Sunday, May 22, 2011

Waiting Patiently

Hey...I'm a size large and made for a big dog. Astrid, the dog that owns this place (our ArtFire studio), is a big dog, but she says she has some patriotic stuff of her own already and would rather someone bought me so she could send the money to her former shelter. She says they don't have all that much down in Santa Cruz Humane Society in Nogales, AZ where she orginally came from.

Astrid agreed to slip me on for a few minutes to show you what I look like. It felt so good to be around a warm and fuzzy canine neck! Guess I'm relegated, though, to sitting on the shelf until some dog notices me and barks 'oh yeah....I want those words FREEDOM, LIBERTY and JUSTICE around my neck as the patriotic holiday season approaches. 

Yes...I'm red, white and blue and will be waiting on the shelf if you want me. Not to be pushy or anything but there is only one of me left.  Oh, and if your dog isn't quite as big as I am? My little sibling...same collar, was  made for a smaller dog with a 12 to 14 inch neck... would be great.

Know what else would be great? If you 'liked' our page on Facebook. While Astrid's mom sells bandanas and collars raising money for Astrid's shelter shelter, that's not all we bark over there. We love training, and helping rescues get the world out about the kinds of things they are doing to help animals, as we share what is new in our Etsy shop and ArtFire Studio...and lots more.


Thursday, May 12, 2011

Fido's Manners Matter

That expression says it all! Miss Sugar Cookie has just read in the book Miss Fido Manners that she isn't supposed to bark out the window all the time. Your dog doesn't have to be a graduate of Miss Fido Manners school of charm to become a welcome member of the community.




Astrid is about to study her own copy of the book. She (and we!) know that learning a few 'meet and greet' skills for when she is out in public makes a big difference. Learning is a never ending fun experience.












Here, Astrid enjoys music on the patio of a very dog friendly Earth Fare store. We are lucky here in North Carolina. Restaurants with patios allow pets to dine along with their people, at the discretion of the restaurant owner of course. If the issue of dogs on patios ever comes up in your community, let your local officials know that a 'yes' vote is important to you and that you plan to vote in the next election.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Proud To Be A Canine Good Citizen

We adopted Astrid on December 28, 2006 and that following May we moved to Charlotte, NC. At that point, I was totally unfamiliar with BSL - Breed Specific Legislation. When it comes to BSL and a dog's temperament, there are all kinds of opinions out there but the facts are that a dog's temperment is determined by the nurturing and training methods used. 

I quickly became aware of Breed Specific Legislation when we were denied insurance for the house we rented while looking for the home we wanted to buy. Astrid had been labeled a Rottweiler at the shelter and Rottweilers were discriminated against by our first choice of insurance companies. Being unaware of the magnitude of the BSL issue, I didn't take it seriously at that point but started to do a little research. Turned out, BSL is everywhere usually starting out with a dog bite incident that is sensationalized by the media spreading fear throughout a community. 

Immediately, Astrid and I took action. Yes, we absolutely understood that Astrid will be judged by her color. Even though she is a mix of 'who knows what' and about 20 to 60 pounds lighter that a Rottweiler...she will be labeled such because of her black with brown markings. Our very first course of action was to show that Astrid and most Rottweilers are good companions and community members. We discovered the AKC Canine Good Citizen  program and learned the requirements. Having fun with the training required, that following year Astrid became an AKC Canine Good Citizen proving that she meets the program's standards for being a good member of her family and community.

An excellent, common sense approach to the dangers of Breed Specific Legislation can be found at 'NO BUTS ABOUT BSL...Stand Up & Help Stop Breed Discrmination.

Many dogs sport the same colors. Here's just a few that show a striking resemblence to Astrid's own colors...and no, that last picture is not Astrid. It appears to be that wonderful breed called 'All Mixed Up'.










Thursday, May 5, 2011

Freeze



We don't think of Astrid's concentration skills as a 'trick' but I guess in many ways it is. If our dogs won't pay attention to us, how can we ever teach them the fun stuff? This one...that we call 'freeze'...is something we play anytime and anywhere, even when out on a walk. Today, Astrid was having trouble with the number 5.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Today, Astrid choose Sunflowers for her Sunday Therapy Dog visit.