The Elka Almanac

Doberman puppy lost the fight to Parvo at the Florida University Veterinary School

2013-06-19T16:43:00.001-04:00

In Florida, a "breeder" had a litter of 8 Doberman puppies under his or her care. More than a week ago, all of the puppies got sick. And then five of them died. That breeder then got tired of it and took the three who were left to the Florida University Veterinary School and instructed for them to be euthanized.

The puppies all had parvo. Of the three, a little fawn girl died yesterday, and one of her red sisters died this afternoon. Only one is left, named Scorcha by those taking care of her. The Doberman Assistance Network has stepped in to help. If you'd like, you can donate to her care on the Doberman Assistance Network sponsorship page.

Sorcha has been sick for long enough that the deck is really stacked against her. She's under constant care in puppy ICU, on IVs for fluids and food. The best I can say about this is that she's under loving care, and if she pulls through, DAN will get her foster care with a rescue, and that rescue will find her a loving home.

I cannot countenance watching puppies grow that sick, for that long, and watching five of them die. I cannot. The details I've related to you are the only ones I know; I don't know the breeder's history of care otherwise, what vaccines the puppies did (or did not) receive, the condition in which they were kept. I can only make assumptions, and none of them are good. At least those poor little ones knew some love before they left us.

Edited to add: As of 10 p.m., little Sorcha has died as well. I truly hope that the person who produced these puppies will take a hard look at how they do things in the future, or no longer keep dogs altogether. The Florida University Veterinary School tried their hardest, but sometimes it just isn't to be. So rest in peace, little ones. I'm sorry your stay here turned out the way it did.

New York City police dog injured in the line of duty

2013-06-19T00:00:00.001-04:00

Bear, a 6 year old German Shepherd on the police force in New York city was injured while apprehending a suspect yesterday. He'll be okay, before you're too worried, but boy howdy. That does not sound like it was a fun law enforcement experience.

(photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Wordless Wednesday June 19 2013

2013-06-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Mordecai! Special Needs Puppy with Doberman Rescue Minnesota

2013-06-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

(picture from DRM blog)

Doberman Rescue Minnesota has Mordecai! He's a 16 week old male pup-super smart, great temperament, almost potty trained, crate trained, sweet little man, makes up for his disabilities! Breeder was going to euthanize as there was no money to care for him-we took him to the University of Minnesota Vet Center to get honest opinion on our options-The Docs at the U said we should give him a chance! So he is now with us and completely a joy to have in foster care! Mordy had a dislocated elbow that did not get placed back properly by the breeder, in fact breeder did not even notice it (!) until after Mordy was "sold", this will need to be addressed in the future and DRM is committed 100%.

Mordy also has congenital megaesophogus, which we are hoping he out grows one day-the vets are hopeful too! Mordy is super playful and acts like any other pup, he is just a little different as he eats in a high chair! We are also seeking donations to help defray his vet care as he grows. Mordy is currently eating Honest Kitchen-Embark, (we will take any donations for his food!) and we are looking at surgery for the future, the University estimates the cost to fix his leg at $3500. Please help us help Mordy! We are committed to helping him. If you are interested in adopting or helping us support Mordy with food or medical expenses please let us know!

(text from the DRM blog)

(picture from the DRM blog)

Product Review: Frosty Paws

2013-06-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

A ways back, we won the Frosty Paws giveaway from Life with Desmond. I cashed in one of the coupons awhile ago as well, but since it had been cold and rainy still, I didn't give any of it to Elka right away. Not that she really has the warm weather + ice cream correlation in her mind, but it's in my mind, and I'm the one who opens the freezer.

We had a (still rare!) warm day, and so I busted out the Frosty Paws for Elka to try.

Playing Games

2013-06-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

Elka and I have little games we play throughout the day. She doesn't really do "solo play", as she seems to think she needs to be in contact with one of us at all (or most) times. She also frequently doesn't play with only one toy at once, though that occasionally happens. With squeaky toys, we tend to tell her "I don't want that, it's yours" and then she'll go and play. Maybe Elka's just a really good sharer?

Vaccinations: helping and hurting

2013-06-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Vaccinations can be a touchy subject, both in the human world and the dog one.

In general, I feel that they help more than they hurt. When they hurt, they hurt profoundly, as Roxanne who writes Champion of My Heart has found out when her dog, Lilly, had an extreme negative reaction to her routine rabies vaccination (500 days ago, as of June 4). Lilly has been in medical distress since then, has almost died, and has had one severe relapse. Roxanne writes that Lilly can never have another vaccine in her life.

(picture from Wikimedia commons. You'll see "why a tiger?" after the jump)

OCD in Dobermans may help shed light on OCD in people

2013-06-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

So, last year I did mouth swabs for Elka and sent them in. I haven't heard a blessed thing back from the study, and bu there was another study that's being reported on this week, on hoarding genetics. I know I was excited to read the linked article, because I was all "Oh hey, Dobermans!" Then, of course, it was about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is a considerably less positive thing to associate with "my" breed. But there's discussion of how Doberman OCD can give insight into human OCD, and that's pretty rad.

