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JVL
Today's Document
styofa doing anything
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
noise dept.
DEAR READER
šŖ¼
Stranger Things
almost home
KIROKAZE
$LAYYYTER
AnasAbdin
No title available

blake kathryn

@theartofmadeline
Claire Keane
we're not kids anymore.
d e v o n
Mike Driver
Keni

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@herding-ventures-blog
@fangsinthefog to re-follow me
New blog
It's called @fox-tree (can't tag atm). It will be my new dogblr/personal blog. I will be following people after I wake up tomorrow morning!
what if⦠you donāt need toĀ correctĀ dogs to train themā¦
Before you pet a service dog I want you to stop for a second and imagine that youāre in a wheelchair Imagine that every day people ask you, āIāve had a really tough day, can I sit in your chair?ā Imagine people passing you constantly trying to touch the wheels, to grab the handles and steer you in another direction. I want you to imagine people saying in loud, uncovered whispers as they pass, āI wish I could sit down all day.ā I want you to imagine people trying to guess whatās wrong with you and coming to the conclusion that youāre faking it. I want you to imagine all of this and then tell yourself, before you pet a service dog, āservice dogs are medical equipment.ā
Before You Pet a Service Dog (via slytherinmattmurdock)
You know what really pisses me off about that āitās all in how you raise themā mindset though? It makes good owners feel like fucking shit.
Iāve owned Diego since he was four months. I did everything with him, socialized the hell out of him, he loved other dogs when he was young. We went to training classes, etc.
And then one day when he was about eight months old he jumped a dog. He no longer tolerated strange dogs.
And I felt like fucking hell. I believed that āitās all how you raise themā shit. Here I am doing my best with this dog, and he turns out like this! I seriously considered rehoming him.
It took a lot for me to get out of that stupid mindset. I took him to behaviorists and trainers who all pretty much said the same thing - thatās his personality.
I donāt know where Iām going with this post. It just ticks me off.
This was my biggest downfall with Daedra. Daedra was aggressive from day one. He was a shit. I remember before he turned 2, I called up a local trainer, and I was pretty straightforward: āHe tries to kill other dogs. Can we still be in a class?ā She let us, and guess what. It was hard. People gave me looks. My aggressive dog wanted to take out dogs twice his size. We were given lots of space. We went to class, it didnāt get better. I got help from other trainers. I did a lot of punishment based shit with him. I did stuff that hurt me - my dog lost trust in me, still wanted to kill other dogs. I didnāt know what to do, because clearly, somehow, I was fucking up because it is āhow you raise themā and border collies are SO well known for being ādog friendly.ā Clearly, the issue was me. I stopped doing anything public with him. He was a time bomb, he had bitten me once when he was like.. four? I should have gotten stitches - I was SO certain he was going to be taken from me and put down, I didnāt go. Still have scars now. I couldnāt trust him, he didnāt trust me, so I stopped everything with him. My sport dog became just a pet, I turned to Vivec, and it stayed like that for a few years. When he turned 6, I found out a trainer I had been following on Livejournal lived in the same town I had moved to. I went to her, one on ones, for two fucking years. Daedra got a bit better. I got better. I mentored under her. Still some aversives, but nothing harsh. I went to another trainer. We trained for agility. We competed. He still wanted to kill other dogs. He just loved me more and I was hell of a lot more likely to be careful with him. I got to where Iād defend him, block off dogs, tell people to back off with their āfriendly dogs.ā My dog isnāt. Mine will try to kill your dog. Give us space. And in the end, you know what I learned? Itās genetic. I talked to someone else that had a sibling of his and she had aggression issues as well - not to Daeās extent, but her dog did. She knows someone else with a sibling.. same thing. While Dae is definitely an aggressive dog, thereās more going on with him than ājustā aggression. Itās clear something is wrong in his head, but still - it isnāt āhow he was raised,ā itās the fact I obtained a dog that just happened to be a lot on the aggressive side of the scale. It isnāt something Iād do again, as now in his old age, Daedra is a LOT to handle, but it just goes to prove sometimes dogs are aggressive and thatās okay. I still can never understand how people can believe dogs can be bred to have herding instinct (which is modified prey drive) or be from hunting lines but not believe they can be bred to be aggressive.
I always think of this the other way around with Mango.
Sheās a rottweiler, so a breed prone to being aggressive. And she was neglected as a pup, when I got her she was skinny, half bald with mange and jumpy if you moved to fast around her head. And she was the wriggliest, friendlisest pup you could ever imagine (if a little shy, which she still is). If it were all in how you raise them, sheād be a mess.
