Just a heads-up...

Things are running a little slow this week. Mr. Armadillo is wrapping up seven years' worth of PhD work in defending his thesis today, and things have been a bit manic around here this last week. I'll be attending his lecture today, we'll be taking tomorrow off together, then spending a long weekend with family. Also in early August we'll be taking a week off to spend with family as well. We'll try to keep things moving, but please expect some delays.

Thanks for your patience, we appreciate it. It's an exciting time for us. Honestly... I've got what I feel is some small measure of tenacity in my soul, but this dude's wrapping up what amounts to twelve years of concentrated study on a single topic. The mind, it boggles. Mad respect for endless hours at the bench that would drive me out of my mind.


"Ah, there's nothing more exciting than science. You get all the fun of sitting still, being quiet, writing down numbers, paying attention...[chuckles] Science has it all!" -Principal Skinner

Scary stuff! Learn the heimlich... it really does save lives.

A friend's geriatric pug, Mandi, nearly choked on a hunk of turkey neck today. Jon was able to save her by quickly performing the canine version of the heimlich maneuver: turn the pooch upside down and give several hard thrusts to the abdomen just below the crest of the ribcage. Here's a printable PDF with excellent, clear instructions. Everyone should familiarize themselves with the techniques: http://www.theanimalspirit.com/dogcpr.pdf

On choking and raw food, the most common culprits seem to be chicken or turkey necks, foods small enough to encourage hasty gulping and cyllindrically-shaped to make an effective airway plug. Common preventative measures are to crush the bones internally with a mallet (Mandi's turkey neck had been crushed prior to serving), to serve foods partly frozen in order to encourage slower eating, and holding one end of the food while the chewies commence. Serving ground or chopped foods is the ultimate solution for choking prevention. Though going this route circumvents some of the other perceived benefits of a whole-foods raw diet, in the end, we all have to troubleshoot in the ways that work best for our own pack.

Hugs to old puggles, and here's hoping to never to hear similar stories again.

Cross-posted!

Shout-out to Raw Doggers everywhere: anyone in that area of the country willing and able to help?
______________________________________

PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

Shiba Transport, Jupiter, FL to Chicago, IL Saturday, August 1st to Sunday, August 2nd
**17 LEGS STILL NEED TO BE FILLED OVERNIGHT**

PASSENGER INFORMATION LISTED AT BOTTOM OF SHEET
NUMBER OF PASSENGERS - 1 Shiba Inu
RESPONSIBLE RESCUE - Shiba Inu Rescue Association www.savingshibas.com
RESCUE COORDINATOR - Aimee Winkler

Please respond to admin @savingshibas. com (remove spaces) if you can take a leg/legs or part of a leg. Please include your car's make and model, license plate state and number, and contact phone number that will be used during the transport.

Coming from: Foster Home
Going to: Foster Home
Every leg allows a 10 minute break

**ALL LEGS AND TIMES ARE VERY FLEXIBLE**

***** ALL DAY 1 TIMES ARE LISTED IN EASTERN TIME UNLESS NOTED! *****

DAY 1:

Leg 1
Jupiter, FL to Vero Beach, FL
64 miles
1 hr
7:00 am to 8:00 am
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 2
Vero Beach, FL to Titusville, FL
70 miles
1 hr 5 min
8:10 am to 9:15 am
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 3
Titusville, FL to Palm Coast, FL
70 miles
1 hr 5 min
9:25 am to 10:30 am
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 4
Palm Coast, FL to Jacksonville, FL
68 miles
1 hr 5 min
10:40 am to 11:45 am
FILLED! Thanks Tammy!

Leg 5
Jacksonville, FL to White Springs, FL
74 miles
1 hr 5 min
11:55 am to 1:00 pm
FILLED! Thanks Jill!

Leg 6
White Springs, FL to Adel, GA
71 miles
1 hr
1:10 pm to 2:10 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 7
Adel, GA to Vienna, GA
71 miles
1 hr 5 min
2:20 pm to 3:25 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 8
Vienna, GA to Macon, GA
61 miles
55 min
3:35 pm to 4:30 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 9
Macon, GA to Atlanta, GA
77 miles
1 hr 15 min
4:40 pm to 5:55 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 10
Atlanta, GA to Calhoun, GA
67 miles
1 hr
6:05 pm to 7:05 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 11
Calhoun, GA to Chattanooga, TN
56 miles
50 min
7:15 pm to 8:05 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 12
Chattanooga, TN to Manchester, TN
66 miles
1 hr
8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

**OVERNIGHT NEEDED IN OR NEAR MANCHESTER, TN**

***** ALL DAY 2 TIMES ARE LISTED IN CENTRAL TIME UNLESS NOTED! *****

DAY 2:

Leg 13
Manchester, TN to Nashville, TN
65 miles
1 hr
7:00 am to 8:00 am
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 14
Nashville, TN to Cadiz, KY
74 miles
1 hr 5 min
8:10 am to 9:15 am
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 15
Cadiz, KY to Metropolis, IL
68 miles
1 hr
9:25 am to 10:25 am
FILLED! Thanks Katie and Cindy!

