Tomorrow is a momentous day for my little family. We are finally ready to make the move from apartment living to renting a house! We'll have four walls all to ourselves and even a nice little yard for the pup. We cannot wait to have more space (we have a baby on the way, so we need another room) for ourselves and our pets. I know they'll enjoy all of the extra room.
One thing I'm wary of, though, is how traumatic a move can be on animals of all kinds. We did move with these three animals once before (LA to Northern CA), so this tiny move should be a piece of cake for them. The thing is, they see our apartment as home. This is the place they know inside and out - hiding places, feeding area, sleep spots...they'll be taken away from what they know and thrust into a brand new environment (just like us)! I know this will be scary, so I'm trying to take all precautions I'm aware of in order to make the transition easier on them.
So far, I've taken the dog to the new house a couple of times. He seemed anxious the first time. I kept him on leash, except for when I let him out to inspect the new backyard. Once out there he immediately began eating the grass growing through the bricks of the patio. I couldn't tell for sure if he felt comfortable or if he was so nervous he had a tummy ache. The second time he was in the new house we let him inspect off leash. He is not an indoor marker, but I made sure he was with us the whole time, just in case. He really wanted to leave after about 10 minutes of checking things out. The house was completely empty and had the scent of different people and different animals, so I could understand his apprehension. Once outside he was happy as a clam. I'm pretty sure he marked every area he could. All other dogs will now know this is his yard.
When we finally make the big move, I know the dog will be nervous. There will be strange men going in and out of the house, I will be away at a prior engagement and no one will have time to play or inspect with him. Most likely we'll keep him in the crate, as that is his safe place. I think this is a great option if you're moving with a dog. Maybe even keep him/her in the car (if it's cool outside) so that there is no way he/she can get in the way.
The cats are an entirely different story. They hate moving. It terrified them both last time and I'm sure we'll run into that issue again. Our course of action last time was to keep them locked in the bathroom with food, water and littler box until moving was done. Once things settled down we opened the door and let them explore at their own pace. Sumiko, our Japanese Bobtail, was immediately ready to check out his new turf. He wasn't afraid at all once he knew we were there. His brother, Figaro, had a very different reaction. He was too petrified to move (think Petrificus Totalus from Harry Potter). He didn't leave his cat bag for a long time. Even after that, he wouldn't leave the bathroom for another hour or so. We let him take his time and eventually he found a spot under the bed. After a day or so he was exploring the apartment with his brother.
This time we have a much bigger space. I may take the advice of most cat experts and move the cats from the bathroom into our master bedroom for a day or so to acclimate. I now they will probably get antsy if they can't be with their dog brother, but we'll see how they do. I have a calming spray that I will be spraying on all cat furniture and any pet beds in the house. This does help calm them down most of the time.
Once we're all settled in and things are in place I think everyone will be happy to have some more room to roam. I can't help but be thankful that all of my animals are cage/tank-less. I remember when my friends moved with a large fish tank, reptiles and a cat. I did not envy them, as it was quite a tough transition. While I'd love to one day have some of those animals again, I definitely will wait until we have a permanent space to settle into first.
All in all I think our move will be only mildly traumatizing to our little furry friends. I will do my best to be sure all three get the time and space they need to transition to this new home. Wish us luck!!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Men: STOP LIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOUR DOGS!
Yesterday I watched one of my favorite shows, "It's Me Or The Dog", and was appalled to see a 20-year-old guy with an un-neutered male Presa Canario in his home. He got the dog at 8 weeks old from a breeder (who I would assume is not licensed, since he sold the puppy to a teenager) and was positive he would someday be breeding his dog, so he didn't want to take him for the "big snip". Unfortunately, this powerful member of the bully breed family had become an unstable, territorial oaf who marked every inch of his home and couldn't go for a walk without causing the entire neighborhood to panic. Right away, Victoria Stilwell said that a huge help with training would be to have the dog neutered. I could see the guy's face harden as she gave him this news. He responded that he didn't want to put his dog through that. Plus, he was considering breeding the dog at some point...there would be no neutering on his watch.
