Letter to the Author Seeking advice

copyright 2010 Kiefer

Dear Ms. Kiefer,
I am an older male dog fortunate enough to reside temporarily at a leading No Kill organization.   However, it seems that my age is not quite the bees-knees when it comes to finding a permanent home.  I’m not sure why as I’ve been told wisdom is a plus.
Outside of the issue of barking a severe scolding at any dog that happens to pass by my kennel on one of their daily walks, I can't quite figure out WHY nobody seems to give me a second glance.
While I admit that I can look a bit rough around the edges, I think it is simply a matter of a good bath, and perhaps a better understanding of canine machismo.  It is, after all, MY kennel they're passing, and if I am not napping at the moment, I simply wish to remind them of that.  When one has lived for a bit in a shelter environment, even with the most careful and generous caretakers, one tends to become a bit territorial.
My question is, when do I know that the right family has come to adopt me?  What sort of family should I be looking for?  It might make it easier for all of us if we're in agreement about temperament (theirs) energy levels (mine) willingness to take long walks (theirs) ability to relearn good social skills (mine) a desire to enroll in obedience training (theirs and mine) and a credible amount of patience (theirs) to wait for however long it takes for me to figure out what I'm being asked to do.  I don't speak English per se, but am willing to learn as many commands as any owner can come up with.  I think I may even be quite capable of some marvelous tricks.
Thank you for your continued support,
Never Too Old For Love
***************
My Dear Mr. Love,
It is indeed the wise dog who knows to ask questions about the proper family for him.  While I commend you for admitting your addiction to territorial barking, I think perhaps you may put too much weight on it as an issue to finding the right family.  Think of it as an excellent way to weed out anyone without the time and patience for such an enthusiastic and intelligent dog.
I have found that one of the most efficient ways to discover whether or not an owner is capable of understanding one's peccadilloes is to stand at the kennel door looking ridiculously adorable and occasionally jumping at the kennel latch to show one's enthusiasm for affection and walks while perhaps exhibiting a wee lack of self-control in the good habits department. I've seen for myself how many dogs cooped up a lot are actually very good about waiting patiently for me to come into a kennel and leash them up without losing their cool if I simply remember to ask them to behave and wait patiently for them to work out what I want.
However, down to the real business.  To really put a new owner through his or her paces, I suggest that once you are brought out for a test drive around the grounds, try to be a very mild handful on the end of the leash whenever another dog passes by.  I know you may seem quite ferocious about it to the untrained eye, but in my experience, it’s simply a symptom of shelter life and your handler should explain for you that you are neither obsessive or anxious about it.  Just a bit of a yeller.  I tend to think of it as "grumpy un-walked syndrome."  It's not an attractive habit, but hardly incurable or patently dangerous.
After testing your potential family’s patience for a bit, you’ll know they’re the right one when they ask for counsel from your caretakers and learn that your unwanted behaviors are certainly not permanent if  proper rules, boundaries and limitations are set in place and you receive a healthy dollop of obedience school and plenty of exercise.
Please don't hesitate to follow-up with me when you find your new home.  If you’re still having trouble with old habits, I can advise your family to seek the advice of a good rehabilitationist to figure out where the miscommunication is occurring between you and your owners.
Best of Luck,
Katrina
Dog Bone Studios
p.s.  Would you perhaps be willing to pose for some photographs outdoors soon?
Suggested Reading Including Instructive Slide Shows:

• Poll - How well do you speak dogglish?
• Poll Answers and why we should learn better dogglish

Useful Training Tool
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Please consider sharing this and other articles like it with friends, neighbors and family. Get involved, be a hero, change a life.

Dog Bone to Pick: Many of Albemarle County's hounds are of noble ancestry, but still victims of a modern plight

There are conflicting stories about the origins of the Virginia hounds eventually known as the Treeing Walker Coonhound, but according to the United Kennel Club's breed description, credit for the foundation strains of this scenthound goes to two Virginia residents, two Kentuckians, and a purloined pooch of unknown ancestry with hunting characteristics considered outstanding.
The contributing Virginians were Albemarle County resident Thomas Walker and none other than the George Washington, an avid fox hunter himself.  Both imported English Foxhounds in the mid 18th century.  It is these hounds that became the foundation strain of the "Virginia hound", which was later developed into the Walker hound.
Later, the two Kentuckians pictured below, John W. Walker and George Washington Maupin, developed the original Virginia hounds that we now call the Treeing Walker Coonhound, from certain strains of English Walker foxhounds and the stolen dog Tennessee Lead, pictured here with Walker and Maupin.

