#urrsari

[actuallyservicedogs]

you and fllowers: what eruope countries do acknowledge service dogs legally/in practice?

Here is a link to Assistance Dogs International’s 2005 publication of a guide to international service dog laws. It outlines the different countries that have laws pertaining to them and can tell you which countries have laws.

Chelsea

[sternenstaub28]

Secret Santa!

My secret santa for satinalia is @urrsari. Or I'm theirs? English is hard. I heard you like dogs and dao and as my talents are few, I wrote a little fic. I hope you enjoy it.

The strange two legged beings were painting my fur again today. I did not know why, but the cool and wet feeling was nice, so I did not complain. It resembled rolling in mud, I did not know why they complained, when I did that but not when they put the mud on me on their own.

After a last swipe over my nose, they looked proudly at me and scratched my ear. I liked this tiny two legged being with ears almost as pointy as mine and eyes as big as a puppy´s.

My pack siblings joined me soon after, swipes of mud like my own all over them, some were proud about their intrinsic patterns, some were annoyed by the wait. Then the horn sounded, we knew this was what we were born for.

death mention

Teeth showing, hackles raised, we stormed forward. Foul smelling beings, some on two, others on four legs in front of us. Their smell screamed danger, they were the enemy, we needed to stop them from hurting what was ours. Tearing through, barely seeing, only blood and flesh, metal screaming over my head, the earth mud under me and we teared and fought side by side. Some brothers fell, some sisters got hit, but we did not stop. Biting, running, dodging. This I was born for. This....

My mouth felt numb, my sight blurred, my legs broke under me and the world turned dark…

The next sunrises were unclear, my body felt heavy, my limbs hurt. Some two legged pack members tried to feed me, stroke my fur, but I could not stand it, growled and snapped, once accidentally drew even blood when all I wanted was to be left alone and sleep.

The sun rose and fell, my pack siblings started leaving me alone, giving me up. Left to my own devices, I knew what this meant. A pack member was never left behind if there was still hope. But for me... there wasn´t.

I lay under in the shade, feeling my body give up on me and just when I wanted to give up myself, a two legged came and chained me, I growled but they didn't show fear.

Their smell seemed familiar, though I had never seen them. It belonged, it felt right to be touched by this one, more than it ever had before. Should I have found my true pack twin just minutes before death awaited me?

My head felt heavy, I fell down. Just existing was a task I was barely able of fulfilling. Then, suddenly, someone gave me something awful. Coughing and hacking, I turned around, away.

Another battle started, but I could not do more than hide under a stone. My life was waning and I couldn't even die alongside my pack. Lying in a puddle of blood that was not my own, my world turned dark.

death mention end

The sun was so nice on my fur, the mud was cool, it was a great morning. I woke up, confused but suddenly feeling like myself again? How was this possible? Once my brain was over it´s initial confusion, a foul smell hit my nose. Burned wood and enemies, I did not look closer to what I knew would be pack, there was no breath to be heard anywhere around. Trotting slowly through the destroyed kennel, another smell met me, a right smell, my pack twin! Ears held a bit higher, my gait sped up. At a road I saw them, my last true two legged pack twin, fighting.

Wagging like there was no tomorrow I stormed off, only to stop a few feet before my new friends. They looked afraid of me.

With a little hesitation my twin came near me and I couldn't hold onto it any longer, with a jump and a bark, I started licking their face, relieved to hear a laugh and not a scream. We were pack now.

Travelling together was all I had ever dreamed of, no more walls, no more leashes and friends all around. My twin was a part of me and I of him. This was what I was born for. Strolling through the land, protecting my pack and mock fighting family.

The dark haired “human” as they called themselves, I think they did, it´s so confusing, why are they all calling each other by different names all the time? Morrigan, witch, please don´t turn me into a toad, I think I like Morri the most. She acts like she dislikes me and I act like I slobber in her shoes at night but actually I put little acorns next to her entrance and I know I saw her smile. Next night a little bone lay where the acorns had been. I need to get some elfroot.

