Good Luck To You!

In the past month, on our daily walks through the neighbourhood, we've been meeting so many new puppies.

All owned by young couples, who've purchased their first starter homes in preparation for their future family. Along with that follows the prerequisite puppy.

It's heart-warming to watch the attention they devote to their new four-pawed baby as they teach it to walk on a leash, proudly introducing it to any passerby who comments on the cuteness scale of said new baby (puppy).

One couple who introduced me to their new charge explained they got the pup as practise before starting their human family.

Don't get a puppy unless you're ready to have a baby. That's my suggestion. The only difference is -a baby will grow up!

As far as care, time and energy expelled goes-there's not much difference.

There's the early morning and late night schedule, there's care during the day while you're at work. There's rousing yourself out of bed on what used to be those lazy-stay-in-bed Sunday mornings. Throwing on your hat, snow boots, gloves, jacket and scarf in under one minute and heading out in blizzard conditions cause 'baby' just has to go now (at least you can diaper a baby!!).

No more meeting with friends for a drink/dinner and a movie after work on Friday to celebrate another work week over. Nope-you'll be racing home hoping you can get there before much more damage can be done to the pups newest chew-toy-your leather sofa.

And what of the three-week vacation and family reunion plans? Which of your friends will be good enough to come and take up residence for the duration?

Or will you choose to kennel your baby? (which I never suggest) If so-which kennel? How much will the daily cost of kenneling cut into your poolside margarita allowance?

How will you choose the kennel? How does one choose who they can trust the care of their baby to without checking references?

What if baby is sick and needs medical attention to the tune of $2500.00? Or needs someone at home during the day for a week? He/she is not covered under your medical benefits (at least not the last time I checked).

There's a good reason to invest in pet insurance. Take heart though, insurance shouldn't cost more monthly than the drinks/dinner and movie you won't be enjoying anymore on a Friday night!

Not to forget the daily dog-walker you will need for the first year, until puppy has matured enough to be able to wait, legs crossed, for the moment you return home.

You can quickly change out of one of the few suits or dresses you have that aren't covered with dog hair and take baby out for some socializing (even though all you really feel like doing is slipping into a luxurious bubble bath or changing clothes and heading off for a quick game of tennis before turning on the BBQ.).

Nope-unless you're ready to have a baby...don't think getting a puppy is going to be any easier!

When all is said and done--your new sofa has been purchased and the carpeting has been replaced....when you realize you needed to buy a closet-full of new shoes and boots anyway...when years later, you look into your old friend's eyes as he/she gazes up at you with complete trust, as if you are the most wonderful person the world has ever known, you'll know all that work and devotion was worth it!

Good luck to all the brave people who choose to welcome a four-pawed baby into their busy lives!

Stick with it--it'll be one of the most fulfilling experiences of your life!

An Indefensible Act

Early morning on the beach is wonderful!! The sun glistening on the water, heating up the sand.... a couple of miles of shoreline to run and play on-what dog could ask for more?

I try to get to the beach everyday, not just for my dog's sake but it's good for the soul. Balances me. I relax and appreciate the beauty nature has to offer. I enjoy this special time with my dog, while I laugh at her antics and appreciate her performances, whether it's clearing the shore of geese or chasing full-speed after imaginary prey, I am 'in the moment' with her.

As we shared time yesterday morning, strolling down the beach, I was brought back to reality when I heard someone calling. I looked up to see a police officer pointing at me, telling me to 'leave the area.'

I knew we weren't supposed to be on the beach since the by-law enforcers were ordered to start ticketing any dog owners who were on the sand earlier in the spring but they were on strike along with the CU PE 416 union here in Toronto.

I assumed I was about to get a ticket from a police officer but she wasn't coming toward me. She and another officer, along with two other people were huddled around a volleyball post. I kept walking but leashed my girl.

The officer called over to me again, telling me to 'walk the other way-get away from the area.'

I complied...slowly, readying my camera for what I wasn't sure.

We deeked around behind some bushes on the boardwalk and studied the situation more closely.

I saw they were surrounding two Akita/German Shepherd mixes.

These dogs were heavyweights. Well-muscled and frantic. They had hog poles around their necks and they were giving their captors a rough time.

After they secured the dogs in the Animal Service van, I approached them and asked what had happened.

Apparently, the dogs had been abandoned there-tied up on a foot of leash to a volleyball pole and left. They had been there quite awhile-perhaps even over-night--they were frightened, thirsty and hungry.

Our walk had taken a sour turn and as Journey and I made our way home, I wondered what kind of person-what situation would lead anyone to behave in such a heartless manner toward an animal who trusted them.

If these dogs were abandoned due to financial stress, any number of rescue clubs and services are always available with a phone call. Abandoning is an indefensible act!

