Mudd Puppies will be closed December 24, 25, 31, and January 1.
Our holiday hours from December 26 - January 2 will be 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sundays 12:00 Noon - 5:00 p.m. We will resume regular business hours on January 3.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
First the Website, Now the Blog
I wanted to put this entry from the Tripod blog here for anyone who might be confused by the new address and appearance.
I've just finished moving the blog to a new host. There are a few reasons for doing this, but from the user's end (you the reader) the indexing is more comprehensive if you are looking for a specific entry. This will also allow me to reference a specific entry as opposed to sending you to "THE BLOG" and leaving it to you to find the entry. It also gives me a lot more freedom in design so it just looks nicer. I will leave the tripod blog posted for a time for people who may have linked directly to that page.
I've deleted the entries on recalls because most of them are outdated, as well as events in Columbia that have already passed. Rest assured I will continue to post new information as it becomes available.
I hope you like the changes and are able to access the information available much easier.
I've just finished moving the blog to a new host. There are a few reasons for doing this, but from the user's end (you the reader) the indexing is more comprehensive if you are looking for a specific entry. This will also allow me to reference a specific entry as opposed to sending you to "THE BLOG" and leaving it to you to find the entry. It also gives me a lot more freedom in design so it just looks nicer. I will leave the tripod blog posted for a time for people who may have linked directly to that page.
I've deleted the entries on recalls because most of them are outdated, as well as events in Columbia that have already passed. Rest assured I will continue to post new information as it becomes available.
I hope you like the changes and are able to access the information available much easier.
Training Tips
I've covered a lot of information about flawed training and behavior theories and thought I should probably cover some information about what you should do.
I've mentioned several trainers that I admire, but my favorite is Dr. Patricia McConnell. It's been said that Ian Dunbar is the father of non-aversive training and Karen Pryor is the mother. I would say that Patricia McConnell is the daughter, taking the best of both and combining it with her own experience and knowledge. Allow me to talk a little about her first.
Dr. Patricia McConnell is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and received her Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Wisconsin, "researching dog behavior and communication between professional trainers and working domestic animals." She received the Allee Award from the Animal Behavior Society for her dissertation. Until recently Dr. McConnell also ran Dogs Best Friend Training, LLC. She was the co-host for Pet Line on Animal Planet and for 14 years she was the co-host for Calling All Pets on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Dr. McConnell is constantly giving seminars and is a well published author. Although I've loved everything I've read by her, her book, "For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Dog" is the best book I have ever read, bar none.
I can only hope to achieve her understanding of behavior and training capability one day, which is what I aspire to.
That said, her website has some great training tips. All of these tips I'm linking to here reference books or booklets by Dr. McConnell, but most of them are available for less than $10 and some for about $5. Well worth the investment. (And a little self-promotion, we carry most of her booklets at Mudd Puppies). I could ramble on further about the page, but I think it pretty well speaks for itself.
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/top-ten-training-tips.html
I've mentioned several trainers that I admire, but my favorite is Dr. Patricia McConnell. It's been said that Ian Dunbar is the father of non-aversive training and Karen Pryor is the mother. I would say that Patricia McConnell is the daughter, taking the best of both and combining it with her own experience and knowledge. Allow me to talk a little about her first.
Dr. Patricia McConnell is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and received her Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Wisconsin, "researching dog behavior and communication between professional trainers and working domestic animals." She received the Allee Award from the Animal Behavior Society for her dissertation. Until recently Dr. McConnell also ran Dogs Best Friend Training, LLC. She was the co-host for Pet Line on Animal Planet and for 14 years she was the co-host for Calling All Pets on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Dr. McConnell is constantly giving seminars and is a well published author. Although I've loved everything I've read by her, her book, "For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Dog" is the best book I have ever read, bar none.
I can only hope to achieve her understanding of behavior and training capability one day, which is what I aspire to.
That said, her website has some great training tips. All of these tips I'm linking to here reference books or booklets by Dr. McConnell, but most of them are available for less than $10 and some for about $5. Well worth the investment. (And a little self-promotion, we carry most of her booklets at Mudd Puppies). I could ramble on further about the page, but I think it pretty well speaks for itself.
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/top-ten-training-tips.html
Monday, December 7, 2009
Registered Dogs
I wanted to mention one more aspect of adopting a puppy for X-mas (or any time): the registration.
Of course, the most well known registration a dog can have is from the American Kennel Club (AKC). Because of the AKC standards, it's very easy to talk to the breeder, the breeder of the parent dogs, etc. This allows you to get information about temperaments, health issues, and any other concerns you have or information you may want.
This is not to say that a dog has to have AKC registration to be a good dog. Some breeds, such as Catahoula Leopard Dogs are not members of the AKC but are very organized and have an excellent registry. Point being there are other registries out there that are reputable, but you should educate yourself about them instead of getting a dog solely because he has an alphabet soup after his name.