Victoria took him to an animal shelter and showed him all of the bully breed dogs who were on death row because their owners couldn't handle them. She let him know that most of these were backyard bred dogs who weren't adoptable due to aggression and fear issues. Somehow, even with all of this heartbreaking information, the guy still wouldn't budge. He said he would find homes before the puppies were even born and his friends were "responsible dog owners".
Finally, Victoria took him to a training center specifically for bully breeds. The main requirement to join the program was that the dog must be neutered so that the excess testosterone would not be coursing through his veins and causing him to possibly lose focus at the wrong moment. At first, the young guy was not on board. Eventually he realized that he really wanted to show how great the Presa Canario breed can be, so he would be getting his dog neutered in order to join the training program.
Throughout the entire episode I was reminded of many men I've encountered who just wouldn't get their dogs fixed. These men were just like this 20-year-old guy, thinking they could handle their dog, so there was no reason to have his testicles removed. As a woman, I have no way of understanding these feelings. To me, this is such a simple solution to so many behavioral problems that I can't understand why men let their personal feelings get in the way.
Neutering a male dog is not going to traumatize him. What I find interesting is how it seems to traumatize male owners - as though they've just lost a piece of their manhood by doing a favor to their dog. I wonder if they realize the behaviors they are (in most cases) preventing by taking this step. When a male dog has testosterone buzzing around in his body, he is going to go wherever that testosterone leads him. This is especially true if there is a female dog anywhere in his vicinity. Male dogs who haven't been neutered are at much higher risk of wandering off and being hit by a car or being picked up by a local animal services officer. There is also a higher risk of cancer, which means shorter lifespan for many un-neutered males.
I think one of the BIGGEST behavioral issues a person can prevent by having a dog neutered is aggression. There's a reason why in-tact dogs are not allowed in the dog park. Both male and female dogs who haven't been fixed are much more likely to act aggressively towards other dogs (especially of the same sex). Again, with males this can mainly be attributed to testosterone. I'm not saying ALL aggression is caused by testosterone, but it's a big trigger. Think of all the pitbull attacks you hear about on the news. Now think of how many were attributed to un-neutered males or un-spayed females. I bet you'll come up with a large percentage. Pitbull lovers defend the breed, but can they defend the fact that many people don't fix their dogs due to status or fighting ability? I don't think so. That's why these dogs wander around neighborhoods and attack other animals (and people) who get in their way. Whenever I hear these stories I automatically blame the owner who didn't have the balls to cut their dog's off.
TO ANY MEN WHO READ THIS BLOG: Please consider neutering your dog in an effort to make his life more enjoyable. Just because he doesn't have testicles dangling around down there doesn't mean he's any less of a male. He will still play tug-of-war with you. He will still have the look of whatever breed he is (especially those muscular bully breeds). He will still attract women who like dogs (probably more so, since we don't really enjoy seeing those things hanging off of him or having him hump our legs). He will still be your best friend, nothing can change that.
If you're keeping your dog in-tact for breeding purposes please re-think that idea. Go to your local shelter and check out all of the dogs who are begging for homes. Many of these dogs were bred by unlicensed breeders, like yourself, and will either be traumatized by the shelter experience or not make it out of there alive. Is that really the life you want for your best friend's offspring? Smart people who value whatever breed your dog is will not be purchasing your puppies. You will most likely have a hard time finding homes (especially in this economy) for all of them and then you'll be forced to make a tough decision. Also, the people who buy from backyard breeders are not the ones who have done their research and really know what they're bringing home. Many times these are the people who discover after a few months that they cannot handle the breed and will drop the puppy off at a shelter or dump it on the side of the road.
Finally, think about your dog's life. Imagine a day when you are not home and he leaps the fence because he smells a female a mile or so away. Do you want to get the call that your dog has been killed because he tried to cross a busy road? How will you feel then? There are so many ways to prevent this from happening; neutering is a big one. Please be responsible and take the steps to be sure your dog is safe.
Don't think about your own manhood when you look at your dog, think about your dog's well being.