Leg 16
Metropolis, IL to Benton, IL
65 miles
55 min
10:35 am to 11:30 am
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 17
Benton, IL to Effingham, IL
89 miles
1 hr 20 min
11:40 am to 1:00 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 18
Effingham, IL to Champaign, IL
80 miles
1 hr 10 min
1:10 pm to 2:20 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 19
Champaign, IL to Kankakee, IL
77 miles
1 hr 10 min
2:30 pm to 3:40 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

Leg 20
Kankakee, IL to Chicago, IL
64 miles
1 hr 5 min
3:50 pm to 4:55 pm
NEED VOLUNTEER!!!

PASSENGER #1
NAME: Norton
BREED: Shiba Inu
AGE: 5 yo
SEX: Male
COLOR: Sesame
SIZE/WEIGHT: 25 lbs
SPAYED/NEUTERED: Yes
SHOT UTD: Yes
HEALTH: Good
HOUSETRAINED: Yes
SPECIAL NEEDS: None
DOES THE DOG RIDE WELL IN A CAR: Yes, but must be closely monitored when doors are opened
DOES DOG GET ALONG WITH OTHER ANIMALS: Needs slow introduction to dogs, NOT good with cats
ADDITIONAL INFO: Proven escape artist. Please walk on leash at all times (even in a fenced yard) and be very careful around doors
ITEMS PROVIDED: leash, collar, vet paperwork
ITEMS NEEDED: water bowl, extra leash, crate
REASON FOR TRANSPORT: Foster Home to Foster Home

Aimee Winkler
President
Shiba Inu Rescue Association
www.savingshibas.com

Reposted from Portlanders Against Breed Bans

Thanks to Green Dog/PABB Julie for the following. Karen Delise's article is a fantastic one.
___

There have been a number of good articles this week about the difficulty of identifying dog breeds visually, an issue that is especially concerning for dogs labeled "pit bull mixes", considering the implications of being a "pit bull type dog" in our world. Brent over at KC Dog Blog had a great post about this today, which I've included below.

I also would encourage you to check out Karen Delise's historical view of "dangerous" dogs on her site by visiting this link: http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/canines-issues/a-historical-view/
It is basically an overview of her book, The Pit Bull Placebo, but is a must-read if you haven't had time to read the whole book yet.

Enjoy!

How well can we really identify breeds of dogs?
http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/

Our friends over at the National Canine Research Council have been having some fun with DNA testing of late.

Last week I noted some new research from the AVMA is indicating that DNA testing may just be debunking any studies ever done on dog bite studies by breed. Basically, every dog bite by breed study out there is based on people's visual identification of the dog breed -- and we're finding out that people really aren't that good at identifying breeds of dogs by looks -- and in fact, it is more or less impossible.

But when you put images with it, it is really telling.

So last week, the NCRC published a "Find the Labrador Retriever mix" visual ID game. Similar to other version of the Find a "Pit bull" game, it turns out that a lot of mixed breed dogs that we assume to be mixed breeds that are predominently common breeds don't often contain any of those breeds at all.

Most people, including many who work in animal rescue, are not all that great at knowing the looks of all the different dog breeds. The AKC/UKC combined recognize over 150 different breeds of dogs....but at this point, there are over 400 recognized dog breeds. And often, when these breed intermingle, they don't carry with them looks of any of the breeds they represent.

However, because we are familiar with a few dog breeds, we have become pretty good at grouping dogs together in groups with other similar looking dogs. Is the dog about 80 lbs and black? "Lab Mix." Boxy head and muscly? "Pit bull". Long hair and snout? "Shepherd mix". Never mind that there are several breeds of "Shepherd" that don't look all that much alike -- and many of the "shepherd mixes" don't really look like any of those breeds.

We group them, because in our mind, it's easier to classify them. Besides, what does a Chesapeake Bay Retriever/Chihuahua mix look like? And what does that mean to a potential adopter? Mostly nothing. But it's a cute black dog that kind of looks like a Lab, so let's call it that.