Wordless Wednesday June 12 2013

2013-06-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Remmy, looking for love in Bangor Pennsylvania

2013-06-11T00:02:00.000-04:00

Meet Remmy!

He was picked up as a stray on city streets; Dreaming of Better Endings Rescue (DOBER, inc) thinks that he's about 3. He may or may not be a Rottweiler mix, or just a "big solid" Euro Doberman. He has a weakness for socks (Elka can sympathize) but otherwise doesn't chew inappropriately, according to his foster family.

He's very sweet and eager to please, and is very much a people dog. He would probably do best as an only dog, but a home with a laid back resident dog may work well for him. He is untested on cats. He is crate trained, but if his adoptive family wanted to leave him uncrated, his housebreaking may or may not need a little bit of work.

(picture from Dober, inc web site)

He loves belly rubs, and sitting to give a paw is one of his best tricks. He isn't a barker, even when dogs walk past in the neighborhood.

If you're interested in adopting Remmy (and if you aren't, but know somebody who is looking for a good boy, please please share his info!), you can view the adoption fees and process and fill out the adoptions application on the Dober, inc web site.

Dog Treat Review: Orijen

2013-06-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

I was recently contacted by a Chewy.com rep to sample and review Orijen dog treats. Well, given our previous experience with Chewy.com, our positive training methods (and Elka's limpid Disney eyes), we go through a lot of treats in this household, so I of course said yes. All of the treats were single protein, so really, it was just a matter (in my mind) of choosing something that would be something of a novelty for Elka, so we went with the Ranch Raised Lamb.

(image provided by Mr. Chewy)

What is this "Frisbee" of which you speak?

2013-06-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

So lately, I've been working to teach Elka how to play Frisbee.

Oh, she'll run and retrieve something very well. But run, catch something in the air, and bring it back? Well, that needed some work. See, her typical M.O. is to wait until something hits the ground, then pounce on it, then pick it up and shake it, and then bring it back. Then maybe she wants to tug it for a little while (which I discourage with tennis balls, as you may imagine. I've had to discourage it with frisbees as well).

But, I think we're actually making some progress!

The ONE thing

2013-06-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

I see this topic a lot on dog message boards. I figured I'd ask it here, because after all, you guys are my "dog people" too!

What is the ONE thing you wish you knew before you brought your dog home?

I of course can't limit it to one. But I've got a solid five, anyway.

Family Tree

2013-06-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

While I don't know anybody who has known the dogs in Elka's pedigree, I still find her pedigree very interesting. Granted, I met her sire (deceased as of December, apparently. Rest in peace, Gabriel; you seemed like an awesome guy) and dam, but I don't know them. I knew that Elka's dam loved babies, and her sire would "Smile" on command. Precious little information, when you get fixated on things in the way that I do.

However, I'm lucky in that there are some very good online resources for Dobermans, including Dobermann-Review.com and Dobequest.org. There, provided the information was uploaded, I can find birth dates, titles, health testing, and dates of death. Elka is spayed, and I never intended on breeding her, but it's interesting to see what's "in her woodpile".

New Canis Maximus hearing tomorrow, June 6 2013

2013-06-05T10:27:00.001-04:00

At 2 p.m. on June 6, there will be a public hearing at 10 Hotel Street in Warrenton Virginia. to consider Irina Barrett's new special permit application for her kennel.

I write about this back in February, when the story first "broke". It took this long because applications were submitted and then removed at the 11th hour when it looked like they would not be passed. Things like that. My understanding is that Ms. Barrett has continued to operate.

Regardless of peoples' feelings on her breeding practices (and not everybody agrees that there is a problem), the focus for this hearing, according to the above linked article, will be on the land use practices. When it comes down to it, she has too many dogs on that property.

Ms. Barrett has also brought a defamation suit against the humane inspector to the tune of $1.3 million. I've heard on the Internet that she's looked up nearly everybody that has mentioned her and included them in a suit as well, but that sounds a bit over the top.

The AKC (famed for their recent letter on how they're doing the best they can) did send an inspector to Ms. Barret's property in April. They sent a letter to the county's Sheriff, which was quoted in the above linked article, and I'm going to quote below:

An American Kennel Club field agent on April 17 found “very poor sanitary and/or health conditions” at Canis Maximus.
AKC’s director of compliance support shared the report and a summary in an April 22 letter to Sheriff Charlie Ray Fox Jr., whose department includes animal control officers.
The field agent reported “that water containers for dogs were empty. There was a protruding wire in the chain link kennels which needed to be repaired. The is a metal futon frame and debris in the kennels. The breeder needs ventilation in both the kennel building and puppy room as there was a slight urine odor in both places.”
Jack Norton closed his letter to Sheriff Fox with: “We trust that your agency will look in to conditions at this kennel.”