I'll never get used to just how low some humans can stoop. Any lower and they can just slither along the ground with the lowly snake.

UPDATE on 'The Difference is in the Details' Post

Just an update on my post, 'The Difference is in the Details.'

I've received quite a few comments re this post and thought I'd share them in case some people are too busy to go in and open a google account to post or read thoughts/comments.

Some of the comments have come to me via email, some unfortunately I can't post as they are far too descriptive as to what they would do to this breeder. I wouldn't feel right sullying my blog with some of those words. (Although I agree with the writers' thoughts and ideas!)

This poor dog, unfortunately, due to the ignorance of the person who bought it, has been returned to the same puppy miller!!!

When you add to this puppy farmer, a broker interested only in the dollars and a person gullible enough to put money into their hands, it's always and only the dog who suffers.


This poor dog didn't have a chance from day one, being brought into the world by someone who looks at this beautiful, majestic and most noble breed as nothing more than a commodity.

Here are the comments:

***Yes. This guy is Dale Tucker of Danefleet.He is a sick and demented man who harasses women as well.***

***Excellent article on "Dale"***

***It makes me so sick .I just wish that someone will actually do something this time***

***With the copy at the bottom of the picture, this picture would surely win an award. Good stuff!***

***Well said, Deborah! As always, I admire your fearlessness to tell it like it is.....***

***Great Job Deborah. Sad to see...Another famous place to obtain these poor dogs is the pet store... ***

***He shouldn't even be allowed to own dogs. Good for you for finally exposing him for what he is.***

I will be updating on any and all news to do with this case. when I get info.

Loose Wires

When I opened my front door this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a brand new dog toy laying on the mat.

Some well-meaning person had purchased a rope toy for my girl, or 'the beast' as she is affectionately known around the neighbourhood. It's not the first time I've received gifts for my dogs in this manner-left by a friend or neighbour as they've passed by.

A ball with a braided rope attached to it-made for a medium-sized dog. It's difficult for folks who are unfamiliar with the giants to gauge the size of toy or bones a Great Dane can safely play with. What a Golden Retriever or German Shepherd owner refers to as a large bone or large toy can become something too small and unsafe for the enormous mouths of a giant breed.

This gift wasn't in a bag or the manufacturer's wrapping, which didn't concern me as most of the dog toys at the local pet stores hang on display on pegs. The person who performed this act of kindness had carefully cut off the tags, readying it for my girl to enjoy.

I offered the new treasure to Journey as she lay patiently on her bed waiting for me to finish getting ready for our morning walk. She was delighted and started to inspect it immediately.

Five minutes later I was ready to leave. I waited at the door with leash in hand and she appeared, still holding her new treasure in her mouth. I agreed to take it with us but when I pulled it from her mouth, I saw traces of blood on the rope.

Then I noticed blood seeping from a little cut at the corner of her lip.

Dropping my girl's leash, I knelt down to check her over. Once I determined the cut was minor (it was a long way from her heart!), I hurried into the kitchen to examine the source of the problem--the ball-on-a-rope toy.

Needless to say, Journey was now concerned with why I was 'playing' with her toy in the kitchen, while she stood at the door with leash on, waiting to go out.

The tennis ball was connected to the braided rope by two pieces of fine metal wire. Very shabby workmanship. (sure hope this manufacturer isn't making baby toys too!!) The wires weren't even embedded in the rope, they were wrapped around it and hidden by electrical tape wound around them.

I was able to remove what was left of the electrical tape easily with my hands-as well as pull the wires from around the rope.

By now, Journey was studying me with concern, wondering why I was 'ruining' her perfectly good (albeit dangerous) treasure.

All was not lost as I grabbed the rope part and we were off on our walk. (I, sporting a few more white hairs!)

She would get to play with part of her new toy.

I checked with the two local pet shops in our area and it was with great relief I found neither sell this particular brand of rope toy.

I can only assume it comes from a dollar store. I will ferret out the manufacturer of this dangerous piece of garbage and have a conversation with them.

Had the wire loosened while Journey chewed on the toy...had she swallowed it, I'm not sure surgery would have been enough to save her, had she not choked on it, it surely would have punctured an artery or some organ.

Take the time to check every toy carefully. Don't just assume because a pet store sells it, it's safe and please don't purchase any toys from dollar stores.

We were fortunate--this story could have had a very different ending!

The Difference is in the Details

So--I receive an email with images of a starving, sickly, scared and badly scarred Great Dane. I (and everyone else who was sent these pics) am appalled at the state this poor dog is in. I'm informed the 'breeder' of this dog is under investigation by one of the SPCA's.

Unfortunately, I'm all too familiar with the breeder (and I use the term here very loosely!). Many of us, who truely love the breed and work toward breeding healthier Danes with greater longevity--that is-not just for profit, have been concerned with this person's lack of ethics and knowledge for some years now.