So what do our classifications mean? It means we group a lot of mixed breed dogs of uncommon breeds into a grouping of more popular breeds. So go to PetFinder, your local shelter, or look at any bite study. Almost anywhere you look for classifications by breed, you see "labs", "shepherds" and "pit bulls" as the most common breeds. Most often it's not because these dogs share the same DNA -- but because the LOOK similar to each other and it they are more easily categorized that way.

I think this is a really important distinction. When communities say they are putting restrictions based on "breed" because they say they are "inherantly dangerous based on their DNA" -- we need to be honest about what that means. These communities are not making decisions based on DNA, or breed at all -- but on LOOKS. They are determining that a LOOK is aggressive - not genetics. Which is an even crazier notion than the genetics argument which doesn't hold up to science either.

It's turning out that the more we learn about dogs and breeds, we find out the less we ever knew in the first place. And that pretty much every study we have ever done about dogs and breeds is completely irrelevant now because we didn't identify the breeds right in the first place.

Have room for a shiba in your life?

Shiba folks are apparently drowning in spare shibas at the moment. These primitive little dogs are awfully attractive, but definitely more dog than many folks looking for an attractive little dog are prepared to handle. As such, it's not surprising that in our impulse-buy and puppies-as-commodoties world, too many end up in rescue. And, too, sometimes people are just embarassed, after having been warned and lectured, to admit that maybe they're just not suited to the task.

It's a tricky thing in the breed-fancy world. Humans have a hard time hearing "no", and people seem to take a dog-breed-assessment very personally... even though it's no reflection on a person as a human being if their situation isn't quite right for any given dog. After all, no breed is any "better" than another, just different, with different needs. It sounds like a "well, hello Mr. Obvious!" thing to say, but I'm a big proponent of people choosing the breed or type that best suits their current needs and lifestyle. In other words, no matter how deeply in love you are with any given breed or type of dog, sometimes you just have to be able to take a step back, look at your situation with an objective eye, and ask yourself if you're pursuing the breed because you want one or because you really think they're a suitable match for your lifestyle. In today's "dog owning world", just as in with plenty of other things, people often choose dogs because they want. They want a particular look, or they want what the breed represents, or they just find themselves irresistibly drawn to a particular breed for any given number of reasons. People often convince themselves that they will change their lifestyle to accommodate the dog; like the treadmill that's now a clothes hanger, the dog's very presence will mean they "have" to exercise more, or socialize more, or take up a dog-related sport or hobby. Whatever the adjustment is, making changes to our lives, major changes, is hard. As the dust-gathering exercise equipment can testify, good intentions don't carry very far.

Something else that's difficult for some people to hear and understand: it is not absolutely true that a dog is a dog is a dog. Consider the hypothetical case of a dog handler with some experience who lives a moderately active life, has some background in dogs, and a compelling interest in, let's say, the rottweiler as a breed. They also spend much of their time working with sheep. This person thinks "I have room in my life and budget for a dog, and now I can get the rottweiler I've always wanted". The person knows rotties like most dogs of any active breed need a job, something to keep their brains and bodies occupied. This person thinks they can teach the rottie to herd--after all, rotties are former cattle drovers, no?--and thus occupy the dog, get some help on the farm, and enjoy the company of his or her chosen companion.

Now, this story could end in a lot of ways, but the two main potential results I see are this: maybe the person is able to pull it off and work their rottie brilliantly. Maybe the person is dedicated enough to the individual dog, maybe the dog has the innate skills and smarts to pick up a non-traditional job, maybe it all works out great. Maybe, on the other hand, the person learns that rotties just aren't bred with herding in mind. Most dogs could probably be trained to some level of proficiency, and some dogs could probably perform the task extremely capably, but you'll increase your chances of success exponentially (and have a far easier time getting there), if you choose a purpose-bred herding breed... and a molosser enthusiast who needs a farm dog has other, more suitable options. Why make life difficult for yourself?

There are a lot of reasons dogs end up in rescue, some of them beyond our control--especially in these tough economic times--but I do strongly feel that the vast majority of rescue situations could have been avoided from the start with a little bit of introspection and a healthy chunk of brutal self-honesty.

