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Perspective "It means a determination to breed complete dogs, not caricatures with numbers and letters, dogs with brains and beauty."
Just
A Pet ..
We tend to get so wrapped up in competition and breeding for the show ring
that too often, we forget what dogs mean to people.
So
You Want to Show
The dog you take home is the same prospective winner you brought to the
show, he is as good as he was before the judge placed him.
The
Personal Dog
"A lot of professionals get so caught up in the business of
"doing dogs" that they forget what started them in that career,
the dog that was always your closest friend."
Related Links:
Bells
and Whistles
On
The Lighter Side
Reasons why it's great to be a dog. If it itches, you can reach it.
And no matter where it itches, no one will be offended if you scratch it
in public.
RESPECT
by Tam Cordingley
Horses learn respect for authority within minutes of their birth. The mare foals (gives birth) somewhat removed from the main herd. Shortly after birth she bonds with her foal and teaches it instant obedience. The foal learns to nurse, run, and follow Mama closely within the first 2 or 3 hours of birth.
A fawn is taught to lie motionless at a very
early age. It is small and vulnerable so nature gives
it very little scent and its mother teaches
it to lie quietly, right where she left it,
until she returns. This baby has learned respect, if it moves
she will butt it back down in no uncertain
terms.
Horses, goats, sheep and deer are creatures
of flight. They need these skills to avoid being eaten. Or at least they needed these skills in the
wild.
Dogs are creatures of attack. They learn at a different pace. A puppy begins to learn at 21 days of age. Think of a wolf pack. As the cubs begin to walk they need to learn
the pack rules. Don't wander away from the den, don't soil
the den, don't steal food from other dogs. In the wild, when Mom leaves to go hunt,
the pups need to stay put. The den must stay clean so the scent doesn't
draw predators to kill the babies. The pack has a distinct order. Each member has a place in the order and
so the family unit works well. The Mom demands respect and enforces obedience
from the pups by a low growl with her mouth
over the muzzle of the offending pup.
Dogs are great pets because a dog pack is
very similar to human families. The traits that make wolf pups fit into the
pack makes dog pups fit into our lives. The dam teaches the pups to be good pack
members during the all important 3-7 week
phase/ This learning to learn period is what is missed by the puppy mill
puppy. Often backyard breeders sell the pups as
soon as they are eating, neither knowing
nor caring that the dog is forever deprived
of this important dog education.
In our craving to be liked, we imprint foals,
try to reason with human babies, and allow
dogs to grow up like Topsy. God forbid we make them respect us. Dogs need leadership. They need to respect and obey a leader or
they are perpetually pushing to be the leader. Every pack needs a leader, a deputy, and
a pecking order. Even a flock of chickens respects the leader,
from which we get the term pecking order.
When a puppy enters your family it needs
to be handled with respect and with care
and it must be taught to respect your rights.
It is cute when a puppy bites but it should
never be tolerated. It shows a lack
of respect for you, the leader. From
the time a dog enters your home it is your
job to mold the dog into a dog you want to
live with.
Respect is a 7 letter word that speaks volumes. Think of respect within the family, for God, for the law, for life, for each other. How many problems in society could be resolved by respect for ourselves and our fellow beings? Perhaps we can learn respect by teaching respect.
Ó 6/2000
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