A few nights later, we arrived at a village. The smell was overwhelming, so many two-leggers, running around, screaming.

We met a strange smelling human, she talked like a bird and smelled like a flower, but there was something underlying, something my pack did not seem to notice or care about, she was steel and poison but did not try to hurt anyone. I couldn't find anything wrong in someone hiding their teeth when they were not necessary.

Just a few steps further we met a caged, strong smelling being, who talked in a growl. I did not understand why we stopped there but could feel sympathy for someone caged and hungry. I would growl as well. Their eyes were kind, despite the obvious pain haunting them.

We left the town with two more pack members and two small two legged beings following them. I liked the younger one of them, he did not talk much but always liked to pet me and sometimes his rocks made my fur stand on end.

We travelled along and I was glad to be there, for surely my pack would have stood no chance against the foul smelling creatures without me. I growled when they were near and was the front line.

Until one time I got lost. We had fought and I had followed a fleeing four legged being and wound up at a river. Sniffing around, I tried following my packs trail. But there was another river and a swamp. Despite liking mud, it was now my doom. No more trail to follow, no smell or indentions on the ground.

Walking in the general direction where I assumed my pack to have gone, I smelled people and heard fire crackling. But they were strangers, clearly not my own.

Hiding in a bush, I crept closer, making sure not to be seen or heard. It was a small group of two leggers. They talked about hiding and one screamed and whined periodically just to stop right away again and laugh. It was the strangest thing.

They were not my two leggers, they did not concern me, I turned around and walked away.

The sun set soon after and I rested under a big tree, when I noticed a smell. Someone was near! Ears perked, I looked around and heard some rustling above me. With a thump a two legger jumped down a tree next to mine. I got up and growled, apparently startling them.

Warily looking at each other, teeth bared, metal glistening, a deep growl emanated from deep within me when they suddenly dropped their guard. “You won´t hurt my face, no? I might still need it later.” and with that the metal vanished, the glint in their eyes turned kind. “Lost your way? I never would have thought to see a mabari without a Ferelden smelling the same at their side.”

What did this creature want from me? They did not seem to want me any harm, and… did I smell bacon there?

The two legger sat down on the ground, acting like they were ignoring me but I knew they noticed every movement. Making a show out of taking out their food and eating slowly, a pair of big eyes met mine again. A bit food was dropped close to me, sniffing, I decided I could eat it, if they did as well.

The still measured breaths next to me became more relaxed. I got a few steps closer, sitting down.

We ate and sat and watched the night. I did not feel a hand on my fur but I definitely heard some relaxed breaths and mumbles about dreams and a future that would not come. A sun that would go up one last time. Watching the stars walk through the night, their eyes reflected the night like a sea. Starry eyes seemed lost but comfortable at my side. The tension I had felt the whole time had vanished and my presence seemed to be relaxing. I would keep guard.

I did not sleep that night, deciding this being was pack now as well.

We got up at the same time the next morning and I was greeted by a breathy chuckle. “A crow and a dog, who would have thought?”

Not knowing where to go, I followed starry eyes for now.I did not quite understand why we were spending most of the morning hiding behind a tree. I needed to find my pack, missing my twin more than anything. But something made me stay here, my instincts would know what to do, I listened to them.

More people joined us, the ones I saw yesterday at the fire. What was going on here? They seemed excited and fearful, whispering and hiding behind trees. The tension made my fur stand up on end.

Suddenly I could hear a someone shouting, the same distress I had heard at the fire, but no laugh followed this time. The wind blew in our faces and there! My pack, I could smell them!

Breaking out from behind the tree, I rushed towards them, just to hear a curse at my back and my new friend to start attacking them? Why? Protecting my twin, I had to grit my teeth and fight starry eyes.