Sheās been home about 3 days in this picture:
All she wants to do is play. She wasnāt raised well, I canāt take any credit for her there, itās just her.
Ā *pulls out a large scattered pile of handwritten notes stuffed into various textbooks and notepads*Ā
LETāS HAVE A TALK ABOUT SOME MOTHERFUCKING REACTION RANGES, KIDS.Ā
A reaction range (or range of reaction) is the intersection of nature and nurture in terms of traits which are variable, complex, and (in some way) quantitative. Things like wariness and intellect are notĀ āquantitativeā in the same way that jelly beans in a jar are but they are called so in this instance with the understanding thatĀ āqualitativeā means things like, spotted or drop earred. With quality you either are or your arenāt. With quantity there is a possibility to be more or less of a trait. (Please hold comments on how dogs can be more spotted or less spotted, etc⦠This is how these things are defined in this setting, just bear with me)
So, with this in mind, friendliness, or itās converse, aggression, are both defined as quantitative traits. You can be more friendly or less friendly, more aggressive or less aggressive. It is a spectrum. In a simplified imagining of this you have one side which is an imaginary dog who never knew a stranger, absolutely loves everyone and everything and would never snap or growl under any circumstances, on the other sides is another, equally imaginary dog who is aggressive towards everything and everyone, knows no ally and never has accepted a kind hand in its life.Ā
These are extremes. In the grey area in the middle lies every dog you have likely ever met in your whole life and every dog you are likely to meet ever. These are also specific. The spectrum for dog-agression is not the same as human-agression, not the same as prey-drive, and in real life is often separated between sexes and sizes and personalities of other dogs. (ie; same-sex-dog-aggression, larger-dog-aggression)
This is where the nature comes in. Each dog (and creature) is born with a set range of possible outcomes for these quantifiable traits, in this case dog-friendliness (we will ignore the narrower categories for now and try to put them in this simpler umbrella). If we set this spectra on a scale of 1-150, higher numbers being friendlier dogs, then a sample dog, must fall on this number scale.
So, we have a litter of puppies and pick one at random, we name him Tom. Tom is a Shepherd mixĀ who we know, though our all-powerful hypothetical powers) is born with a reaction range from about 80-111. As he matures Tom can land anywhere on this spectrum of friendliness from 80-111.Ā
This is where nurture comes in. If we clone Tom twice and give Tom1 to a deprived home with no training and almost no socialization and that will abuse him, Tom2 to an average home that is well-meaning and offers some training and socialization and treats him pretty well otherwise, and then we give Tom3 to an enriched home, a dog expert who trains him well, socializes him from the first day, and loves on him as often is appropriate, each Tom will grow up to fall on different parts of the reaction range. Tom1 ends up on the lower end of the spectrum, around 83, Tom2 is mid-range, around 92, and Tom3 is on the high end of the spectrum, around 108. The more enriched environments give the best possible outcomes.Ā
Now we introduce another dog, Miguel, a hearty little Lab mix who was recently rescued from an abusive home. We know that Miguel has a friendliness range from 97-125, higher than Tom. So, we compare him to the three Toms. (pretend this is friendliness not IQ)
Miguel is more friendly than the equally deprived Tom, and just as friendly as the average Tom, despite having a poorer quality of life. If given to a home which is patient with him, Miguel may have a chance of rising higher on his scale and, one day, may be even friendlier than the enriched Tom.Ā
But, you may ask, can Tom ever be as friendly as an enriched Miguel that is at the tom of his reaction range? No. The absolute answer is no. Each dog is born with their own innate range, woven into their very core by the wonders of genetics. You can make a dog as high on itās range as it can go- but it can never go higher. Tom will never be able to be as friendly as Miguel, but the Tom raised in the enriched home will be much friendlier than the Miguel who was raised by the deprived home and received no help, too little help, or help too late.Ā
How does this influence how we look at our own dogs?
The reaction range warns us to all heed the over-arching themes within each breed type- they exist for a reason. Chows were bred to guard and will be more wary of strangers, Hounds were bred to track and will follow their noses, and fighting breeds were bred to be dog aggressive and will be more likely to not get along well with others. You may have the most dog friendly, well bred and trained Cane Corso in the world, but realize that it will never be as friendly and amiable as most any decently bred Golden raised to itās full potential, and getting it there will involve your hard work and diligence.Ā
But it sets that breed is not always destiny. The lines a dog comes from are important too and there are poorly bred Lab can be born with a lower than expected reaction range & visa versa. Other times neurological issues, hormone imbalances, or psychopathology, along with other possible issues do play a role.