Even with pending hearings, neighbors who are unhappy with the amount of dogs, and public scrutiny, Ms. Barrett apparently has not improved conditions for the dogs on her property. The AKC field agent found remarkably similar issues to what the humane inspector found in the first place, kicking all this off.

I feel very bad for the dogs who live there.

Wordless Wednesday June 5 2013

2013-06-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Tuesday Tails: Tommy, a Doberman in Lycoming County PA

2013-06-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Tommy is a not quite two (1 year 9 months) old Doberman who has been at the Lycoming County, Pennsylvania SPCA since February. Poor guy! He evidently has a very strong "prey drive", which has presented a difficulty in adopting him out. I would speculate that a home with cats or small dogs is not one that would be able to welcome Tommy (but this is speculation, mind you). He's an energetic boy, still a puppy really, by Doberman standards. He is neutered. By accounts, he just loves to be constantly pet.

If you're active and energetic, and looking for a Doberman to do sports with, Tommy might be the boy for you! A prey drive might translate well into something like Flyball or Dock diving (yup, Dobermans can do these things!) or even tracking.

Tommy is safe where he is, but the shelter environment does no dog favors. Tommy would love to go home with somebody who can love him and keep up with him!

Dogs and Babies

2013-06-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

I got the New York Times "dogs" article alert and sighed when I saw the title: "The Dog Bit Me". Oh boy. I read it anyway, of course. I wanted to know how bad it ended up for the parties involved. For those of you whose stomachs dropped with mine, the kid was bitten, but not "mauled" or disfigured. The dog was also fine; already, in fact, in residence with the grandparents, but this was a family visit.

Vote for Prime!

2013-05-31T17:29:00.002-04:00

Optimus Prime, that is. He's a red Doberman up for vote in Modern Dog Magazine's Star Dog Photo Contest. I'm not going to put the photograph here, obviously, as it is not mine. So, you should click the link to go see him! He's a Canine Good Citizen and a Certified Therapy Dog. You can vote once every twelve hours, and it would be great if such a fabulous breed representative could get some "airtime".

http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/stardog/entry/optimus-prime

Read more »

Some blasts from the past

2013-05-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

I've been unpleasantly sick this week, so little "real" blogging is to be had. I figured I'd take today to link to some of my older posts, from "before I was cool" (I tried this on my writing blog, with what seems like minimal success. I guess that one isn't cool yet?) Truth be told, without the computer and blog, I'd be pretty confused regarding what day it is; missing work does throw one for a loop. But there we go, it's after Wordless Wednesday, so that means it's Thursday

Wordless Wednesday May 29 2013

2013-05-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

It is one of my regrets (along with not clicker training from day one and not socializing with other dogs) that I did not take more puppy pictures of Elka.

Red Doberman boy, Bankston, looking for a home in Louisiana

2013-05-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is Bankston

(picture from his page on the Capital Area Animal Welfare Society web site)

Bankston is a red (neutered) Doberman boy in Louisiana, with an estimated birth date of March 2011. The rescue pulled him from a shelter, the shelter pulled him from his home, where he was neglected and malnourished, and now he's regaining his weight and health in loving hands. I hear tell he is very sweet, still goofy and puppyish, and who would love to have a forever home!

"Just a dog"

2013-05-27T00:09:00.000-04:00

There are times new members come on to Doberman Talk, and I truly hope these individuals are trolls. I'm not sure why people troll Doberman boards of all places, but it happens. But, why do I hope they're trolls? Because they disregard things that members, members who are more experienced and learned and all of that than I, who have had the infinite heartbreak of their dogs being sick and dying too early, and only want the best for the breed, and the best for individual puppies. And those new people? They say "You guys are too serious." They say "It's just a dog."

I mean, yes. It is "just a dog". But don't you want the best dog? Don't you want the dog who will last you the longest, have a great temperament, have the fewest health problems?

We Got an Award! Thanks, Saved by Dogs!

2013-05-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Saved by Dogs has honored me (us?) with the Versatile Blogger Award! I do love getting awards, because who doesn't like being praised for all of the blood sweat and tears that they pour into their keyboards, right? Right.

I try to get Elka excited about them as well. I mean, I can get Elka excited, certainly, but I guess she doesn't really understand the ramifications of "a very important award", being a dog and all. I mean, we still think she's awesome, but sometimes that dog thing is an unforeseen limitation.

Missing Blogpaws....

2013-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

One of these years, I'll make it to Blogpaws. Really I will. I'd like to go. Will I bring Elka, though? No, probably not.

I happily bring her to New Jersey at Christmas, or to North Carolina on vacation, but though the trip itself is somewhat stressful, the rest of the vacation really isn't. She gets to lounge around with people she likes and appreciates in a relatively calm environment.

(Relatively. We Donohues, when gotten together, can get a little loud and rowdy.)

Blogpaws, though? She would hate it. And managing that would make me miserable too.