He breeds Great Danes in the Wainfleet, Ontario area.

Sometimes the line between a reputable breeder and a puppy miller appears to be a fine one. Murky gray as opposed to crisp black and white.

By definition, a puppy mill is a large-scale breeding operation that produces large numbers of puppies for profit. The owners are many times unconcerned with health checks or breeding their 'best' animals-more often than not they don't do any health checks and they breed any animal of breeding age, not once or twice in it's lifetime but every time it comes into season throughout the animals life until, in the dog's twilight years, no longer able to produce puppies, it's simply 'disposed of' with no more thought given it than disposing of an old, bald tire.

These vermin give no thought to the animal's well-being, only their own profit. They are unethical in every sense of the word.

Most puppy millers don't go to the added expense of registering their litters and individual pups with the governing organization for purebred dog registry's...here in Canada, it's the Canadian Kennel Club (each country has it's own national registry).

This man does register his puppies, last time anyone checked....but that's about the extent of his care (after all a registered dog brings a better dollar!).

He also uses a broker...

A broker is a person in the world of breeding, who mediates between a buyer and a seller--the middleman, who is paid a percentage of the profit from a sale. A breeder employs a broker when they need a party to hide behind--for various reasons.

Their interest is purely financial, as is the interest of the breeder using them.

What ethical breeder wouldn't belong to a provincial breed club or the National breed club of their chosen breed?

This man, (who was mentored by a woman who was also a puppy miller-who showed no compassion to the poor dogs and would joke about abusing them!) is persona non gratis in both of the clubs representing Great Danes here in Ontario!!

What ethical breeder would out-source the selling of their puppies?? What breeder worth their salt would not want to represent themselves, meet potential puppy owners and personally check references??

This person who doesn't care about where his dogs end up-doesn't give them another thought after the money has changed hands, has no business referring to himself as a 'breeder.'

Unfortunately, he is not the only person in our breed who is guilty of these practices. He is one we know though and we can only hope Revenue Canada and the SPCA investigations will bare fruit.

We are onto him-and will spread the word whenever, however we can. It certainly is 'buyer beware' where his Great Dane care and management is concerned! If you're looking for a Great Dane, do yourself a favour--stay away from a broker in the Hamilton area and a breeder in the Wainfleet area.

It's Your Responsibility

As we make our way over to the off-leash area, I do a quick check to see which dogs are in the enclosure.

There are three dogs at this end of the fenced-in area. One is conscious of our approach-a small mixed breed (I like to call them-Canadian Classics). He has approached the fence and is running back and forth barking at us. It's a contagious energy, as the other two-medium-sized dogs, who've now been alerted to a situation, are dutifully following behind the self-proclaimed leader of the pack, wondering what all the fuss is about.

I'm surprised Mighty-Mutt's owner isn't concerned with all the vocalizing and fence-aggression the dog's displaying but then I realize-the owner probably isn't aware there's anything wrong with this kind of 'welcome.'

The three dogs have gathered at the gate. Before I open the door, I tell them all to sit. The medium-sized dogs comply-the smaller one is in quite a frenzied state, frantic to be the first one to get acquainted with my girl. I wait.

This shouldn't be my responsibility! The owner of the dog is watching from a distance, still in conversation with the other dog owners...he half-heartedly calls the dog once, then returns to the conversation.

Some fancy footwork is necessary as I squeeze through the gate to ensure the little dog doesn't escape. I then invite my girl in.

Journey respectfully stands still, head held high, tail in a playful greeting, until the dogs have made their introductions.

A play-stance from the beagle and three of them are off--chasing, dodging one another and whipping around the bushes. Not Mighty Mutt though...

He is now chasing at my girl's heels, nipping and just generally being obnoxious-the pack is out of control in his opinion. He's striving for dominance. The others are paying him no attention.

Two times during play, Journey has stopped, turned to the little dog and told him to 'back off' by way of a growl. ( 'Can't you see I'm playing, I'm not interested in your energy, leave my hocks alone!!'). He's not deterred.

Before it escalates any further, I step in and leash my dog and we leave the immediate area. I look back and see the two medium-sized dogs playing while Mighty Mutt continues to bark us away.

I could have stayed and let the scene play itself out but instead, as pack leader, I chose not to allow a confrontation. Why the other owners were not hands-on in this mini-drama, I don't know. I do know there are far too many owners who aren't in-tune with their dogs, especially in a social setting where multiple personalities (both canine and human) are at play.

If you see your dog displaying anti-social behavior it's your responsibility to rein him in. Don't leave it for another owner to deal with. Don't call it 'cute' and please don't make excuses for the behavior!

Teach your dog! Know your dog!!