Free to a Good Home

Jack Russell terrier, rough coat, white with brown silky ears, 15 lbs, a little chunky. This lovely, well-behaved dog was found wandering on Queen St. W. in Toronto. No collar, no tags, no microchip. A great city dog. Low maintenance, enthusiastic, affectionate, good on lead. Free to a good home.

The backstory
On Valentine's Day, a guy on a bike picked this little darling up so she wouldn't get hit by a car. He went into the adjacent park looking for the owner. No owner in sight. I happened by at just that moment and thought I recognized the dog. Long story short, I took her home and started the search for her owner.

Now a week later, I'm realizing how impossibly challenging it is to get a lost dog home. We think of our world as expansive and inclusive when really it includes our immediate family and home, friends, one or two neighbours and the places we frequent. We are the proverbial needles in a haystack, or like the night sky, tiny points of light separated by light years of darkness.

How to find a lost dog's home
Among the things I've done are:
- posted a "found" notice on our local Humane Society's website (they no longer take phone calls, since this scandal)
- called the city's Animal Services dept, the folks who run the pounds in Toronto, and left a description of the dog with the south area pound (reputed to be the best in the city)
- posted notices on Craig's List and Kijiji, under Community > Lost and Found
- put up paper posters (download the poster in pdf format in the park where the dog was found and around the neighbourhood, other dog parks too
- took the dog to my vet and had her checked for a microchip (none), and to see if they recognized her (didn't)
- taking long walks with the dog, asking people randomly if they recognize her

The kindness of strangers
Small dogs in particular attract smiles from people on the street. It's amazing how often they stop. When they do, I tell them she's a stray and we're looking for her owner. Two people already have said that they regularly foster lost pets and volunteered to take her and help find the owner.

The illusion of neighbourhood and networks
The hardest thing has been posting notices. You start out where you found the dog and you work out in ever expanding circles. But once you get 100m (500 ft.) from the spot, you don't know where to post. You're talking hundreds of telephone polls, doorways, shops and offices and apartment buildings. The possibilities of where this dog lives multiply exponentially. It feels hopeless.

On the other hand, one lady I stopped to talk to referred to a poster in her neighbourhood for a lost Lab. I saw one poster in about a four block area. I was impressed. Maybe people notice more than I'm giving them credit for.

Hide and seek
If no one is looking for a dog, and I mean really looking, not just peering wistfully out the window once in a while, not even Miss Marple or Rockford could find this dog's home. You would think people would know enough to call the Humane Society or the pound. But you can't make assumptions. As my vet pointed out, many people in our neighbourhood don't venture very far outside of their own communities. Many older people barely speak English and can't read it. In these communities, like all communities, dogs have puppies, puppies get distributed and live happy, more or less housebound lives. In our neighbourhood, hundreds of dogs live in the confines of private houses and yards, mostly out of sight, rarely seen on the street.

CSI Lost Pets
Veterinarians are arguably in the best position to network and find out where pets come from. Virtually every pet visits a vet at some point, if only for their initial shots. The microchip system is supposed to be that network but I took this dog in to my vet to see if she had a microchip. She doesn't. They were very nice but what can they do? Apparently there is no database of DNA samples, or diagnoses, or registered shots. Why don't vets have a network by which they could post notice to vets across the city?

Sense and scent ability
We make too much of dogs' intelligence. Apparently dogs do find their own way home; a quick Google search turn up stories: http://pettails.mydogspace.com/2009/11/12/sabi-the-army-dog-returns-home-after-14-months-lost-in-afghanistan/. But 14 months is a long time. Other stories are 6 or 9 years. This seems amazing unless you ask what the dog was doing for those 14 months, 6 or 9 years. For a dog to return home after 9 years is pretty much random luck. It's like me putting up posters. Choose the wrong poll by even one house and the owner might never see it because they turn the other way to go to the bus stop.

Reason and unreason
One begins to search for reasons when a stray pet comes into your life. This dog is a great "ratter," a classic terrier. I happen to have had, right now, a rat problem, so she spent all of one evening this week tearing around growling and scratching. It was unbelievable, relentless, terrifying (to a rat). Good news. No sign of rat since. A Littlest Hobo story? If that were the case, then my Even Littler Hobo should have slipped out the gate the next day, mission accomplished. (Or maybe her job isn't quite done yet:)

Yes, we are getting "attached." But not so attached that I can keep her. I have a dog already and one is more than enough, for now. So if you recognize this dog or know someone who wants a great, easy to look after companion, please contact me, contact info on this notice.

Some useful links
Toronto Lost and Found Pets, a great free service.
Pet Harbour helps you search pounds anywhere in North America to find a lost dog or adopt one. A very interesting idea; why don't vets have a network like this?

