karmadogs.org Blog

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.