karmadogs.org Blog

I wish the media, or those who play with it, would realize the effect it has on others and consider what they say before they say it. When the media constantly links Pit Bulls to violent, fighting, danger-beasts by using language like “Pit Bull tough” – it perpetuates the thought in society that Pits are not wonderful family pets. It is saying that instead, they are animals who deserve to participate in the barbaric dog fighting ring. It’s the little sayings that slip by us every day unnoticed that make me crazy. It’s those little things that help build a foundation of our lexicon.

Which brings me to Dave Ramsey and his comments on Good Morning America today. Dave was raving, in his usual style, about trimming the fat from your life to pay off debt (good idea). He commented that he has white collar workers parking cars to pay off debt (you’re supposed to pay off your debt) and that people need to get rid of things: the boat! the credit cards! the cat! the dog!

WHOA. Settle down, Mr. Ramsey.

Please. Before giving people the o.k. to get rid of their family pets, how about suggesting they get rid of their cell phone, cable television, dvrs, rims, jewelry, home internet access, flat screen televisions and Playstations? All of that can be replaced, when the time is right. But the family pet can’t. In fact, surrendering your pet to a shelter right now is playing roulette with their lives. Shelters all over the country are overflowing with pets people can no longer afford to feed and care for. Our local shelters in Baltimore are packed to the brim with unwanted pets and, I can only assume, that euthanasia rates are higher than usual. People are not adopting. There is a shortage of available homes.

These are trying times. Resources are growing scant and Dave Ramsey has tons of great ideas. I just ask you, Mr. Ramsey, think about the language you use before going on television and telling people to surrender their pets. I know you get carried away, but please, think a little bit about the lives of those you suggest we throw away to save a few bucks a month. People are obviously listening to you, so please do your part.

Karma Dogs have spent the last two days hanging out at Port Discovery as part of their November Discovery Days. The dogs were on hand to say hi to kids and to give them a chance to have a positive interaction with a friendly dog. We had such a great time! Several children seemed to make real contact with the dogs. One child, who appeared to be autistic, interacted for several minutes with Cleo, a Coton. He even went as far as to move Cleo’s head to make eye contact, which his teachers thought was highly unusual. It was great to see kids open up to the dogs, even if it was just for a few minutes. The best part for me? Having kids we have met over the last two years come up to us and say hi. It is so much fun to see the kids meet up with dogs they have worked with in the past. It was especially fun to see the kids from the Children’s Guild! Thanks to the volunteers who helped out and to the museum for allowing us to take part in Discovery Days.

President Elect Obama was asked in a press conference today what kind of dog he would like to get. Malia is allergic, so a poodle or golden doodle was suggested by variety of people. There are several dogs who may be a good choice for someone with allergies. But what was interesting about the press conference was that he mentioned he had hoped to adopt a dog from a shelter. Shelters are FULL of puppies and dogs that may be good for someone with allergies. Golden Doodles for instance, end up in shelters often because people don’t realize how active they are. Plus, about 25% of all dogs in a shelter are purebreds. Which brings us to the most unexpected thing President Elect Obama said. He referred to himself as a “mutt”, like the dogs in shelters. While some take offense that he would call himself a mutt, I see it another way. Mutts are wonderful dogs who deserve to be celebrated for what makes them different and unique. It is exciting to me to see someone who celebrates what makes us different, instead of encouraging everyone to fit into the same mold.

Are you a pack leader? Can you lead like one? Need help? You are in luck- Nat Geo’s Cesar Millan has just released a 3 dvd set, Lead Like Cesar that teaches you to become the leader of your own pack. According to Cesar, if you feed your dog before yourself or follow the dog out the door, your dog is leading you. The dvd box set is currently available on his website, along with a special dvd Tool Kit and Illusion collar for $100, plus shipping. However,for one lucky winner Karma Dogs has the 3 DVD set available for $1!

Donate $1 (or more) to Karma Dogs between now and November 26th via paypal to enter to win a copy of the dvd box set (sorry, no bonus dvd or collar). At the end of November, we will select one transaction (by transaction number) to be the winner.

Next up, Dirk and I will review the entire box set. And I promise, we will have opinions!

Update: Please note this box set is not appropriate for gifting, as the plastic as been torn.

Or at least his ad agency likes us. I am not sure how we even got on his radar, but they contacted us to review their new dvd set, Lead Like Cesar.

