Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Watch me make the election relevent

If you were paying attention to the new president elect's speech last night, he mentioned bringing a puppy to the White House. Apparently he's looking for a "hypoallergenic" dog. Mr President, I hope you know your dog breeds, 'cause cockapoos ain't the be-all and end-all...

Anyway, I just wanted to share this here article because, well, I found it kinda cute. It tells the story of Baby, something of a puppy mill spokesdog, and shows off a picture of her in the arms of Obama. You guys might also like to know that he's the first presidential candidate to have been endorsed by the Humane Society. Good stuff. This page is definitely worth a look, too; it quotes some relevent news articles and lists the animal protection laws he voted for in Illinois. Whoever you voted for, we all like protecting animals. Just don't forget about the little people now that you're in office, Mr Obama - four-legged or otherwise!

18 comments:

GoLightly said...

I'm relieved that Sarah Palin didn't get in. Hey, she's a great, smart, gorgeous lady, but a animal rights advocate, not so much.

water_bearer said...

As a proud Chicagoan and enthusiastic Obama supporter, I wanted to jump in. A while back in an interview, Barack Obama said that win or lose, he promised his daughters that once the campaign was over, they could get a puppy. Since then they, as a family, have been doing their research, particularly because the family has some serious allergy issues. He also said that when they do get a dog, they are hoping to find the right puppy in a shelter, such as the Anti-Cruelty Society shelter in downtown Chicago.
And no... when someone doesn't get why anyone would want to spend money on something as crazy as fruit fly research, that shooting entire wolf families from helicopters is a good idea, and thinks the earth is 6,000 years old and Moses wandered the desert on the back of a T-Rex, no... not only are they not exactly an animal advocate, but they need to go back and re-read their 5th grade science books.
I hope the Obama family adopts a homeless mutt... one whose parentage you cannot discern by looking at it so that whatever it is made up of does not become the next de rigueur designer "breed."

GoLightly said...

LOL!
Thanks WB.
I am Canadian, and didn't think I should say too much. You've said it all!
Yesterday, I felt better than I have in a long time.
Intelligence and compassion in the White House!
Woo-Hoo!!

muttpuppiesontrial said...

Haha! Oh, that Sarah Palin - I'm glad to be rid of her. I shouldn't get political on my blog, but I don't mind admitting that making it legal for people to shoot wolves from the air is pretty appalling.
I'm glad Obama won, and I'm glad for his family and their dog! I don't think McCain's such a bad guy, but he does have fairly poor taste in VPs... :)

water_bearer said...

I don't think McCain is a bad guy either. I liked him a helluva lot better in 2000, but mostly I lay the blame for his being unrecognizable as that guy at the feet of his campaign managers. They'll have a time getting a job in DC after this! Message Fail!
Either way, I'm sure Sarah Palin would be a lovely, friendly person to have a conversation with were one to meet her, but like you said... I have a hard enough time getting my mind around those who like to hunt for sport, but people who claim to be so connected to nature (and often use hunting as an example of that), but have no concept of how it really works or that it's possible to appreciate it without killing it... just boggle my mind. Boggled, I tell you! Shooting animals from a plane? Really? Let me ask you this... if the reason is because they're in such remote areas that it's hard to get to them otherwise, then how are they too close to anything humans hold dear, to threaten it?
Hmmm... sounds to me like somebody just likes shootin' shit, and doesn't think it matters if it suffers horribly and dies in pain and leaves behind family including young that might starve to death because... fuck it... it's a wolf, right?
Amazing.

water_bearer said...

Oh... and while we're on the subject of rescued mutts of indeterminate origin, here's mine - Layla, aka Layla Mae (she is from the Texas by way of Arkansas after all), aka Sgt. Layla the Testicle Slaya, aka Beaker (just look at that shnoz), aka Hairball.
Clearly she's got GSD in her, but when I tell people the other half is Anatolian, they go, "huh?" which is exactly what I want them to do. Look at that stupid ear. Love it.

GoLightly said...

WB - Layla is beautiful!
Scritch her goofy ear for me please.

water_bearer said...

Layla says, "Thanks for the ear scratch!"
Thanks golightly.

muttpuppiesontrial said...

WB: Haha, what a cutie! I love that crazy ear!

I never hear about Anatolians as pets, only as herders. I'd love to meet one in person.

Never Say Never Greyhounds said...

I'm not a fan of the HSUS. They would like to have across the board spay/neuter laws, so that eventually we no longer have pets. They are as extreme as PETA is. I'm all for spaying and neutering, but I don't want my freedom to have dogs to be taken away.

I voted for McCain and I do greyhound rescue.

Jen

muttpuppiesontrial said...