By C. J. Prouty, 1907. (From July 1923 TheChase Magazine)
The UKC considers the outcross with this stolen dog a major and defining influence on the breed we know and love today.  Click here to read more about the history of this breed.
Noble Spirits deserve better
The SPCA relates that a higher than usual influx of lost hunting dogs occurs at the end of hunting season, but no influx of hound enthusiasts ready to adopt.  SPCA Director Susanne Kogut was once quoted saying "At the SPCA, the most ill-mannered Golden Retriever or Labrador will be adopted within days or hours, but a calm, well-behaved hound may wait months to find a new home. For evidence, just walk around the SPCA and you will see a disproportionate number of hounds and black cats. Kogut pointed out that “the great thing about animals is they love us unconditionally, no matter what we look like, and maybe it is time for us to offer back that same unconditional love.”
So if you're considering adopting a new dog, go have a nice long look at the CASPCA's hounds. They deserve more than a second glance.  And if you take one out for a test drive around the property you'll be as smitten as the author is with these amazingly loving, smart, and genuinly funny animals.
 Adopt a Senior Hound for Christmas: $50
Dogfood for a year: $1.50 a day
A living piece of Albemarle history that gives slobbery kisses and unconditional love:  priceless
There is another story about George Washington, the Marquis de LaFayette,  a young and irresponsible John Quincy Adams, French Foxhounds and a legend that may explain the origin of the first basset hound in America.  It's worth a read.
 [originally posted at examiner.com]

No Kill Movement, changing lives one mind, one shelter at a time

Healthy Kitten at CASPCA, a No Kill Organization - K,. Kiefer 2010

As you go about the daily tasks of your life --  feeding the children, going to work, walking the dog, changing the litter box, mowing the lawn and dealing with a hundred more of the seemingly mundane if content bits and pieces of your life, somewhere in the country a healthy, adoptable animal will be euthanized.

Recent statistics are hard to come by, but  American Humane   -- not to be confused with the American Humane Society -- one of the founders of the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, offers the following information from the National Council:

...the most recent statistics published by the National Council are from 1997, and only 1,000 shelters replied to the survey at that time. Using the National Council's numbers from 1997 and estimating the number of operating shelters in the United States to be 3,500 (the exact number of animal shelters operating in the United States does not exist), these estimates were made:
* Of the 1,000 shelters that replied to the National Council's survey, 4.3 million animals were handled.
* In 1997, roughly 64 percent of the total number of animals that entered shelters were euthanized -- approximately 2.7 million animals in just these 1,000 shelters. These animals may have been euthanized due to overcrowding, but may also have been sick, aggressive, injured or suffering from something else.
* 56 percent of dogs and 71 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized. More cats are euthanized than dogs because they are more likely to enter a shelter without any owner identification.
* Only 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are reunited with their owners.
* 25 percent of dogs and 24 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are adopted.
It is estimated that approximately 3.7 million animals were euthanized in the nation’s shelters in 2008. This number represents a generally accepted statistic that is widely used by many animal welfare organizations, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Please visit  the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy for more information.

Gloria's shyness might lead to death in some shelters.  She is
safe and learning to socialize at the CASPCA.  K. Kiefer 2010

There are many ways to become part of the No Kill movement's vision to change those statistics and move on to a No Kill nation of shelters where all adoptable and treatable animals are saved and rehomed.

A good place to start learning:
 Nathan Windograd, national speaker and author of  the critically acclaimed books "Redemption" and "Irreconcilable Differences".

Maddie's Fund, an organization heavily involved in the No Kill movement offers grant money in the fight to save animals.
Get involved right here at home.
The Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA ("CASPCA") is a well-known and much admired No Kill organization that will be happy to share their vision and successes with you.  And what better way to learn about the No Kill movement than to volunteer your time helping to rehabilitate, socialize, exercise and be a good friend to every adoptable animal in the shelter.

