Dog Training: Animal Experts Debunk the Alpha-Dog Myth

By JENINNE LEE-ST. JOHN Jeninne Lee-st. John – Fri Jul 30, 7:20 am ET
Dogs are descended from wolves. Wolves live in hierarchical packs in which the aggressive alpha male rules over everyone else. Therefore, humans need to dominate their pet dogs to get them to behave.

This logic has dominated the canine-rearing conversation for more than five years, thanks mostly to National Geographic's award-winning show, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. (See photos of a real-life hotel for dogs.)

But many experts say Millan's philosophy is based on now-debunked animal studies and that some of his techniques - most famously the alpha roll, in which he pins a dog on its back and holds it by the throat - are downright cruel. Rival trainer Victoria Stilwell has launched a competitive assault on Dog Whisperer by starring on Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog and by spreading her system of positive-reinforcement training virtually and with troops on the ground: this June she launched a podcast (available on positively.com and iTunes) and franchised her methods to a first batch of 20 dog trainers in the U.S., the U.K., Italy and Greece. She uses positivity as a counterpoint to dominance theory and reserves her aggression for the poorly behaving humans.

For complete article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100730/hl_time/08599200725000

Rare Cross between and zebra and a donkey

Four-day-old Zedonk, rare cross
A four-day-old Zedonk, a rare cross between a zebra and a donkey, stands next to her mother at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Lumpkin County, Ga. Monday July 26, 2010. The director of the preserve says it is the first time in 40 years that a zedonk has been born there.

Salem, Oregon Dog Parks

Salem, Oregon has Dog Parks with maps and descriptions provided. Search by zip code or add in dog parks to find the best dog friendly location for your travels.

http://www.dogparkusa.com/parks/OR/Salem

Oregon Dog Parks

Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site
Bullards Beach State Park
Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park
D River State Recreation Site
Ecola State Park
Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area
Harris Beach State Park
Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint
Hug Point State Recreation Site
McVay Rock State Recreation Site
Minto Brown Island Park Off Leash Dog Area
Nehalem Bay State Park
Orchard Heights Park Off Leash Dog Area
Oregon State Parks and BeachesOswald West State Park
Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint
Roads End State Recreation Site
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor
Keizer Dog Park

Horse sayings

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. ~Winston Churchill


Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. ~W.C. Fields


Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground. ~Author Unknown


It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall. ~Mexican Proverb


The wagon rests in winter, the sleigh in summer, the horse never. ~Yiddish Proverb


Many people have sighed for the 'good old days' and regretted the 'passing of the horse,' but today, when only those who like horses own them, it is a far better time for horses. ~C.W. Anderson


No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. ~Winston Churchill


People on horses look better than they are. People in cars look worse than they are. ~Marya Mannes


Horses and children, I often think, have a lot of the good sense there is in the world. ~Josephine Demott Robinson


It's always been and always will be the same in the world: The horse does the work and the coachman is tipped. ~Author Unknown


Heaven is high and earth wide. If you ride three feet higher above the ground than other men, you will know what that means. ~Rudolf C. Binding


He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots.
~Author Unknown


The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears. ~Arabian Proverb


Ah, steeds, steeds, what steeds! Has the whirlwind a home in your manes? Is there a sensitive ear, alert as a flame, in your every fiber? Hearing the familiar song from above, all in one accord you strain your bronze chests and, hooves barely touching the ground, turn into straight lines cleaving the air, and all inspired by God it rushes on! ~Nikolai V. Gogol, Dead Souls, 1842, translated from Russian (above is combination of translations by Bernard Guildert Guerney, Richard Peaver, and Larisa Voloklonsky)


To ride a horse is to ride the sky. ~Author Unknown


There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse. ~Robert Smith Surtees, "Chapter XXX: Bolting the Badger," Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour, 1853


A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open. ~Gerald Raferty


I bless the hoss from hoof to head -
From head to hoof, and tale to mane! -
I bless the hoss, as I have said,
From head to hoof, and back again!
~James Whitcomb Riley


Horses are uncomfortable in the middle and dangerous at both ends. ~Attributed to both Christopher Stone and Ian Fleming


It's a lot like nuts and bolts - if the rider's nuts, the horse bolts! ~Nicholas Evans


A lovely horse is always an experience.... It is an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words. ~Beryl Markham


I can always tell which is the front end of a horse, but beyond that, my art is not above the ordinary. ~Mark Twain


The horses paw and prance and neigh,
Fillies and colts like kittens play,
And dance and toss their rippled manes
Shining and soft as silken skeins;...
~Oliver Wendell Holmes


...I heard a neigh. Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh as that was! My very heart leaped with delight at the sound. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Chimæra," A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, 1852 (about Pegasus)


A thousand horse and none to ride! -
With flowing tail, and flying mane,
Wide nostrils never stretched by pain,
Mouths bloodless to the bit or rein,
And feet that iron never shod,
And flanks unscarred by spur or rod,
A thousand horse, the wild, the free,
Like waves that follow o'er the sea,
Came thickly thundering on,...
~Lord Byron, XVII, Mazeppa, 1818


A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence. ~Pam Brown


The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire. ~Sharon Ralls Lemon


All I pay my psychiatrist is the cost of feed and hay, and he'll listen to me any day. ~Author Unknown

The importance of a pet adoption fee (not buying)

Why pay a pet adoption fee?
It may be tempting to look for a free pet in your local classifieds rather than pay a pet adoption donation. But the reality is, no pet is free: You'll be responsible for her vet care, food and supplies for the rest of her life (see more information on the annual costs of pet ownership). Pet adoption fees vary by organization, but often cover the basic veterinary care you would have to pay for with your "free" pet.

Where does my adoption fee go?
Ask the rescue group, but fees usually include:

•Spaying/neutering $150-300
•Distemper vaccination $20-30 x2
•Rabies vaccination $15-25
•Heartworm test $15-35
•Flea/tick treatment $50-200
•Microchip $50
Another note on "free" pets
Unfortunately, individuals who do not have a pet's best interests in mind often scour classifieds for "free to a good home" ads. Therefore it's recommended that anyone seeking to rehome a pet request an adoption fee

Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies Makes Sense.

If you are like millions of animal owners nationwide, your pet is an important member of your household. The likelihood that you and your animals will survive an emergency such as a fire or flood, tornado or terrorist attack depends largely on emergency planning done today.

Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling an animal emergency supply kit and developing a pet care buddy system, are the same for any emergency. Whether you decide to stay put in an emergency or evacuate to a safer location, you will need to make plans in advance for your pets. Keep in mind that what's best for you is typically what's best for your animals.

If you must evacuate, take your pets with you if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside. Plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your pets.

Make a back-up emergency plan in case you can't care for your animals yourself. Develop a buddy system with neighbors, friends and relatives to make sure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so. Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days, maybe longer.

Preparing for Your Pets Makes Sense. Get Ready Now.
To view the Community Pet Preparedness Toolkit http://www.ready.gov/america/toolkit_pets/index.html

Gin, the dancing dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-0jNC_w1tSw&feature=player_embedded