I purchased his first dvd when it first came out years ago. It was basically a video taped seminar, with lots of useful information. I like the show, for the most part, and think he can be really helpful in curbing bad dog owners. However, disclaimer or no disclaimer, I do wish Cesar would never mention a few things again:

Alpha Rolls: This is where you roll the dog over and hold them on their back so you are showing the dog you are in charge. Why is this bad? Bullying a dog is no way to teach them who is boss. Sure, they may like you now, but wait until later and their play for power involves their teeth. Plus, it is an easy way to get hurt. There are much better ways to be the pack leader than to alpha roll your pal.

Flooding: This is where you teach a dog to not be afraid of something by “flooding” them with whatever scares them. Sure, they may get over the shiny floors, but you may get hurt in the process. And you are certainly asking for trouble if you skateboard over your dog’s head to show he is no longer afraid of wheels. Gradually shaping a dog’s behavior to accept certain things is a safer way to go.

Telling people to use treadmills: Cesar himself now knows how easily it is for a dog to become injured if left on a treadmill unsupervised. Take your dog for a good, old fashioned walk.

Those things aside, Cesar has a lot of good points. People often think their pets are children and they aren’t. Being a strong pack leader is a great way to show your dogs that you love them. Teaching people how dogs interpret us humans is wonderful. Plus I do love watching his show.

The best part? After I weigh in with my final opinion of his new DVD set, I have one to raffle off to help raise money for Karma Dogs. In the mean time, I am ready to sit down with Dirk and watch all 3.5 hours of Lead Like Cesar. We’ll let you know what we think!

Today was the BARCStoberfest, a festival in Patterson Park that benefitted BARCS, a shelter downtown. In case you haven’t noticed, Baltimore has a lot of pit bulls. They are everywhere. Today at the festival was no different. They were all over the place- dressed in tutus, as angels, bugs, pumpkins, lambs and superheros. They were amazing! Not one of them snarled, snapped or even barked at other dogs. And there were a lot of other dogs at the festival! Any dog could have been hard pressed to keep their wits about them with all of the strange sights and smells and dogs everywhere. I had a great vantage point too, right next to all of the food vendors. I did not see one Pit misbehave. Most of the dogs were excellently behaved. Only a few acted up and that was probably due to the bad owners at the end of the long flexi-leashes who were ignoring their pooches. Good job Baltimore Pit Owners! Thanks for showing people the true personality of the breed!

A designer friend of mine is reworking the Karma Dogs shirts to update them. When working on the design, she came up with a great iconic way to say Karma Dog- the two Chinese Characters that represent Karma and a doggie paw. I then found a silversmith artist in Texas who makes amazing jewelry. The result? A totally unique, two sided pendent. I just got the first one in over the weekend and people are already stopping me asking where I got it. Check it out for yourself at here. Help spread the good karma and look great doing it!

Karma Dogs is getting ready to kick off it’s big Fall reading program at four libraries in the upcoming months. Crazy? Yes! Previously, we have only done 2 at a time, but so many people asked, we couldn’t say no. So now we need volunteers to help with programs at North Point, Woodlawn, Aberdeen and Catonsville. You can volunteer without a dog or with one. You do need to have your dog evaluated before they can begin therapy work. Our next evaluation will be on September 8th. For more info on how to help, please check out the volunteer section of our website.

I am currently in New Mexico with Karma Dogs Super OT, Melissa Winkle. We have been spending time hanging out, talking dogs and shopping- quite the great combo, especially when ice-cream is added to the equation. Melissa also trains assistance dogs for Assistance Dogs of the West and has two assistance dogs in training living with her right now. She has four wonderful dogs total- Jessie, AJ, Melvin and Otis. AJ and Otis will eventually be placed with someone who needs their assistance, but for now are learning the ropes here at Melissa’s house. And since I am staying with Melissa and her husband, I should have known I would have helpers.

Here is Tasha barking. This is only remarkable because generally no one knew that Tasha, the quietest Karma Dog ever, can bark or howl. It just hadn’t really been heard before. After 1 week with Dirk, Elliott and Ernie, Tasha is a new woman. And let me tell you, she has a lot to say. All of the time. Here is a small sample. You heard it here first. She is the newly thinner dog in the middle who is all black.