Why looked my new friend so sad while fighting, there was no light in his eyes, not like last night, when the stars were glinting.

My pack easily won and starry eyes was arguing with my twin. Slowly, warily, I approached and nudged his side. Everyone around me held their breaths when I was only greeted by a chuckle. “So you do have a home, little one?”

I did not quite get what was going on after that, besides the surprised shouts from everyone around. They seemed to decide to keep starry eyes for now and even took their leash off.

That night, we sat together again, staring up at the night. My twin had told me to keep an eye on them, but this was no hardship. “Seems we stay friends for now, perro.” I kept starry´s back from that moment as well.

[sproutaesthetics]

Your modern dnd aethetics are really charming! I hope we'll see more of them? Please? They are beutiful

I mean Ive never seen aynthing like that :D 

thank you, charming is such a cool compliment!! i plan on doing all the standard player races (plus some others that i use in my campaign) and then moving on to a modern monster manual series - so expect plenty more to come ;)

[scriptstructure]

We are told to create relatable characters, but I do not really know how identifying with characters actually works. Is it just empathy? But if so, how does that explain why certain people have types of characters they tend to connect with, for example, morally ambiguous characters or the heroine? Can this be used to create an appealing character for targeted audience? What it cmes down to is, why do people identify more easily with some characters? Thank you for your effort.

Well this is a pretty complex question, and one that writers have been grappling with pretty much forever. The relatablity of any given character is going to be influenced by the context of the culture that the character comes from and the assumptions that the author and readers are working with.

From your ask it’s pretty clear you know already that not all readers find all characters relatable. Often, people are drawn to characters that they feel reflect some aspect of their own attitude/ personality/ experience/ any other element of their personal life that they might feel a connection to in a fictional character.

Is this ‘just empathy’? Well, there are different kinds of empathy: 

Cognitive Empathy is the ability to predict how a situation may make others feel, to “read” intent/ thought process into communication.

Affective Empathy is “feeling” what someone else is feeling/ sharing feelings (like if you see someone crying and also feel sad)

Compassionate Empathy is realising when others are feeling (sad, upset, angry) and wanting to help, or seeing others in a bad situation and wanting to help

Any one of these kinds of empathy, or any combination of these may lead to a reader finding a character relatable.

As well, people may relate to a character because of the way that other characters treat that individual. For instance, a character struggling at school due to bullies may be very relatable to someone who had a similarly difficult time at school. A character who wants to do the right thing but is afraid to step out of bounds of the rules they’re given might appeal to a reader who sees themselves in that kind of position.

On the other hand, sometimes readers will Project their own feelings and reactions onto a character -- you’ll often see people who latch onto minor characters with little backstory or characterisation and identify with them strongly, often because this person has projected their own thoughts and feelings onto a relatively blank slate! This is super unpredictable and just something that happens, and as a writer it often comes as a total surprise!

Interpretation of the character’s personality, motives, and actions are all going to influence how the reader relates to and understands them. Someone may feel nothing for a character who seems very similar to them in many ways, but may feel drawn to a character who captures a single element of their lived experience extremely well. It’s very subjective and personal, and not really something that can be easily predicted.

You can try to make a character relatable to a target audience, this is often why you’ll see archetypal characters repeating as the protagonist in many genres -- YA series often have the Plucky Teen Girl Protagonist, while action movies often feature Gruff Older Dude Who Fights A Lot With Repressed Emotions. But the thing is, while these archetypes are easy to fit into a story, they’re often not entirely relatable -- and that can be fine! 

Sometimes a protagonist isn’t meant to be relatable, they’re meant as an escapist fantasy! I doubt that there are many people who relate to Neo on an emotive level, but dang if it wouldn’t be Super Awesome to stop bullets with your brain and fight a thousand baddies at once in the Matrix. It depends on what you want to do with your characters and what kind of role they fill in your story.

