2010 Paws in the Park

It was quite a weekend. We (Mudd Puppies and About Paws) had a wonderful time at Paws in the Park and enjoyed seeing all the familiar and new faces. Our booth was between The Mud Room and Dogs Deserve Better. Nicer neighbors we could not have asked for. I wish we'd had more time to visit with them, but we were all so busy that it left little time for socializing.

I wanted to give a special thank you to a few people and businesses. First off, Mike and his staff at Instant Imprints did a great job on our banner. Second, Ashley and the staff at Brown Printing in Jefferson City for not only printing our business cards, but the rush job we stuck them with for our brochures. A big thank you also to Kim and her staff at Treats Unleashed for the treats we handed out, swapping printed material with us and all the advice Kim gave us for exhibiting our first time. And thanks to everyone who came out in support of Columbia Second Chance and to everyone who stopped by to visit with us.

I also had a chance to wander around to some of the other booths, although I didn't have time to visit all of them. Some of them are worth mentioning though.

Of course I have to mention Columbia Second Chance. This organization does such a wonderful job helping re-home pets and hosting community events such as Paws in the Park. We at Mudd Puppies are huge advocates of adopting from rescues if you're looking to add a pet to your home.

I also stopped by Big Muddy Dockdogs. If you're not familiar with this sport you should check it out, either as a participant or just as an observer. In the simplest terms, the dog runs down a dock and attempts to jump as far as they can out into the water. There is a fee, but, as I understood it, your first session is free. I'm thinking about taking my Duncan out to try it. A lot of problems with dogs stem not only from lack of physical exercise, but also mental stimulation. A sport for dogs to participate in not only strengthens the bond between dog and person, but gives them that stimulation. Come give it a try or just come to cheer on the participants.

Finally, I wanted to mention one of our neighbors, Dogs Deserve Better. If you've read my other blogs, you know that dogs are social animals and leaving a dog chained or penned outside all the time is cruel and inhumane, not to mention running the risk of pain and suffering due to a collar becoming embedded. Dogs Deserve Better rescues these dogs and places them in homes where they can be part of a loving family.

Some things to note are that dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite when chained or penned due mainly to lack of socialization. A reported 268 children in the US were killed or seriously injured by chained or penned dogs between October 2003 and August 2009. Currently, over 150 cities and counties and several European countries ban limited tethering. If you know of a dog in this situation, these are the people to contact.

Columbia Second Chance
Treats Unleashed
Big Muddy Dockdogs
Dogs Deserve Better
Instant Imprints
Brown Printing

Fall 2010 Events

A few things are coming up in the next few months to either raise money for or just to have fun with your dogs. I've added links where available. Some will have more information coming. Here are just a few I've received:

September 13 - Kick Off Campaign Meeting - Cafe' Berlin - 6 - 8 p.m.
Yes on Proposition B is kicking off their campaign with guest speaker Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society of the United States.
http://my.yesonpropb.com/o/17003/p/salsa/event/common/public/v2/index.sjs?event_KEY=634. You may need to log in to view this item.

September 17 - Take a Sip for Second Chance - PS Gallery - 5 to 9 p.m.
Wine tasting with over 50 wines from around the world and hors d'oeuvres from Sycamore restaurant. $30 in advance or $40 at the door.Tickets available now at PS Gallery (812 E Broadway) or Top Ten Wines (111 S. 9th)
Tickets/wine sales greatly benefit Columbia Second Chance animal rescue.

September 18 - Grand Re-opening - Central Missouri Humane Society - 1 to 4 p.m.
Come see the newly renovated facility.
http://www.cmhspets.org/

September 25 - Paws in the Park - Stephens Lake Park
This is to raise money and awareness for Columbia Second Chance. There will also be a number of booths (including Mudd Puppies) and exhibitions. Fun for all the two and four legged family members.
http://offtrackevents.com/pawsinthepark.php

September 30 - Puppy Pawlooza - Cherry Hill Plaza - 5 to 9 p.m.
This is a fun event for dogs, kids, and everyone else in the family.

October 16 - Pup Crawl Bar Tour - Downtown Columbia - 1:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Shipment of books has come in

I just received a shipment of books from Patricia McConnell Publishing this morning.

"The Puppy Primer" by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D. and Brenda Scidmore is one of our top sellers. It's now in its second edition. From their website: "Perfect for puppy class trainers and self-guided training, too! Engaging, humorous and easy to follow, the updated 'Puppy Primer' is packed with positive reinforcement tips and tricks, special topics and more."

We also have autographed copies of "The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs" and "For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend"

"The Other End of the Leash" discusses the differences and similarities in the we dogs and people communicate.

"For the Love of a Dog" is about the emotional capacity of dogs and how they are capable of a broader spectrum of emotions than previously thought. This is by far the best book I've ever read, including fiction and non-fiction, and I read a lot.

All of her books are based in science but cover the material in an easy to understand way with anecdotal stories to further explain the theories and concepts. I highly recommend any of books, which is why we carry a large selection of them.

Unrestrained Dogs

It seems like I may have done a blog entry on this before, but I've gone through everything and can't find it. However, like most things, I think it bares repeating. And in light of the recent study (see link below), it also seemed a timely topic.

Essentially, the conclusion is dogs in the car are an added distraction. Taking your eyes off the road for two seconds doubles the potential for an accident. Not to mention an unrestrained dog can be thrown from the car or escape the car and be hit by another car or be seriously injured by a deploying air bag in the event of an accident.

My wife and I often travel with our dogs, but both have dog seat belts and are not allowed free roam of the car.

The survey and results are available at http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=7&ArticleID=789

National Assistance Dog Week

This week, August 8 - 14, is National Assistance Dog Week. Their goal is to
• Recognize and honor assistance dogs
• Raise awareness and educate the public about assistance dogs
• Honor puppy raisers and trainers
• Recognize heroic deeds performed by assistance dogs in our community

I'd also like to remind everyone that assistance dogs receive 25% off self serve dog washes every day and we are ADA compliant.

For more information on National Assistance Dog Week, visit their website at http://www.assistancedogweek.org/

On the Ballot

I got an update from Missourians for the Protection of Dogs a few days ago.

"Thanks to your hard work, and the grassroots support of hundreds of volunteers across the state, the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act has been certified for the November 2, 2010 statewide ballot in Missouri. We are Proposition B on the ballot, and will be urging Missouri citizens to vote YES on Prop B this November!"

I've said this before, but feel it bares repeating as I still hear people making the same unfounded arguments. (Now called) Proposition B only clarifies what is expected of large breeding facilities. This in no way affects any other breeders, particularly meat producers. Even if it did, it only calls for humane treatment and meeting the basic needs of the animals in the breeders' care.

More information available at http://www.missourifordogs.com/

Time Magazine Article

I've noticed I tend to get on a topic and stick with it for a while. There are some things I'm very passionate about though, and feel they need repeating. Lately it's been the puppy mills, mainly because of the goings-on with Missourians for the Protection of Dogs and their ballot initiative.

But anyone who has read my blogs know that I'm equally passionate about dispelling the Alpha/Dominance Myth. So, when I saw this article linked on Victoria Stillwell's Facebook page, I thought it was worth sharing. Aside from local papers and news reports, I'm not aware of any mainstream media tackling this topic (if you know of anyone, please let me know).

I don't think there's anything new I can say about this topic, so I won't bother to expand on it here. I'll just leave the link for you to read yourself.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2007250,00.html