Shibas are an interesting lot. They are beautiful little dogs, but they are a handful. They are primitive hunting dogs, despite their plush and cuddly exterior. Hopeful shiba owners should be prepared for a dog that will bolt after anything it wants to and really really really really really likes to kill stuff. Lots of stuff. If nothing interesting to chase and kill, perhaps your sofa will suffice. I myself am not an experienced shiba owner, but word from those plucky (and/or masochistic) folks is that The Misanthropic Shiba is your go-to source for down & dirty, real-world shiba news. If you want to know what life with a shiba is like, this is an informative (and hysterically funny) place to start.

SO! All that having been said... if you have room (and courage) in your heart for some hot shiba action, please look to S.I.R.A, the Shiba Inu Rescue Association. They are reaching the point of "overwhelmed" with nineteen dogs currently housed and several more either on the way or being held temporarily elsewhere. They've got a lot of incredible and incredibly deserving dogs waiting for permanent placement. Shibas are difficult dogs and these pooches have already been through multiple placements; they do not need more inconsistency in their lives, so please consider your long-term commitment capabilities very carefully before taking the leap. Keeping primitive dogs presents a host of challenges that many other dog owners will not have to face... but in the end, I think the rewards are greater, too, for those up to it.

Check out beautiful Rosalie, sweet Emi, lovely Shika, or cuddly Momiji:



...and a good fifteen or so others. If you don't have room for a shiba in your life, please consider donating to help them with their work.

Foodie nerdgasm:

A couple weeks ago I made a sticky toffee pudding, for no particular reason other than it just seemed like a good idea at the time. I am a total Potter nerd and mild anglophile. I love toffee and butterscotch and when I saw the words "sticky toffee pudding" in print I knew that whatever this confection was, it had to be a win. Turns out, I was right:


I don't keep a food scale in the kitchen, and most proper recipes I found online were written by weight, so I found an American version for the ingredient proportions and used the traditional UK ingredient list. After baking, I aerated the top, threw a couple shots of Kahlua Especial over it and let that sit for about ten minutes while the sauce thickened. I soaked the pudding with about half of the hot toffee sauce and let that sit for another ten minutes or so.

Have I yet mentioned that I'm emotionally bonded to my stand mixer? I lufs it. This is not entirely because of the incredible ice cream attachment, but it sure doesn't hurt. That bad boy was a wedding gift from our friend Peter, who also bestowed upon us a copy of the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Cookbook so that we may never again be saddled with the whims of our local scoop jockeys, and their staunch refusal to keep Chubby Hubby on tap. This time it was a straight-up sweet cream base made with good local cream and half-and-half, sweetened with brown sugar.

Final cut, spoon a bit more toffee sauce over, and add a scoop of ice cream. Snap photo quick and nom.

Incredible!

Cherry on this story, I posted the above food porn photo to The Naked Chef, Jaime Oliver* this morning, who responded a minute later with a "wow" =D
Rockin' ;0)



*my secret boyfriend

Bassetfest 2009

Oh man... I'll say one thing: Basset people know how to party ;0)

So! Here's the scoop: rockin' basset-girl Heidi called me up a couple months back from Oregon Basset Rescue; she had seen our gear at Green Dog in Portland, and wanted to invite Raw Dog to set up a booth at their annual reunion/summer party: the Basset (not technically "Olympic") Games! Who could resist?

They actually have a full weekend's events, Saturday kicked off with the Basset Waddle, a low-slung parade through the local shops which I would have loved to see, and a BBQ in the park. We weren't able to make a weekend of it, but arrived early on Sunday morning to set up before the Games. I got busy unpacking while Mr. Armadillo did the canine reconnaissance (he scoped out the pooches). A few minutes later, he made the very astute observation that one dog in particular had stayed put. For, like, ten or fifteen minutes! Just... staying! And wagging! In light of the Raw Dog's notably poor impulse control when there are faces to be slurped, I can see why he'd be astonished. He was suitably impressed, and wandered over to say "hi". The owner expressed concern said pooch might wear out his wag prior to competition.

It's a serious concern, the wag-factor at this event was nearly unbearable.

I haven't quite sorted out this whole Flickr thing yet, but here's a link to the photo set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23005609@N06/sets/72157621648026439/


Schedule of events!

Basset Limbo!



An obstacle course




Wet T-Shirt Contest



And the crown jewel of the Games: Synchronized Swimming...! The key to this event is to synchronize all four paws; get them to put all four paws in the water at the same time by way of bribery, cajoling, demonstrations, or demands. Any means legal excepting physical compulsion (no dragging or foisting allowed). Described as "a near-impossible feat".


Spectacular. I haven't laughed this hard in... I don't know how long.


Some of my favorite images: