly, and how to pounce with accuracy and alacrity. If deprived of play predatory opportunities, dogs may resort to vacuum chasing of imaginary creatures, may pace, circle, or chase their own tails, the canine equivelent of a nervous breakdown.

In many species, like wolves, play is pretty much restricted to juveniles and adolescents. Adults do not normally have the time or energy to waste in such trivial pursuits.  People and the dogs, however, seem to be enduringly suspended in a juvenile frame of mind. Thus play is not something they outgrow but rather an activity they keenly pursue throughout their lives.

Unhealthy and unhappy people and dogs do not play, so play serves as a barometer of mental, phsyical and emotional well being, indicating that a dog is  in good health. Dogs, like humans, do not play when they’re sad or distressed.

Five Good Games For Your Dog

Fetch

This time-honored game requires nothing but a lightweight ball of relatively soft material (if it is too hard, the ball could damage your dog’s teeth) and a willing dog. Make sure the ball isn’t too small, otherwise he could accidentally swallow it while leaping. (Depending on the size of the dog, even a tennis ball could be too small.)
The object is of course to have your dog bring the ball back to you. That isn’t always the case; sometimes the dog trains the owner to run after the ball. Unless you don’t mind running at your dog’s whim, here are a few suggestions:

Don’t play if your dog pushes the ball at you then snatches it away as you reach for it, or if he dances around with the ball in his mouth, teasing you. You’re just reinforcing the idea that he can give you orders.

As the pack leader, YOU decide when to bring the ball out and when to throw it. Keep the ball in a special area that your dog is aware of, so when he sees you bring the ball out, he becomes excited and eager to please.

Follow the practice of performers to “leave ‘em begging for more.” In canine parlance, that means quit the game while he’s still interested, not when he becomes bored.  Lavish praise on him immediately when he retrieves the ball and brings it to you.

You can substitute the ball with a Frisbee. To learn how to teach him the game, see the story Teaching Your Dog to Love Frisbee.

Dunk It

What would you rather do, watch overpaid athletes strut around a basketball court or play hoops with your dog? Teaching him how isn’t difficult, and he’ll be grateful for the chance.

Take a container such as a big cooking pot, laundry basket or large plastic pail and weight it down with a heavy object (so it won’t get knocked over).

Introduce your dog to the basket and the ball. As he watches, drop the ball into the bucket several times, while saying “Dunk It.”

Give him the ball, then bring him over to the bucket and say “Dunk It.” Do this until he drops the ball in the basket, then immediately praise him (you might give him a small treat as well). You’ll have to repeat this several times before he makes the connection between the reward and the action.

Swimming

If there’s a body of water nearby, your dog may want to go for a dip (only allow this if it’s safe AND permitted). Most dogs take to the water like ducks, but if he’s new to swimming, you’ll want to make sure he can swim. Never just throw him into the water, and always supervise his water activities.

Stand in shallow water and call to your dog. You may want to coax him with a toy or a treat.  Your dog should use all four legs to doggie paddle. If he paddles with just his front paws, lift his rear legs to help him float. He’ll quickly understand that he needs all his legs to swim.

Swimming is strenuous to any creature not used to it, so don’t let your dog swim for too long. If you’re at the beach, watch out for strong tides, and don’t let your dog drink saltwater. (You should also be aware that your dog is a target for sea lice and jellyfish.)

Incidentally, if you take your dog to the beach, you should bring along fresh water and shade. Dogs can get sunburned too.

Jump

Begin by holding a hula hoop (still available at most toy stores, believe it or not!) upright, but on the floor. Lead your dog through the hoop, then reward him with praise. Repeat several times.

Raise the hoop several inches off the ground and lead him through again. Then let him go at it!
Keep raising the hoop a little more each time to make it more of a challenge, rewarding your dog each time he makes it through.

Tug-of-War

Dogs like playing tug-of-war, but it is important not to let the game get out of hand. Because dogs are, by instinct, hunters, the game reminds them of catching prey. It is important that you control the game. You can do this by choosing a proper tug toy such as a rope or leather tube that you keep in your possession. And you should control the starting and stopping of the tug action. Show off your dog’s grip by picking him up with the rope in his teeth.

