Archive for the ‘weekly question’ Category
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Since I started a dog-running business I have slacked a little with my own dog, though. Lately I’ve been walking about two or three miles a day with Ace instead of the five-mile daily runs we did for about a year. But really, I’ve found that as long as Ace gets about a 40-minute walk in the morning, he is settled and just fine for the rest of the day. If you have a dog with any “issues,” one of the first things I’d recommend is to take her on a long run every morning. It’s the simplest advice, really, and so few people actually do it. How far do you walk your dog? You do walk her, right? Email your dog-related question to me at Lindsay@thatmutt.com, and I’ll post it for others to answer. Click here to read all my weekly question posts. (Image from fliiby.com)
I’ve been bitten by at least five dogs bad enough to break my skin, but that is because of how much time I’ve spent around so many dogs. The chances of a dog biting me are much higher than a dog biting an average person. When working at places like boarding kennels, grooming shops and shelters, there are so many stressed out and overly excited dogs in a small area that sooner or later a bite will happen. But out of all these dog bites, none required stitches or a hospital visit and all could’ve been prevented on either my part or the dog’s owner. I never blame the dog. For example, the fearful-aggressive bichon that bit my hand while I bathed her should have either been muzzled or not taken to a grooming shop to begin with. I recognized the warning signs, did not muzzle her and she bit. Another case was while I worked at an understaffed boarding kennel. A yellow Labrador was boarded even after his owner admitted his dog had “a history of aggression towards people.” I was working quickly in the kennel and did not take the time to react to the warning signs from this dog: a raised tail, excited barking, staring eyes. I was hurried, excitedly trying to get all the dogs in and out and fed as fast as possible. Looking back, it’s not a surprise at all that this dog reacted the way he did. Statistics and news stories are everywhere reporting dog bites, dog-bite fatalities and “dangerous” breeds. We all hear about what dogs are capable of, but we often forget common sense when we are around animals. Really, any dog will bite under certain circumstances. It’s up to us to protect them, ourselves and others. What about you? Have you been bitten by a dog? Email your dog-related question to me at Lindsay@thatmutt.com, and I’ll post it for others to answer. Click here to read all my weekly question posts. (Image from thechihuahuaguide.com)
How many animals do you live with? And at what point do you decide you have enough animals? Email your dog-related question to me at Lindsay@thatmutt.com, and I’ll post it for others to answer. Click here to read all my weekly question posts. Don’t forget to take part in my contest to win a free copy of the book “InDognito” or “Bliss to You.” (Image from icanhascheezburger.com) |