Hi Jen, I actually think the spay/neuter laws would be a good thing! As far as I understand it, the laws that are in place right now allow dogs to be intact if they're registered, properly trained, and involved in assistance, sporting, or some kind of work, or if the owner has a breeder's permit. This would mean more responsible breeding all around - and no more backyard breeders! The BYB scene is getting a little out of control as it is; I'd love to see some of the crazier people get slapped in the face with a mandatory neutering policy. How aggressive the HSUS will get about these policies, I don't know, though, so feel free to share your thoughts. :)

Rescuing greyhounds is great! I love those dogs, they seem so lovable and laidback all the time. I've never met a greyhound I didn't like.

water_bearer said...

Oh no, no, no... trust me - If there's one thing Anatolians are NOT, it's herders. Border Collies, Beardies, GSD's once upon a time - these are herding dogs. Anatolians are simply guardians. This is an importatnt distinction. They're too... um... independent to be herders and while they're happy to have your approval, they don't need it or seek it out like other breeds do.
The Anatolian (which someone from Turkey would say is just a generic term for the type of Anatolian livestock dog we have here in the U.S.), were meant to live with their flock from a few weeks of life on for the rest of their lives, guarding them often for months at a time all alone, from wolves, lions, and bears and moving the flock only to get them out of inclement weather or to take them to water or food. They were also used in some parts to hunt the same animals listed above, as well as bring down horses. So these dogs are possibly the oldest breed of domestic dog that has been for maybe 6,000 years bred to find it's own food and shelter, be tough as nails and withstand bitter cold and searing heat on meager pickings and little water, have incredible stamina, and above all else, protect the flock from incredibly tough foes, with its life if need be. They've become very good at two things: protecting the fam, and making independent decisions. Not necessarily the dog for everyone and certainly not the kind of dog for a beginner. But really a fascinating breed.
This actually would go well under your most recent post about what to consider before getting a dog.
But as I've said here before, Layla is also a good example of the crap shoot that is hybridization. There are many wonderful qualities about Anatolians that would be an improvement for the GSD's in the US today and that could be taken down a notch in the ASD to get a cross that works as a pet. But then again, you could get a Layla. Now I love my dog to death, but there's no doubt in my mind that I was meant for her and she for me. In the wrong hands, she'd be in trouble for biting someone, or worse... dead. In the mean time, my big lug just came in here to stick her nose on my lap and then went back to patrolling the house. Gotta go. Someone wants to eat.

muttpuppiesontrial said...

Whoops, my mistake! I knew they were primarily guardians, but not to that extent ... crazy! I guess most people don't use them as pets seeing as they're so independent-minded, and that's why I hear so little about them. Layla sounds lovely, anyway - what a lucky thing she ended up with somebody who knows her way around a dog! Beautiful name, by the way. :)

I know what you mean, it'll sound so silly but I sometimes wonder what would have happened if my guinea pig had ended up in the wrong hands. Hehe, I love her to bits, but she is such a punk. So very far from the image of the perfect kid's-first-pet. (I can hear her growling in her sleep now, bless her.) I don't know what made her so grouchy and bad-tempered and jumpy, but at least I've taught her how to be calm and snuggle. :) She'd have been hopeless in the hands of a child...

GoLightly said...

WB - wow, Layla is indeed lucky to have you. Thank goodness it's not a well-known breed. I hate even mentioning what my dogs are, for fear they'll get "popular". Fortunately, most people forget the name as soon as I say it, because they are such a mix of dog to look at. Doberman, GSD, Rottie? Min-Pin? WTF?
Mutt, with CKC (misc)papers. The CKC still doesn't really believe they are herders. They are hard to fit into a definition of a breed, because they are so variable, being bred for their working ability, and never for their appearance, for so long. What a terrible way to develop a breed:)

Anatolian type of temperament must be so challenging, eh?
Independent minds do take a bit more patience:) You must be close to sainthood by now:)
My husband had a coon-hound mix, that dog had his own agenda. You were in his way.
When they're bred to think for themselves, they DO. Very very well. Maybe that's why your breed is pretty unheard of, they've successfully wiped out the bad owners, all by themselves..
Goood dogs!!!
:)
NSNgreyhounds, I hear what you're saying, sure would be nice to keep the puppy millers out of breeding though. My working time at a Humane Society was very frustrating. They would euth the adoptable dogs, because their time was up, take in and treat unhandled pregnant dogs, let them have their fugly puppies, and were mandated to use CO2 gas for euthing wildlife. I HATED that.
My current HS tries it's best, but it's tough with so little money, and so little good/great/knowledgeable help. And the laws suck. "Food, water, shelter." All any animal REALLY needs, according to the HS. That's all they can look for. Crappy, filthy conditions, inhumane caging, this is not an offense.
My psycho neighbours dog(s), RIP, I tried my best, but that idiot managed to get me in "trouble" with the law FFS, for sneaking food to her attention/food starved dog. Dog was kept in a wire cage, with one thin mat for "padding". In an unheated "mud room", except when she was tied out on a 6' chain, for days at a time. Barking her desperate bark.
In our frigid winters.
God, I hate that woman.
all the best, to all your dogs.
And you all, too:)
Thanks MT.