Madison is a gentle, loving girl who also happens to be deaf and blind in one eye, an almost certain death sentence at most shelters even though it doesn't stop her from enjoying a good life.  She is well cared for and available for adoption through the CASPCA as of 4/1/10.

 

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Springtime, Birdsong....Fleas

Even as Charlottesville shakes the record snows off of her hat, there still remains some very dirty ice under her skirts.  Never mind, this too shall pass.

It always amazes me how quickly winter seems to turn to spring.  The cold and its effect on my brain cells create a despairing certainty that I will never be warm again.  This year's record snows and below average temps -- 10 degrees or more every single icy day for 4 months I think -- really had me muttering about the effects of global warming.

Today is different.  Today is celebratory.  Today marks a full week of above-average temperatures -- by as much as 10 degrees.  Global warming aside, I like it, a lot.

Yesterday we were treated to our first groundhog visit, the day before a hawk sat on the bird-feeder crook looking for a meal.  Obviously not a very bright hawk as our bird feeder sits very much in the middle of an open meadow type affair surrounded by thick evergreen brush.  Not a finch in sight naturally.

A large marmalade cat, feral type, spent two days alternately sunning herself and skulking around.  It's been a very hard winter for the feral cats.  Two feet of snow on the ground for weeks at a time does not make for easy hunting.  And while we have a running argument with the neighbor cats about their finch-filching ways, I can't be mad at the wild cats.

As I watched the tabby enjoying the long-awaited for warmth, I noticed that she had something of a scratchathon going.  Fleas?  ALREADY?  One would think a hard winter should have lowered the flea population considerably, at least enough to give backyard fur bearers a little extra time come spring.  Nope.  I'm guessing it took a mere 2 or 3 days of warmth for the madly hatching, creeping, jumping exodus of blood suckers to make their presence felt.

Since I rather despise my neighbors at times for allowing their house cats to roam around indiscriminately murdering our song birds, I admit to a secret gleeful expectation that a sudden explosion in the flea population will have caught them unaware and Tiger will ferry home an entire colony to be dealt with inside the house.

The point of sharing my diabolical desires is to remind all pet owners that flea season is upon us and it's time to be vigilant about preventative measures.

Now it's time to figure out what to do with all that dirty snow-ice piled under my azealias.

Temperment Match - What do I look for in a Human?

Dear Dog Bone to Pick,

Perhaps you remember me from our twice-weekly walks.  My name is Syd and my brother and I are shepherd-ish mixed-breed dogs, though I believe there may be some large terrier somewhere in the family closet.  Mother never did say.  I happen to be fortunate enough to reside temporarily at the Charlottesville SPCA, one of the No Kill Organization's leading shelters for animals.   However, it seems that my brother and I are not quite the bees-knees, as it were, when it comes to finding a permanent home. 

I know, you may think that it is because there are two of us.  Believe me, my brother and I would be more than happy to live in separate homes.  We're slightly older dogs and perfectly capable of taking care of our own families apart from one another. 

Outside of the issue of barking a severe scolding at a dog that happens to pass by our kennels on one of their daily walks, we can't quite figure out WHY nobody seems to give us a second glance.  

While I admit that I can look a bit rough around the edges, I think it is simply a matter of a good bath, and perhaps a better understanding of canine machismo.  It is, after all, MY kennel they're passing, and if I am not napping at the moment, I simply wish to remind them of that. Do you feel that having one of the shelter volunteers work with me on this mild issue will help? When one has lived for a bit in a shelter environment, even with the most careful and generous caretakers, one tends to become a bit territorial.  

I understand from a certain volunteer handler that my behavior may even be temporary or can be eliminated altogether with the proper obedience training.  I'm not so sure of that.  I really do have a thing for household, yard and family protection from other beasts, but if she says it can be done, I am most willing to try.  I cannot speak for my brother, though he admittedly is mildly less finicky in the territorial department and may not need quite as much understanding.  Mother always did love him more.

My question is, when do I know that the right family has come to adopt me?  What sort of family should I be looking for?  It might make it easier for all of us if we're in agreement about temperament (theirs) energy levels (mine) willingness to take long walks (theirs) ability to relearn good social skills (mine) a desire to enroll in obedience training (theirs and mine) and a credible amount of patience (theirs) to wait for however long it takes for me to figure out what I'm being asked to do.  I don't speak English per se, but am willing to learn as many commands as any owner can come up with.  I think I may be quite capable of some marvelous tricks.

