Agility Parody & New Contributor

Hi,

I am a client of Mannerly Mutts, and have been invited to share videos on dog training.

Here is a great on on the basics of agility, heehee.

RIP 2/19/2010 Cesar Milan's Daddy

http://www.cesarsway.com/news/daddy-memoriam

Sadly a great dog with a natural temperament and skills to help other dogs has passed on at sixteen years of age.   Cesar Milan's Daddy has gone to the rainbow bridge.   We send our sympathies to the Milan family and all those that enjoyed watching Daddy's adventures.



http://www.mannerlymutts.com/
http://mainepets.mainetoday.com/

Nellie's Weekend Getaway

Hi,

I am Nellie.   I live near Mannerly Mutts.   My owners have been bringing me there so that I might learn to come instead of adventure around the neighborhood.  

After a few rough starts at homes, I have learned that people are largely good.   Big movements can scare me, but people come with cookies and pets.   I like those things, therefore, I like people.

Other dogs are "interesting".   Much like the round things that are sometimes thrown my way, I really don't know what everyone wants me to do WITH them.   When I go to investigate, many times I get jumped on or overwhelmed.   However, at this house there seem to be two potential long term friends for me.   I am still investigating this possibility.

Here I am checking  out this big brown thing in front of me.   I don't know....he makes me nervous.   But as I check him out, he looks away as if to say "it's okay, sniff me as you will".

Okay, what is that little black thing?   And, wait one moment, where did everyone go?

Wait that doggie doesn't care about me.   What is he doing over there and not paying attention to me?   This is the point that I get bounced on.   Hey wait, they are doing something together without me.  What the...

Do you think it's safe to come out of hiding?   Well here I am everyone.   Sigh, I guess I will just lie down and take a nap.

http://www.mannerlymutts.com/
http://mainepets.mainetoday.com/
http://www.dognewsisgoodnews.com/

Ollie's Great Adventure

Sorry dark dogs loose all their details in photography (when someone is not good at it-like me).   I will try a different setting on the camera today.   Ollie had a great time with his new friends and in a new place.

http://www.mannerlymutts.com/
http://mainepets.mainetoday.com/
http://www.dognewsisgoodnews.com/

The Living Doggie Bed

Who knew that Great Danes made such a good doggie bed for Boris????

http://www.mannerlymutts.com/

http://mainepets.mainetoday.com/

http://www.dognewsisgoodnews.com/

Bragging About Boris

For those of you following my blog, you know that we have added Boris to our family.   He was born on 10/4/2009.   On 2/19 Boris will be (unbelievably) 5 months old.   He is sprouting like a weed, though I don't think he will be as big as Leon.   He takes on stairs better than the four legged beasties around here (he had one leg amputated that had a birth defect so he could manage better).   In fact, he goes in reverse on the stairs so well, I think, because he doesn't have to deal with that leg at all.

Sometimes he gets around just a little too well.   He is very bright, and if there is something he wants----he will be very focused in trying to get it.   This is something that I, of course, love in a dog.   It tells you that this dog is determined to see through a task.   Granted, we haven't started training yet, so it can sometimes be a task that I am not desirous of, at least in the form that puppy is doing it.

Boris's skills of snuggling are quite great.   He loves snuggling with people and other dogs.   He loves hugs and kisses.   Boris is a very very friendly dog.   He has shown that he can sound the alarm just like any other Doberman, though he is learning this mostly from the Great Danes in the residence right now.   Leon isn't very alarmed in his own house, and knows the other dogs that may come into our yard LOL (or people).

Boris is learning the typical Doberman play style from Leon.   He boxes with his one front leg skillfully.   He also has a play style that reminds me of Jazz.   Boris will nip at the back legs or back side to get a dog going.   If Leon wants to get a dog going, he barks, play bows, or rolls on the floor.   Boris is more the nip and skip away type.  

He is very bright, and I hope to get his companion dog title this summer. I haven't started his training beyond housetraining, crate training, and socialization yet.   Tomorrow we start the formal training.   This will be good because I want some puppy training videos for my client blogs.   Boris has started in particpating in lessons, daycare, and dog walking.

Boris is making a great addition and starting on his adventures abroad.

http://www.mannerlymutts.com/

http://mainepets.mainetoday.com/

http://www.dognewsisgoodnews.com/

Xmas Impulse Purchased Puppies by Robert Rubin

Here at Mannerly Mutts-we love our clients and we love our business. We also like to be able to continue what we love by being paid. That being said, right now is always are least favorite time of the year. This is the time of the year that the impulse purchases made as an Xmas suprise for the family start their training.

Actually what happens most times is when the first lesson fails to deliver a stuffed animal that rarely comes to life (and only when it's wanted to come to life), and normal puppy behavior is the order of the day....
The once joyously greeted puppy is sent uncerimonously back to the rescue. When ideas of having their three year old do all the training with the puppy is not feasible, when it becomes clear that puppies need to be pottied and fed regularly, when it is realized that the five children and two jobs does not provide enough time for puppy care---puppies start re-entering the institutions that they were formerly "rescued" from.

I say every year from February to May it's a fifty fifty shot for first time owned and impulse purchased puppies. It actually takes quite an emotional toll on us, as we would like to save them all. We have a duty to our own dogs and ongoing clients to remain focused and attentive to our responsibilities though. We also lack the financial resources to self fund a non profit venture, though we are considering it to turn out trained and adoptable dogs whose owners fail them.

This time of year is worse than any other time of year due to the shear volume of impulse purchases. Normally, we would screen out these clients right away for our own emotional health. The economy right now though...it doesn't seem wise to turn away business even if there is a slim chance that the owners are going to step up to the plate.

I know my wife would just prefer to take this time off from training rather than try to get through to the impulse purchasing public.

A bad decision made is not one that may affect only your family, which I find extremely sad for the children's and dog's sakes. Your bad decision can affect all sorts of people all the way down the line. Don't purchase living things by impulse.



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