My main suggestion is to make your characters whole people, to focus on giving them strong motivations and internal lives, emotional arcs that allow them to be shown to their full potential. You can’t force people to empathise or relate to your characters, but if your characters are ‘real’ enough, then the readers will do it themselves, to whatever degree they are able to relate to that particular character.

[omegastation]

Do you know whether there is any option to have a normal polyamouros reltionship in ME Andromeda?

Oh, and also: Just wanted to say hi to one of my favorite blogs on the Citadel. I mean, on Tmblr!

Hi!!!!! I’m honored (and also somehow picturing myself living in the Citadel and having a blog there XD)

There's unfortunately no poly relationship in MEA. Crossing fingers for the next game though... 

[amazingpetenclosures]

Hey, I do not mean to bother you and it seems asks are not your focus, but. I have not been able to find any information on leopard lizard keeping that is consistent. Some sources say it is ok not to feed lizards, that calcium is enough, others say you have to at least feed mice, others say you absolutely need to feed lizards. That is the biggest question, but they are not even consitent in space and temperature and other requirements. Could you help? Thank you. These guys look difficult, but fu

No worries! I don’t mind answering questions and giving out advice when I can help :) 

Do you mean a long-nosed leopard lizard or a leopard gecko? I don’t know much about the former, in fact, next to nothing… But I can absolutely assure you that you’ll have to feed it something… I would assume insects, since most smaller lizards do better on insects rather than m/ice or pinkies. But again, I don’t really know… As for temperatures and humidity, if caresheets aren’t consistent, I would research their natural habitat and see if you can recreate that environment.

If any of my followers have owed these little guys or knows anything about them, we would love your input!

[actuallyservicedogs]

PSDs are not a thing in my country. I could greatly benefit from a dog trained to perform certain tasks. We would only have pet dog access rights. In your opinion, would it be worth training the dog? It would mostly be alerts, interruptions, help with memory issues, grounding.

If you need one and want to, go for it! Lots of people are helped very much by their in home service dogs.

-Jade

[drferox]

Hello, is a viszla on your dog-brred-analysis-to-do list? Ty!

Viszla were relatively popular when I worked in mixed practice, where hunting in general was a more popular pastime than it in in suburbia.

Please note the disclaimer.These posts are about thebreed from a veterinary viewpoint as seen in clinicalpractice, i.e. the problems we are faced with. It’s not the be-alland end-all of the breed and is not to make a judgement about whetherthe breed is right for you. If you are asking for an opinion aboutthese animals in a veterinary setting, that is what you will get.It’s not going to be all sunshine and cupcakes, and is not intendedas a personal insult against your favorite breed. This is generaladvice for what is common, often with a scientific consensus butsometimes based on personal experiences, and is not a guarantee ofwhat your animal is going to encounter in their life. 

While the breed doesn’t have a huge amount of excess skin, they are somewhat prone to entropion, where eyelids roll inwards to rub fur against the eyeball, and this requires surgical correction.

Speaking of surgery, you’d want to know about any hemophilia in a Vizsla’s family history, though while it is reported as a risk in these dogs I haven’t actually encountered one. Still good to know about though.

Sebaceous adenitis is a weird condition which is known to be genetic in some breeds, but only assumed to be genetic in others. This is a chronic, unpleasant skin condition. They are also somewhat prone to allergies.

The dogs are reported to be more prone to epilepsy but it’s not completely clear whether this is familial.

Hypothyroidism is reasonably common as the dogs get older, but can be managed well with medication.

And in their senior years, the breed seems to be prone to lymphoma and Mast Cell Tumors. MCTs are great pretenders, please don’t assume a lump on an old Vizsla is just a lipoma, get them tested every time. 

It’s also worth mentioning that while their ears are huge and floppy, it was actually pretty rare for me to see one for an ear infection that didn’t have a grass seed stuck down one. They are a traditionally docked breed in countries that haven’t banned the practice yet, but I’ve never seen one with a tail injury, even the working ones.