Bark bark barking

Thanks to Ryan Bauer of dogfencediy.com for sending along this article by vet Susan Wright. Ryan sells invisible, electronic dog fencing, which he supplies in a do it yourself (diy) format, at substantial savings. I'm not sure I'm for electronic anything when it comes to dogs, but on the other hand, bad behavior is very challenging and one needs stuff that works.

Before Barking Has Shattered Your Last Nerve
By Susan Wright, DVM

There are as few things in this world as annoying as a barking dog that just will not stop. Actually I am listening to one right now. You see my neighbors have hearts of gold when it comes to animals, and they rescue pretty much anything that breathes. Officially, they operate a Great Pyrenees Rescue, but they have dogs and cats and birds and donkeys and horses that were all cast aside and forgotten who have found a place to be safe.

And how could your ever complain about the noise? These are dogs that have been neglected and abused and sometimes left to die. The amount of time, money and work that goes into saving even a single dog is phenomenal. Nail biting surgeries, when successful usually require a long confined recovery time, and as the dogs are feeling better, the barking begins. So on the one hand the barking is great news, but on the other hand there are days, when the Chinese water torture bark, bark, barking just works my absolute last nerve.

Thankfully, pretty much the only time that a dog bark gets my attention is when my dogs are outside, and that is because I do not want them bothering anyone. Once my guys are tucked inside, then I really do not care what is going on outside. Dogs can be barking or pigs could be flying. It makes no difference to me at all. However, some people are not so lucky, and they cannot ignore a chronic dog bark. So unless you have some really extenuating circumstance surrounding your dog and his barking, do your neighbors a favor and zip it.

Dogs bark for a myriad of reasons, so rather than just punishing your dog, see if you can find out what the underlying problem is. Trust me, it is easier to address the cause than to simply try to modify the behavior. In extreme cases I have seen people have their dog put to sleep or debarked when they are at their wits end, and I am always a little sad when this is the solution to the problem.

Dogs bark when they are defensive. When your dog is frightened or just protecting his territory, he will bark at an intruder. This kind of barking actually can be encouraged depending on your dog’s definition of an intruder. If every bird and squirrel is an intruder, you may have a bit of a problem. However, if there is a creepy guy with a ski mask sneaking in your back door, well, I guess you still have a bit of a problem. It makes the first problem not look so terrible, doesn’t it?

The squirrel and the birds become entertainment when your dog has too much energy, so grab that leash and hit the trails. Take your dog for a run, a walk or a bike ride, and you will be amazed at the transformation that you see. Tired dogs sleep, and that is much better than barking. As for the creepy guy sneaking in the back door, I think this may also be an excellent time to grab that leash and take a run with your dog --- to the police station!

If your dog is defending his territory against a perceived intruder like the postal carrier then you want to interrupt his barking with a loud noise (like shaking a soda can with some pennies in it) and redirecting his behavior. Have him sit and stay, and it is absolutely fair to reinforce this behavior with a treat. If your postal carrier comes at the same time every day try to plan a training session for that time, so that it may even be possible for you to have his attention before he misbehaves.

If your dog is barking because he is simply bored, of course take him for a run a couple of times a day before you try anything else. Then you can try capturing his attention other ways by switching his toys every few days to keep him interested, or if your dog is food driven try hiding treats in the toys. If your dog loves to chew, you can also keep a couple of large butcher bones in the freezer and occupy his attention with one of those as a really nice surprise.

When all else fails, you can always try using an anti-bark spray collar. These collars spay a light mist in front of the dog’s nose with an unpleasant smell. Between the mist, the hiss and the unpleasant smell most dogs quickly get the message.

So be kind to your neighbors even if they have not complained about your dog. If you notice that his is barking at an inappropriate time, be proactive before he is working on your last nerve.

Dr. Susan Wright, a licensed veterinarian, writes on various canine topics for dogfencediy.com, which provides do-it-yourself underground electric dog fencing solutions and training for owners.

Hammacher Schlemmer's pre-Xmas gift catalog has a lot of gizmos for pet owners, including an indoor barking deterrent thingy. There are few things as annoying as a dog that barks incessantly.

Keenser in Star Trek (2009) movie

This little guy on the left, a critter introduced in the new Star Trek movie, is cute cute cute! It's the eyes that made it so. Those tiny lights set in deep dark sockets are a stroke of genius, capturing perfectly the loyalty, attentiveness and ineffable twinkle in every dog's eyes.

Loved the movie too. The characters were remarkably credible versions of the originals, Spock and Kirk in particular, and the effects were stunning, with the exception of the hand to hand combat which was sloppy, hard to follow and generally unconvincing. Maybe it's just me but fighting on the edge of a precipice is simply not entertaining, especially when repeated over and over again.

