Boxer dog, coming home.

So we got some news and Specs Dogs will soon be getting hectic.  A boxer dog will be entering our lives soon!  For a long time now we have been looking for a boxer dog.  We just love the boxer personality, it's short coat, it's medium size and it's energy.  We were in talks with some boxer breeders but the timing of the litters conflicted with our schedules.  

With a stroke of luck, we were asked to adopt or rehome a boxer dog.  We have had many chances to adopt dogs but there was always something that never matched.  Usually, it was a breed we were not interested in.  The boxer we adopted is not just any boxer.  It is the boxer dog we had all fallen in love with when he first started doggie daycare.   I had seen this puppy grow from 12 weeks into a 1 year old.  Credit his owner, she has done an excellent job in raising this boxer. His lovable, goofy, and handsome nature draws attention to everyone in the room. For personal reasons, his owner has decided rehoming is the best situation for him.  We respect her decision and wish her the best of luck.

More updates to come.  

Pimple Ball Recall

A colleague of mine forwarded me an email regarding a toy recall. The toy is a pimple ball from Four Paws Inc. Four Paws has admitted a manufacturing flaw in the plastic of the ball. The pimple ball has one big hole on one end while the other end has a smaller hole to create air flow. Four Paws concluded that the second hole was not completely open therefore causing a suction.

The story of Chai begins with Chai chewing on his toy. After chewing the toy a suction is created causing his tongue to swell inside the ball. The swelling becomes so great, veterinarians decide Chai's tongue must be amputated. A recall is now in place for this pimple ball toy from Four Paws. Chai's complete story can be viewed here:

www.thechaistory.blogspot.com

It is not the first time this type of injury has occurred. Apparently a shephard mix has also suffered the same type of swelling. Folks, be aware of this type of toy.

Submissive Urination

I took some time this week and headed  down to visit the doggie daycare.  It has been a couple of weeks since I saw the dog crew and  they were really excited to see me.  I saw a few new faces I hadn't seen in a while.  One caught my eye.  His name is Stanley, a retriever hound husky mix, and he started to growl a little when I approached.  "Why are you growling Stanley?  Don't you remember me.  We're buds!  Come here and walk with me."  So I slowly and carefully caught a hold of Stanley's collar from underneath.   If he tried jumping or attacking, I had him under control.

As soon a I had a hold of his collar, Stanley peed a small amount of urine.  This is known as submissive urination and it is not the first time I have experienced this.  My dominant action of approaching Stanley and taking his collar had caused him to be submissive and urinate.  Stanley then lied down to his side.  This is another sign as to say, "Hey I'm no harm and I don't mean any harm."  

Submissive urination is relatively common in dogs.  Other signs of submissive behaviour include rolling on their back to expose their belly, aversion of the eyes to avoid direct contact and lowering of the head.   Some people mistake submissive urination as a spiteful gesture.  "Oh,  he peed on the carpet again because he's getting back at me."  In fact, it is the opposite.  Fido is peeing because he wants to show us that he's trying to please us and he acknowledges that we are dominant.  He may not know where to pee because every time he has peed in the wrong spot, he was scolded.  What we have to remember is that submissive peeing should only be a small amount.  If peeing occurs frequently and not in small amounts, a veterinarian exam should be taken for your dog. 

After Stanley acknowledged my position in the pack, he followed me around and stood by me most of the evening.  He became a loyal friend.  He stopped his growling and later that evening gave me a couple of barks.  Reading his body language and listening to the type of bark, it was Stanley signaling to me, "hey, take me out.  This time I really need to pee."  And so I took him out for his pit stop and he peed a long one for me.  "Good boy!  And next time,  you don't have to do the submissive pee thing anymore, we're pals remember?"  

Negril does have dogs

So guys, we went on an ATV tour today and I did spot some dogs here! Yes, Negril does have dogs but they are not nearly as pampered as the dogs we know and love in North America. These dogs most likely eat table scraps, or find their food from the streets. Survival is key. So far the dogs I have seen are very small dogs as they walk with their family. They look very thin and from what I can tell, they are mixed breeds. Despite this, they are loyal to their pack as they walk unleashed and go wherever the pack goes. Unfortunately I could not catch an image of the dogs I saw as my wife and I were traveling on the bus and going to fast. My quest for getting a photo continues.

Jamming in Negril Jamaica

Hey guys,

We're in Negril Jamaica! So far no dogs. I don't know how popular dogs are in Jamaica but as of right now, I don't think Jamaicans find dogs very popular. If I spot a dog here in Jamaica, trust me, I'd have it posted up already. Anyway, I'm relaxing and getting away from the dogs for a while. Will be back assisting and training the dogs in Sept.

Jason

Finding the right dog

Happiness is dog but it starts with finding the right dog. Just like any relationship, a good one is all about finding the right partner. Whether it be your 4 legged friend or 2 legged friend, finding the right one is key to a happy relationship. Finding the right dog can be a stressful task. Many of us choose our dog based on a perception. It could be from a dog we had seen from tv shows, or a friend's dog or we just choose them because they are so damn cute. Sometimes it works out but finding the right dog also means researching their personalities.

For me, I knew I wanted a dog but what kind? There are so many breeds out there? Working at a doggie daycare sure helped me out but people are busy and don't have the time to invest in finding out the right dog. There is a really good book out there by dog expert Stanley Coren called "Why we love the Dogs we do." In the book there is a "personality" test and it will match your human personality with a dog breed based on it's personality and traits. The goal is for you to choose a breed that you will have a strong bond with. You will have a stronger bond to certain breeds versus others.

I also found this website which explains Coren's test. This is an excellent test to help find yourself the right dog. It will at least point you to breeds that you will have a strong bond to. In the end many people just choose their dog because of looks or on impulse. All I am saying is keep an open mind and check it out. Enjoy.

http://www.therightdog.org/takethetest.htm