As a result of not being able to register their dogs, pet stores, puppy mills, and families have gotten together to form registries, some cleverly naming them to have the same acronym as reputable registries. Beware of people asking for money up front, people wanting to ship a dog to you, and people who will not allow you to see their facilities, usually suggesting you meet somewhere to pick up the puppy. See my post about puppy mills for more information titled "Puppies for Sale at Mudd Puppies."
"Leilah's Mom" wrote an excellent article about things to be aware of if you are looking for a registered puppy. The AKC also sent me an article full of good information. I hope you'll take a look before you get a "registered" puppy. (Links are at the bottom of this entry.)
I feel I should also mention here that although I love the dogs I have now, the best dog I ever had was a mutt. But dogs are like people in that just because they have an excellent pedigree does not mean they may not have problems. Likewise, because they are a mutt doesn't mean they will have all the best or worst traits of their breeds.
If you're wanting a specific breed, I strongly urge you to educate yourself. And, if you're just wanting a companion, I again recommend checking at your local shelter or looking into a breed specific rescue organization.
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/kc.htm
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3220
Of course, the most well known registration a dog can have is from the American Kennel Club (AKC). Because of the AKC standards, it's very easy to talk to the breeder, the breeder of the parent dogs, etc. This allows you to get information about temperaments, health issues, and any other concerns you have or information you may want.
This is not to say that a dog has to have AKC registration to be a good dog. Some breeds, such as Catahoula Leopard Dogs are not members of the AKC but are very organized and have an excellent registry. Point being there are other registries out there that are reputable, but you should educate yourself about them instead of getting a dog solely because he has an alphabet soup after his name.
As a result of not being able to register their dogs, pet stores, puppy mills, and families have gotten together to form registries, some cleverly naming them to have the same acronym as reputable registries. Beware of people asking for money up front, people wanting to ship a dog to you, and people who will not allow you to see their facilities, usually suggesting you meet somewhere to pick up the puppy. See my post about puppy mills for more information titled "Puppies for Sale at Mudd Puppies."
"Leilah's Mom" wrote an excellent article about things to be aware of if you are looking for a registered puppy. The AKC also sent me an article full of good information. I hope you'll take a look before you get a "registered" puppy. (Links are at the bottom of this entry.)
I feel I should also mention here that although I love the dogs I have now, the best dog I ever had was a mutt. But dogs are like people in that just because they have an excellent pedigree does not mean they may not have problems. Likewise, because they are a mutt doesn't mean they will have all the best or worst traits of their breeds.
If you're wanting a specific breed, I strongly urge you to educate yourself. And, if you're just wanting a companion, I again recommend checking at your local shelter or looking into a breed specific rescue organization.
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/kc.htm
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3220
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Dog Adoptions
I wanted to do something a little more positive and something reminded me of this the other day. Plus with the holidays coming and the potential for giving pets as gifts, I thought I'd revisit the topic of pet adoptions. The last discussion was geared more towards avoiding puppy mills, but this time I wanted to give some other options.
I used to volunteer for the American Brittany Rescue (ABR) until I opened the store and plan to get back to that when my schedule allows. Most, if not all rescue organizations have a screening process in place to make sure the dog is in good health, up to date on thier shots, and the potential owners can meet the dogs needs. Most can transport the dog to your location, one of the things I used to do with the ABR and we would transport for other oganizations as well. A large majority of the dogs, at least most of the ones I worked with, had nothing wrong with them, it was just that their owners were unable to care for them forvarious reasons, ie, moving, too many dogs, etc. A few did have medical conditions that did require treatment.
If you're thinking of giving a dog for X-mas or are looking for a dog for yourself, or if you'd like to help (organizations are always looking for foster homes and other volunteer help) I hope you'll consider checking with your local shelter or one of these rescue organizations.
The American Kennel Club has a very comprehensive list of breed specific rescue organizations at http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm.
I used to volunteer for the American Brittany Rescue (ABR) until I opened the store and plan to get back to that when my schedule allows. Most, if not all rescue organizations have a screening process in place to make sure the dog is in good health, up to date on thier shots, and the potential owners can meet the dogs needs. Most can transport the dog to your location, one of the things I used to do with the ABR and we would transport for other oganizations as well. A large majority of the dogs, at least most of the ones I worked with, had nothing wrong with them, it was just that their owners were unable to care for them forvarious reasons, ie, moving, too many dogs, etc. A few did have medical conditions that did require treatment.
If you're thinking of giving a dog for X-mas or are looking for a dog for yourself, or if you'd like to help (organizations are always looking for foster homes and other volunteer help) I hope you'll consider checking with your local shelter or one of these rescue organizations.
The American Kennel Club has a very comprehensive list of breed specific rescue organizations at http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm.
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