Never Say Never Greyhounds said...

I would love to see the puppy mills gone! The problem is that the spay/neuter laws I have actually seen presented in some states is mostly harmful to your quality, hobby breeders. The permits have been rather expensive and cost prohibitive for the small responsible breeders who compete their dogs, find good homes, take their puppies back if necessary, etc.
I'm only picking on the HSUS (not the local humane societies). I think HSUS and PETA get a lot of animal lovers on their side (myself included at one time)because it certainly sounds good, but their ultimate agenda is for there to be no more dogs and cats, so I no longer support those kinds of laws because once it gets rolling, it may not stop, and then suddenly there are no more dogs and cats.
I'm not sure what the answer is. But often laws will harm those of us already being responsible.

Jen

muttpuppiesontrial said...

Jen: That does sound worrying. There are no laws like that where I am, so I've never seen them in action. Now that I've given it more thought, I can see the snags - mainly in that a dog has to compete in order to breed, when the majority of people who buy the puppies only want a housepet. And plenty of responsible breeders have show-quality dogs, but choose not to show them...

I can think of some breeds who'd benefit from breed-specific spay/neuter laws, though - pit bulls, for a start. Weed out the bad breeders, and I think we'd see the progress in leaps and bounds. More effective than an altogether ban, I'd hope. But a blanket law sounds like it could potentially be more trouble than it's worth.

Never Say Never Greyhounds said...

I don't breed, but I compete my greyhounds in obedience and agility, so I know a lot of the people on the responsible end of breedng.

The pit bull & similar types are another tough issue. I know a very responsible person with Cane Corsos. She trains, competes, and socializes them. She also helps with breed rescue. So I hate to see someone like her restricted. But yet the most popular breed in my neighborhood is the pit bull and these aren't people at their local training facilities. I would imagine its getting to be the most common breed in animal shelters. Very sad.

I commend those of you on the front lines at the animal shelters. I do greyhound rescue, but on the adoption end so I only see the ones that have been saved and sent to our group. I don't see the ones that do not get adopted. You guys have a very tough job.

Jen

water_bearer said...

MT that doesn't sound crazy about your guinea pig at all. I kinda feel that way about my rabbit, Elvis too. Not because he's a handful, but the opposite. He's the world's most boring rabbit. Mellow, imoveable, totally chill. When he was younger he'd do a couple wacky flips and stuff when he was out but mostly, he just like to chew my furniture. Really not a great pet, but I love him anyway.
As for Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, or ASD's, they can also make wonderful family pets. Plenty have. They'd probably be happier guarding a flock of goats, but then again, like any other breed, not all of them are suited for that. I believe Layla has taken the herding instinct ingrained in her from her GSD side, and the intensity from both sides, and reverted back to the where both traits came from and channeled it into an intense prey drive. Yeah. Here's my livestock guardian / herding dog cross who'd love nothing more than to eat anything furry and smaller than 10lbs. She stalks squirrels like an African cat - slow, deliberate and without blinking... head down, shoulder blades up. Such a dork.
Ya know... while we're on the subject of Anatolians (or at least I am), this could be a specific blog post. Many ASD's get crossed with Pyrenees or Mastiffs. Why take one rare breed and cross them with a rarer one? Especially when the resulting puppy you could call just about anything... make up a name if you want and the average non dog-expert person would believe you that that's what it was.
Here's where I originally found Layla - National Anatolian Shepherd Rescue Network - http://www.nasrn.com (I later adopted her through dogsonly - http://www.dogsonly.org.
Here's one of the best Anatolian breeders I know, too. Also a horse breeder. islandfarm.org.
Because there has been such an emphasis on breeding ASD's for their utility, the standard is very vague on their looks, so you see a variety... even with a fantastic breeder. So while true enthusiasts try not to let too many ASD's go to less than perfect homes, the many who go to homes to be nothing more than livestock guardians often get bred to make more guardians for sale and they're mixed indescriminately with whatever LGD breed is around.
Awesome.
It'd be like crossing Chinese Cresteds with Xoloitzcuintli (sp.?), or Argentine Dogos with Thai Ridgebacks.
Erg. I'm getting pissed thinking about it, because I know if I google it, I'll find some jackass doing just that.
Oh... and this is SO dorky of me, but a lot of my friends have done the same (good way to network)...
here is Layla's...
wait for it...
...
...
myspace page.
:)
http://www.myspace.com/arkansas_brown_dog