Read more about Keenser, Starfleet engineer and sidekick to Mongomery Scott (Scotty) during their solitary duty at a Starfleet outpost on Delta Vega, later reunited on the USS Enterprise after the defeat of the rogue Romulan ship, the Narada, piloted by the vengeful Nero.

Big Dogs, leadership in Canadian politics

Man can now fly in the air like a bird, swim under the ocean like a fish, he can burrow in the ground like a mole. Now if only he could walk the earth like a man, this would be paradise.
- Tommy Douglas

[Robert Bateman book bag: source]

This post is not about dog behavior. It's about people behaving like dogs, in politics, in Canadian politics more particularly.

First off, a little background about dominance, in animals. According to the American Dog Trainers Network, there's a difference between dominance and aggression, though the two traits can overlap. "While a dominant dog likes to control their pack, the aggressive dog takes it one step further, using threats and/or actual aggression to gain and keep control."

Here in Canada, Mr. Harper is not merely dominant but has shown tendencies towards aggression, in particular his random cuts to the arts only weeks before the election and more recently his attempt to cut funding to political parties, a step that would have virtually destroyed the opposition for the foreseeable future. In both cases, small amounts of public money were at stake, indicating the cuts were symbolic, threats intended to assert Mr. Harper's status as the Big Dog.

Dominance, unlike aggression, is an ever nuanced thing, particularly as you go up the evolutionary ladder, to the primates. How familiar does this sound?

"In a deeply political species like the chimpanzee, the similarities to social behaviors of the rich become even more pronounced. Chimpanzees are masters of social networking, with a Machiavellian knack for developing friendships and building political alliances. Prominent individuals practice a kind of noblesse oblige; they seem to understand that sharing food and other resources is a way to accumulate prestige and the support of lower-ranking individuals.

"Like the rich, chimpanzees also know the value of putting on the right face. In his book Chimpanzee Politics, Frans de Waal recounts the spectacle of a dominant male named Luit being challenged from behind by a rival. Before turning to meet his challenger, Luit paused, like a CEO about to enter a roomful of dissident stockholders, and actually reached up with his fingers to press his lips together and wipe away his nervous grin. Then he faced down his rival with the serene image of unshakable power." - The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide, by Richard Conniff

While Stephen Harper is clearly the alpha Big Dog in Canadian politics at the moment, it's also clear that he is struggling on the evolutionary ladder; he's uncertain about what noblesse oblige is or what use it might be, and struggles to wipe the conceited grin off his face before television interviews. One can imagine how maddening this must be for the other Big Dogs on the scene, his political rivals, who are expecting a more sophisticated kind of alpha behavior.

If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch."
-Romney adviser Warren Tompkins to ABC's Jake Tapper

The problem for the other pack leaders is you can't stay on the porch. Thus, we had Jack Layton's campaign strategy putting him forward as a pack leader, then after the post-election fiasco in which the Big Dog threatened to cut the pack off from their food bowls, Stephan Dion, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe formed a coalition of packs; now we have a new BD on the scene: Michael Ignatieff sniffing Stephen Harper's butt.

The thing about Big Dogs is they can act as conciliatory as they want. Like Luit, Stephen Harper can appear magnanimous, granting audiences to just about anyone who asks, but at the end of the day, he will do as he decides, not because he is right, but because he is the Big Dog.

People recognize a BD when they see one; emotionally they rank the BD within his or her own pack and then rank the pack among other packs, and then even rank themselves, choosing pack and leader, or more likely, leader and pack. That would seem to be how the last two elections have played out.

Frankly, given that two minority governments have resulted, Canadians seem to be either not in the mood for a Big Dog or are having trouble figuring out what to do with the BD that has strayed into the dog park. In any event, it looks like there's going to be a lot more butt-sniffing and teeth-baring and hair-raising before we're done.

Whether we see any of the BDs standing up and walking on two legs remains to be seen. In the meantime, this butt-sniffing advice from venture capitalist Mike Lyons might serve everyone best:

"Get undressed quickly."
- Mike Lyons, Venture Capitalist

And finally, a great description of successful leadership:

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists. Less good when they obey and acclaim him. Worse when they fear and despise him. Fail to honor people and they fail to honor you. But of a good leader, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say: 'We did this ourselves.' "
— Former U.S. Senator Alan Cranston [source]

This is too good not to blog immediately. On CBC TV (that's Canada dude!) a short bit by a comedian about how a heckler was put in his place by the bouncer... I'll try not to ruin it for you, the bit's not posted yet, but it should be shortly.

Best Story Ever on CBC TV

So, where was the bouncer for Michael Richards (a.k.a. Kramer)???

Which might lead us to a "society for the prevention of cruelty to hecklers"...
(not to wade into the fukc'n fray or nothin).

imho Kramer's hair still rocks!