It also encourages us to train the dog that we have- not the dog we wish we had. If you have an aggressive and reactive dog but wish to play flyball⦠you are going to have to think realistically. If you canāt even walk on the opposite side of the street as another dog without having to pull all the stops to keep your dog under the control of itās training (leave it!! watch me! watch me! good boy! sit. good boy! watch me!) and keep it from snarling and lunging- then congrats, you have taken your reactive dog and made the best of itās genetics by bringing it to the top of itās reaction range. BUT you would be making a mistake to try and get this dog to do more than it can, or at least to try after getting strong feedback that it would be unfruitful to try again.
It does not make you a failure of a owner or trainer that your dog can not do the things that the dogs of others can. Read that again. It does not make you a failure of a owner or trainer that your dog can not do the things that the dogs of others can. If anything it makes you a wonderful owner and trainer to recognize what your dog is capable of and strive to bring it to the best of itās ability without pushing it to an impossible goal.
So, do your research when choosing a breed, talk to the shelter or breeder extensively, gauge what your dog is capable of, and accept the roof of possibility when you hit it. Every dog is unique. Your dog is your dog and no one elseās- all you are expected to do is make it the best dog it can be with the genetic code it was born with.Ā
Your dog is special, remember that. *closes notes*
my Border Collie Floey :by Martyna Ożóg
You can make it through today, I believe in you.
PETA
you guys remember when PETA stole people pets off their porches and euthanized them?
you guys remember how it came out that PETA kills about 90% of the animals it takes in, including healthy and adoptable puppies and kittens, statingĀ ā We could become a no-kill shelter immediately. It means we wouldnāt do as much workā?
you guys remember when PETA advocated killing all pit bulls for the crime of being pit bulls?
you guys remember when PETA handed out these comics to children when there were no adults looking?
you guys remember when they made a porn site and then filled it with videos of animal abuse, and (also in that link) claimed cats should be vegetarian?
you guys remember when PETA lied about sheep shearing, got caught, and defended the lie as true even after they admitted the sheep in their picture wasnāt even real?
you guys remember when they tried to excuse their horrifying ways by claiming that the person who exposed them was manipulating the facts by taking them and putting them in the wrong context?
Because I remember. I remember everything.Ā
And Iām gonna make sure everyone else remembers too.Ā
Why would they kill pit bulls theyāre sweeties
Because PETA does not care about animals. they do not care that these dogs live and breathe and feel and want love like every other dog. they do not care about the history of human/dog bonding and co-evolution, they do not care that dogs and human beings have relied on each other for millennia, they do not care that its cruel and morally repugnant to put down an animal just because you can, they do not care about animals.Ā
PETA cares about money and publicity, its a corporation run by a psychopath who is afraid of pitts as it states in the link: she was apparently bit by one, and now she hates them.Ā
PETA doesnāt give a rats ass about animals. They just want to kill and make money off of idiots who fall of their spiel.
Some celebs support them
ah cāmon, dear-tumb1r, I think youāre being a bit harsh. I mean, okay, PETAās done some questionable things, but itās not like theyāve also
-spread false information about milk causing autism based on outdated bullshit information
-used holocaust imagery to compare the meat industry to concentration camps (no pictures)
-used a young manās brutal death as a way to say āyeah thatās awful but it happens to animals every day and nobody cares about thatā (tw: no pictures but the way the guy died is described and it is really horrible)
-dressed up in KKK robes and protested outside of the Westminister Dog Show to protest breeding/pure bred dogs (tw: racism)
-offered to pay the water bill for literally the poorest neighborhood in Detroit if and only if they all went vegan for a month (tw: self-righteous shitheads)
-and they definitely didnāt have two of their workers accept perfectly healthy animals from an animal hospital, with the implication that they would give them good homes, clarify that these animals were all healthy and well-tempered, and then euthanized them all in the back of a kill-van before dumping their dead bodies behind a grocery store (tw: PICTURES OF DEAD ANIMALS, animal death)
-and they totally didnāt get off pretty much scot-free for it because PETA has loads of money and lawyers to defend themselves, which coincidentally might be why the Cerate family hasnāt seen justice for their kidnapped and murdered dog, Maya. (tw: animal death)
Nah. PETAās not that bad.