Victoria took him to an animal shelter and showed him all of the bully breed dogs who were on death row because their owners couldn't handle them. She let him know that most of these were backyard bred dogs who weren't adoptable due to aggression and fear issues. Somehow, even with all of this heartbreaking information, the guy still wouldn't budge. He said he would find homes before the puppies were even born and his friends were "responsible dog owners".
Finally, Victoria took him to a training center specifically for bully breeds. The main requirement to join the program was that the dog must be neutered so that the excess testosterone would not be coursing through his veins and causing him to possibly lose focus at the wrong moment. At first, the young guy was not on board. Eventually he realized that he really wanted to show how great the Presa Canario breed can be, so he would be getting his dog neutered in order to join the training program.
Throughout the entire episode I was reminded of many men I've encountered who just wouldn't get their dogs fixed. These men were just like this 20-year-old guy, thinking they could handle their dog, so there was no reason to have his testicles removed. As a woman, I have no way of understanding these feelings. To me, this is such a simple solution to so many behavioral problems that I can't understand why men let their personal feelings get in the way.
Neutering a male dog is not going to traumatize him. What I find interesting is how it seems to traumatize male owners - as though they've just lost a piece of their manhood by doing a favor to their dog. I wonder if they realize the behaviors they are (in most cases) preventing by taking this step. When a male dog has testosterone buzzing around in his body, he is going to go wherever that testosterone leads him. This is especially true if there is a female dog anywhere in his vicinity. Male dogs who haven't been neutered are at much higher risk of wandering off and being hit by a car or being picked up by a local animal services officer. There is also a higher risk of cancer, which means shorter lifespan for many un-neutered males.
I think one of the BIGGEST behavioral issues a person can prevent by having a dog neutered is aggression. There's a reason why in-tact dogs are not allowed in the dog park. Both male and female dogs who haven't been fixed are much more likely to act aggressively towards other dogs (especially of the same sex). Again, with males this can mainly be attributed to testosterone. I'm not saying ALL aggression is caused by testosterone, but it's a big trigger. Think of all the pitbull attacks you hear about on the news. Now think of how many were attributed to un-neutered males or un-spayed females. I bet you'll come up with a large percentage. Pitbull lovers defend the breed, but can they defend the fact that many people don't fix their dogs due to status or fighting ability? I don't think so. That's why these dogs wander around neighborhoods and attack other animals (and people) who get in their way. Whenever I hear these stories I automatically blame the owner who didn't have the balls to cut their dog's off.
TO ANY MEN WHO READ THIS BLOG: Please consider neutering your dog in an effort to make his life more enjoyable. Just because he doesn't have testicles dangling around down there doesn't mean he's any less of a male. He will still play tug-of-war with you. He will still have the look of whatever breed he is (especially those muscular bully breeds). He will still attract women who like dogs (probably more so, since we don't really enjoy seeing those things hanging off of him or having him hump our legs). He will still be your best friend, nothing can change that.
If you're keeping your dog in-tact for breeding purposes please re-think that idea. Go to your local shelter and check out all of the dogs who are begging for homes. Many of these dogs were bred by unlicensed breeders, like yourself, and will either be traumatized by the shelter experience or not make it out of there alive. Is that really the life you want for your best friend's offspring? Smart people who value whatever breed your dog is will not be purchasing your puppies. You will most likely have a hard time finding homes (especially in this economy) for all of them and then you'll be forced to make a tough decision. Also, the people who buy from backyard breeders are not the ones who have done their research and really know what they're bringing home. Many times these are the people who discover after a few months that they cannot handle the breed and will drop the puppy off at a shelter or dump it on the side of the road.
Finally, think about your dog's life. Imagine a day when you are not home and he leaps the fence because he smells a female a mile or so away. Do you want to get the call that your dog has been killed because he tried to cross a busy road? How will you feel then? There are so many ways to prevent this from happening; neutering is a big one. Please be responsible and take the steps to be sure your dog is safe.
Don't think about your own manhood when you look at your dog, think about your dog's well being.
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