Thank you for your continued support,

Syd (right side kennels, all the way to the back)

***************

My Dear Syd,

Of course I remember you. And thank you for your inquiry.  

It is indeed the wise dog who knows to ask questions about the proper family for him.  While I commend you for admitting your addiction to territorial barking, I think perhaps you may put too much weight on it as an issue to finding the right family.  Think of it as an excellent way to weed out anyone without the time and patience for such an enthusiastic and intelligent dog. 

I have found that one of the most efficient ways to discover whether or not an owner is capable of understanding one's peccadilloes, is to stand at the kennel door looking ridiculously adorable and occasionally jumping at the kennel latch to show one's enthusiasm for affection and walks while occasionally exhibiting a wee lack of self-control in the poor habits department. I've been told by a certain handler/rehabillitationist that you're actually quite a dream to leash up and very good about waiting patiently for her to come into your kennel without losing your cool.  She says that one simply needs to ask you for this good behavior and exhibit some patience while you work out the request.  It's excellent to be very obedient in this department as it bodes well for any future training.  Good for you.  

However, down to the real business.  To really put a new owner through his or her paces, I suggest that once you are brought out for a test drive around the grounds, try to be a very mild handful on the end of the leash whenever another dog passes by.  I know you may seem quite ferocious about it to the untrained eye, but from my prior observations, you are neither obsessive or anxious about it.  Just a bit of a yeller, yes?  I tend to think of it as "grumpy worker syndrome."  It's not an attractive habit, but hardly incurable or patently dangerous.

I believe we both know that you may simply be dealing with the frustration of a long stay at the shelter.  The right family can hopefully be counseled to understand that your behavior is not necessarily permanent and with proper rules, boundaries and limitations set in place -- coupled with a healthy dollop of obedience school -- you will undoubtedly make a tremendously loyal, loving pet.

Please don't hesitate to follow-up with me tomorrow when I arrive for your morning constitution.

Katrina

Dog Bone Studios

p.s.  Would you perhaps be willing to pose for some photographs outdoors? 

Enrichment, Relaxation and Safety - Tip #1

First, we'll start with one of my favorite organizations.  Let's call them today's Heroes.

Give a Dog a Bone  is an organization in San Francisco, (I DO miss my home town) all about making life so much better for dogs kept in long-term care.  Check in at their site for some really inspirational ideas about how to make the dogs in your shelter's kennel just that much healthier and happier.

Yesterday I felt like I wasn't helping at all, then I remembered the Give a Dog a Bone folks and it reminded me that I do, actually, make a difference that counts.

Please be sure to read the safety precautions at the end of this post before trying this relaxation technique.  Always remember these are shelter dogs we're dealing with and the normal expressions of dog behavior don't necessarily apply.

Now, my personal tip for the day to all new and/or untrained dog-walking volunteers:  You don't actually have to walk the entire time.

In fact I've found that many of the dogs I handle are so frantic about the entire experience of just being outdoors they don't actually enjoy it.  A "walk" that is spent with you holding onto one end of a leash for dear life and a dog on the other end who isn't really aware you're even back there is no walk at all.  It's a battle of strength and will for both of you the entire time.  Nobody in their right mind can really believe that kind of experience will have any beneficial effect on their mental health.  Yours or the dogs.

Let's Talk About Sex , Overpopulation and Recidivism, shall we?

I'll start in the middle.  Overpopulation.  If we're talking about animals in particular rather than the creeping infestation of our planet by mostly furless bipeds (the guy at the pool sporting a full pelt notwithstanding), then we're most likely discussing the severe and continuing problem of gonad intact cats and dogs and their ability to produce multiple copies of themselves at a frightening rate.  Intact family dogs, who are rarely as sneaky or clever as intact family cats, nevertheless seem to posses a secret button to some sort of canine teleporter that allows them to hook up, (you may wince at my mildly dirty puns if you like) in spite of our best efforts to keep them apart. I like to imagine the popular phrase, "Beam me up Scotty", was originally written into a certain sci-fi television script as, "Who beamed up the damned Scotty?!" after the writer found his pearly white Westy under the bed giving birth to onyx black puppies.  