(/the heaviest of all my fucking sarcasm, I am salty as a fucking winter road, lord do I fucking hate PETA)
Did you think i was fucking joking, PETA?
I will make sure everyone fucking remembers what youāve done.Ā
Bringing it back, because itās charity season and people need to know NOT to give charity to these fuckers.Ā
We also met this nice old doggo
What is this movement meaning? Twice now thistle has done this drop then pounce for greeting. The first one I didnāt know why she dropped and leashed her - cause other dog (staffie) was on lead. It was beach about 6 months ago
The second time was at the beach this weekend and the Boston terrier did not like her rushing up like that and told her off. So I got worried maybe itās inappropriate behaviour? I am hyper aware thistle is unpracticed in dog greetings :ā(
Is it plays? She was getting tired after few hours run and us ppl were stationary both times. I should record video like you do as Iām as uncertain if sheās being playful or rude or pushy or a dick.
@why-animals-do-the-thing ??
So for this dog - a herding dog breed - this is a pretty normal thing. Theyāre bred to drop and gaze at things (and then with the animals they herd, stalk them, but thatās not the sequence here). It looks like this is part of the greeting for the dog, and then it goes into a lot of face-licking and appeasement behaviors.Ā
This is something Iām actually only really seeing due to what I learned while filming with @molosseraptor, so Iām going to throw it her way for a full answer. Knowing what I know from her help, this is either an unsure herding dogās instincts when meeting a new animal (which would explain the low body posture after it leaves the drop, as well as the face licking) or itās a kind of annoying-to-other-dogs play solicitation that involves theĀ āgrovelingā licking behavior and lowered posture. Iām not enough an expert to say for sure, especially without more context.
Since itās so context-specific, yes, definitely see if you can get a video of your dog and send it in!
Youāre entirely right! Itās stalking behavior and a part of many dogās play sequences, but with unknown dogs, definitely falls into the category of ādoggie rudeā and can frequently lead to other dogs reacting poorly towards your dog. It can also be a serious warning sign for some dogs, especially if there is a size imbalance. Think stalking prey rather than making friends. Especially at a distance dogs donāt always know other dogs are dogs until theyāre in sniffing range. Itās just a small creature in the distance.
Look at the body language: either laying or standing and crouching, stiff and still body, hard staring, possibly coupled with creeping towards the intended victim and then RUSH. That looks an awful lot like a dog thatās about to attack to most dogs and people (human emotions can influence and effect the dogās reactions).
Familiar dogs, especially if theyāre both herding dogs, can mutually play this game together and have a great time. To a dog thatās not in on the game? Often terrifying and leads to a strong reaction to protect themselves from what they feel is an impending attack. It is a behavior I would interrupt and disallow before they have the chance to rush the other dog. Since most dogs will react poorly to this behavior, better to save your own dog from a potentially dangerous encounter.
You guys have no idea how pumped I am for a dog. I can finally join you guys in the picture-spamming, story-telling fun! I really want to keep a training log, videos included, to look back on as we go along. I can't wait to start casual disc and possibly get into canine freestyle... Deffo want a trick dog haha. I'm hoping I don't have too many expectations for this future companion of mine?
iāve been keeping my eye on the northeast dogblr meetup. depending on where it is i might go (even tho iām not really in the north east, iām like⦠in the middle of the east coast)Ā
Wait there's a northeast dogblr meetup?? How did I miss that!
This is what happens when a cat toutches a plasma ball.
ELECTRIC TOEBEANS
Willowās elk antler looks like a celery stickā¦. She ate all the inside out⦠Highly considering raw but donāt know anything about itā¦
@bigpointyears has info about raw, which she feeds to Maya. :)
Be strong enough to stand alone, be yourself enough to stand apart, but be wise enough to stand together when the time comes.
You should have someone do a parody poster of Mad Max Fury Road and have Max as Max (duh) and Maeby as Furuiosa
Yes! This is awesome! Can someone do this? I operate pretty much everything via phone so I canāt. But I love the idea. :)
This needed to exist ok.
bonus
OH! MY! DOG! THIS IS AWESOME AND I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT TO HECK! IāM GOING TO REBLOG THIS A MILLION TIMES. ALL CAPS FOR ALL THE FEELS. SERIOUSLY YOU ARE A GREAT ARTIST. THANK YOU!
6/1/2016
@hadissima This is what happened when I tried to set up and take a running photo⦠Highest level of derp achieved.
Aww she looks so happyĀ