Why is HSUS Against A No-Kill Pets Policy?

ASPCA and HSUS Fight Against No-Kill Goal?
From The Dancing Dog Blog http://dancingdogblog.com
 
Image via Wikipedia San Francisco, once at the vanguard of the “no-kill” movement, was in 1993 stopped in its pursuit of a no-kill city.  Shocking to many to discover that it was the HSUS and the ASPCA who were the agents behind the failure.  It is not a subject or position that you will find on their websites.  ASPCA called the idea of a no-kill city a “hoax,” and HSUS conducted a multi-year campaign against it.  So reports Nathan Winograd, who covered the1993 proceedings.  Winograd was there again, March 12, 2009, testifying at the request of the Animal Welfare Commission looking to enact legislation that would create the first no kill city.  And again ASPCA and HSUS were there to testify against it.

San Francisco is once again seeking to be on the cutting edge of animal welfare by instituting the Companion Animal Protection Act (CAPA), handing mandated guidelines to shelters that will ensure that before killing an animal the following requirements are met:

l. There are no empty cages, kennels, or other living environments in the shelter;
2. The animal cannot share a cage or kennel with another animal;
3. A foster home is not available;
4. Rescue groups have been notified and are not willing to accept the animal;
5. The animal is not a feral cat subject to sterilization and release;
6. The director of the agency certifies he or she has no other alternative.

This is something to testify against? These guidelines do not appear to be burdensome, indeed, most people might expect that such common sense measures would already be in place.  But according to Winograd’s report, this is not the case.  Instead of working to the highest welfare and protection of animals, ASPCA and HSUS are working to protect the rights of Animal Care and Control and the SPCA to operate at their own discretion.  And so while publically claiming all their agencies are doing all they can to reduce kill numbers, it would seem that is not true.  Otherwise, why fight such a clear, easy- to- follow mandate? ASPCA and HSUS fight against the No-Kill goal. This is shockingly poor judgment that reveals an untenable position from a fundraising perspective.  Was it their thinking that no one would notice? We welcome a position statement from principals.  Read Winograd’s thorough and important report for more.

On Another Track Down This Road…

What I find particularly interesting, even exciting, is that the Companion Animal Act would ensure that “No-Kill” would be an achievable, inexpensive goal for cities, especially now when budgets are so strained they can’t afford to fill potholes, repair infrastructure, or rehab crumbling schools.

It is, in fact, the basic formula that is followed in Chicago under the umbrella of the Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance (CASA).  It is this Alliance that has brought fantastic results in the City’s save rate.  CASA has been around for around 6 years, and in that time kill rates have been cut in half to the very low 20,000’s (more available as soon as I get stats)!  I’ve wanted to hear from other cities whose shelters are working together to see what gold has been spun from nothing more than good will (well, maybe it’s not that easy).

Also noted in Winograd’s report is the news that following the CAPA guidelines means that legislation currently pushed by HSUS, like the highly ineffective, multi-million dollar boondoggle known as Mandatory Spay Neuter (or Pet Protection Act—a skunk by any other name,..),would be easily seen for what it is, unnecessary.

 Of course, this is what the current fight in Chicago is all about—and it will be coming to your city soon, so take note.  Unfortunately for Chicago, PAWS and HSUS have the money and influence to gain the ear of the Mayor, so the chatter goes, and they are still pushing their unfathomable agenda as I write.

Simple, inexpensive solutions are what’s needed, not a patchwork of ineffective, expensive mandates that have not worked anywhere else–oh yes, except that one place that was reported to have deliberately rigged its numbers by not using actual shelter statistics!
 
 

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The Devil Eats Salad and Wears Plastic

“The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape”

The devil walks among us and he is Legion.
He wraps himself in gentle language.
He whispers the words we want to hear.
He promises green pastures and still waters.
He speaks of a land where animals walk in peace and safety; free from
human interference

He promises life in one hand and holds death in the other.