My own darling pack-founding pit bull, Asia, whose excellent blood-lines could be traced back to the turn of the century, managed to get herself knocked up through an 8-foot chain-link fence, her first season no less.  All bitches in season are absolute hussies when the pickin's are slim so I had absolutely no confidence in her choice of paramour.

She was fairly typical as far as purebred pit bulls go.  Beautiful, compact, proportionately put together well, almost dainty, as many pit bull females are. She had a beautiful tawny brown coat, and sported black Cleopatra eye-liner to die for.

The puppies she whelped were ridiculously large compared to their mother, heavily furred, kinda wrinkly-fat, and had faces only a mother could love, which she did, of course.  I, on the other hand, was horrified, if secretly smitten, by the appearance of their Sasquatch cuteness.  I'm fiercely against cross-breeding when it comes to the gladiators of the domestic canine family, particularly pit bulls.  But that's a whole 'nother Blog entry.

I had what I considered a serious dilemma on my hands.  What to do with eight mixed-breed pit bull puppies whose paternal lineage was entirely in question.  My favorite suspect for baby daddy, considering their size, coat, and odd head shape, was a chicken-killing, horse-chasing, neighbor-menacing, child-flattening, stroller-tipping, goat-harassing Goliath of a Malamute mix(120 lbs easily) that lived a few acres behind us. 

You can imagine why I was so upset, can't you?  Sasquatch cuteness be damned. This was baaaaad.

1. Consider the suspect dog's temperament.  I could only hope it was nurture, and not nature that made him so awful.
2. Consider the temperament of a purebred pit bull:  Yes, an almost goofy, unwavering devotion to hanging out with unfurry bipeds, whether friend or stranger; an amazing work ethic and a natural propensity to be calm and well-mannered.  But let us not forget to factor in an amazingly high tolerance for pain, a bite any shark would envy and an almost giddy, even flirtatious desire to pick fights if not socialized properly.
3.  If the DNA mix went against me, I had eight potentially lethal little stinkers on my hands.

No snivelling today, Look for the Heroes

Among the many things I am passionate about, the things that give me joy, is owning the privilege of watching my fellow humans do the most amazingly unselfish, self-sacrificing, difficult, dangerous and too often death-defying things on behalf of complete strangers and animals alike. I envy their stamina for staying in the good-deeds department day in and day out. There is so much to do, so very much that I sometimes think my heart will shatter under the weight of it all.

In no particular order of adoration I offer Jane Goodall, the Dalai Lama, my father Christie Kiefer, the Monks of New Skete, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Cesar and Ilusion Millan, Wendell Berry, and my partner, who lovingly supports my attempts to share some coherent scribbling with you, and confesses shameless gratitude that I've moved my rants out of the living room and into a Blog.

Frankly, there are plenty of days when I would rather stay in bed and watch Lassie reruns, eat bon bons (Sees’ Candy variety if you’re ever inclined), take a nap, seduce my partner back into bed, read trash, take another nap and pretend that what really counts is that my little circle of family and friends are mostly safe and perfectly okay without me. Which they usually are anyway, but that’s not the point. It’s NOT enough to feel your conscience only when the next horror story downloads itself into your private little inbox. You must make a difference, no matter how small you think it is. The smallest gesture of love and sacrifice can save a life without you ever knowing it. I’m pretty sure you get pink clouds at sunset for that kind of act. Pretty nifty payback.

 So okay, sometimes, I DO stay in bed and pretend. I’m entitled to a walloping good bad day as much as the 

Yes, I'm Trying to Seduce You

I am no more, no less, than a woman with just enough chutzpa to think I might make a difference in a world that seems to need so much more talent and brains than I have on offer. I also own up to a generous dollop of Pollyanna naiveté that lets me go on thinking anyone cares. Both traits have served me delightfully well all my life.

I'm an empathetic, scatterbrained know-it-all who secretly believes she really doesn't know a damn thing. However, it turns out I happen to know just enough to be a burr under the saddle of anything that smacks of prejudice, wastefulness, disregard, zealotry, unkindness, and plain ignorance. Which means I spend a lot of time being annoyed with myself. It helps that I seem to write well enough to make people either puce with indignation, or smile and nod happily to be sharing a similar point of view. Either way, my intent is to create enough of an itch to get people scratching,