There are only two ways to acheive the dream of a world where animals
are free from human interference: the end of animals or the end of
humans.

We lost Eden a long time ago, it isn’t coming back. We’ve never
since been promised Heaven on Earth, not by anyone to be trusted.
The promise of Heaven has always been on another plane entirely. Its
human to wish for it back, the thought is so beautiful, but it is
foolish to believe. History is full of groups and individuals who
have promised their vision of Heaven on Earth, tried to remake the
world in their own image. They have been responsible for pain beyond
measure.

The Animal Rights is a dream of death, a sad and deluded dream, like
the parent that ’saves’ their child from the sorrows of life in a
murder-suicide. It is a dream of turning away from life: a sickness,
a fevered dream, a mass delusion and it is contagious.

The medicine is bitter and oh so hard to swallow. Nothing can
sweeten it, nothing can disguise it. We must give up the dream of
Eden. We must wake up, stand and face the day. Every animal fights
for survival every day of its life. So must we, or the collective
madness will continue and the contagion will spread.

Copyright 2009 by Erica Saunders

Animal Rights or Human Responsibility

Animal Rights - Human Responsibility

I don’t believe in Animal Rights, I believe in something better,
Human Responsibility

Animal Rights is a concept with no place in law. Legal rights are
tied hand in hand with legal responsibility.
Can a dog understand a right to vote?
Can a cat understand the requirement of a license?
Can any animal comprehend killing another animal as murder? Raiding
a garbage can as theft or vandalism?
Should an animal be prosecuted for its crimes? How would it offer a
defense?

These are the legal implications of codifying animal rights into
law. Justice is blind but so is law. When the question is
asked, “Should animals have the same rights as people?” the unasked
portion of the question is, “Should animals have the same
responsibilities as people?” The answer to one is the answer to the
other.
Humans are the only species to have codified law, the only species
capable of choosing to follow law and choosing to break it. This is
why I believe in Human Responsibilty, something finer and something
attainable.

A movement for Human Responsibility, now that is something worth
fighting for.

Copyright 2009 by Erica Saunders

In The Beginning

In the Beginning…

In the beginning, there was Dog. Dog ran wild across the land in
packs, observed Man and found him good. Dog found Man to be a source
of food, warmth and a partner against competing predators

In the beginning, there was Man. Man lived in family groups and
envied Dog running fleetly across the land. Man found Dog to be a
skilled hunter and a partner against competing predators.

Man and Dog chose each other Millennia ago, to the lasting benefit of
both. By assisting with hunting, protection & companionship; dogs
and the myriad varieties of dog bred in this time are a significant
part of what has made us human. Simply put, without dogs humans
might not have evolved as they did. Without humans, the diversity of
dog types would not exist.

A movement exists that seeks to shatter this bond that has endured
for thousands of years under the misnomer of Animal Rights. In its
current form, Animal Rights claims to protect the ‘rights of
animals’,co-opting the language of the anti-slavery movement to shame
us into providing rights without responsibility to animals. Animal
Rights strives to tug at our heartstrings so that we hand them the
power to act for the well-being of animals who cannot speak to their
own wants, wishes or needs; in an effort to break this lasting bond
that has served us so well.

We, in modern society, have the dubious luxury of lacking any direct
contact or real understanding of the animals that have allowed us to
develop to this level. Divorced of any true connection with the
natural world, it becomes easy to believe in the illusion of an Eden
for animals in the absence of human involvement.

We forget the hawk kills the rabbit to eat
We forget Bambi risks a harsh, slow death by starvation every winter
We forget that Nature is red in tooth and claw

We forget that to ‘companion animals’ basic food, water and company
are all they need or want for a full life.

We forget that we need them, we are bred for it and that they need
us, as they were bred for it. Not by tens or hundreds of years, but for
thousands.

We forget that rights are meaningless to those who have no concept of
rights, pawns to an unnatural agenda

Copyright 2009 by Erica Saunders

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