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Can The Bulldog Be Saved? is a thought-provoking article about the future and fate of the bulldog as a breed. There are also other breeds that are in a similar state. I think that there are a number of breeds that have been bred beyond the point where they can be healthy (either in the sense of physical health, or the sense of behavioural health, or both). By our design, we have created dogs that have trouble breathing, overheat too easily, have hereditary diseases, and can’t mate or give birth, among other problems. And temperamentally, there are many breeds that are known to be genetically fearful. I hope that the bulldog, and the other dog breeds that we have designed into disaster, can be saved.
Happy Saturday, everyone!
A good friend (Daisy0 posted yesterday about the release of Beverly Hills Chihuahua. She used this great poster, and told us to distribute it far and wide.
The issue here is that after a movie starring dogs is released, there is often a rush by people to get a dog “just like” the one in the movie. I think most of us know how 101 Dalmatians led to massive overbreeding (and irresponsible breeding) of the Dalmatian.
This can also happen after a TV show, such as Frasier, which led to many people buying Jack Russell terriers without a real understanding of the breed’s needs.
Because they don’t know the real needs of the dog they are getting, people end up surrendering many, many of these poor animals to SPCAs, humane societies, and other animal shelters. Their expectations don’t square with the reality of the breed, and they give them up.
Now we’ve got a movie about Chihuahuas. It looks like a cute and fun movie. But we want to get the word out: if watching this movie makes you want to have a Chihuahua of your very own, PLEASE do your research! Learn about the breed to find out if your lifestyle and the Chi lifestyle are compatible.
And just as important, PLEASE start your search for your new Chi best friend at animal shelters and rescue groups!
Not long ago, I did a post about puppy mills. Well folks, this is just the kind of situation that has puppy mill owners and irresponsible backyard breeders rubbing their hands together in glee (and greed). They know that there will be an increased demand for Chihuahuas as a result of this movie, and they will overbreed and inbreed the poor Chis in order to meet this demand.
What many people might not know is that the Chihuahua is the fifth most posted breed on www.petfinder.com. (This is a great site! It advertises the animals available for adoption at shelters, rescue groups, and animal control facilities all over North America. I just did a search for Chihuahuas in Western Canada and the Western US, and I stopped looking once I hit 500 dogs up for adoption. I don’t know how many more there were, but seriously: 500 Chihuahuas!) There are so many Chis out there already who are looking for a home. If you or someone you know decides that they want a Chihuahua, please adopt one from a shelter or rescue!
Spread the word! Rescue dogs are AWESOME!
The other post, I mentioned that I live with Min Pins, or Miniature Pinschers. I have had a special request for Min Pin pictures, so this post is all about that. If you’re not into cute dog pictures, come back tomorrow.
Roomie has two Min Pins, named Lexi and Khavana (I can’t remember how old they are; I think Lexi just turned 4 or 5, and Khavana is a couple of years (?) older). This is Lexi:
She is a natural born poser. She is also the first Min Pin I ever met. I will complain about the Pins (sometimes a lot), but I really do love them. For those of you who don’t know, Min Pins are the most mischievous, manipulative, destructive, and sly creatures imaginable. They like to steal whatever it is they are not supposed to have. They truly are masters of manipulation. They can destroy a toy (or shoe, or pair of underwear) in microseconds. Lexi, in particular, is very clever and very sly. She also will eat anything, no matter if it is edible or not. And Khavana is stealth personified; she likes to sneak into my bedroom and steal Dannan’s bones. Seriously, no one ever notices until she’s all of a sudden burying it in the toy box.
Ahem, got off track a little there. This is Khavana:
She’s not fond of new people. Seriously, I dated Dwarf (his nickname, he’s totally in love with it, I’m not doing some offensive name-calling here) for a year and a half, and Khav still shook when he was around when we broke up. And Dwarf’s a good guy, so it’s not some sort of animal-sensing thing.
I have no idea what is under the couch, but they both like to go under there. I shudder to think what they’ve collected.
Khav also likes to make strange, un-doglike noises. She is trying to tell us something; we just don’t know what the hell it is.
A couple more pics of Khavana:
Khavana loves to wrap herself up in blankets, sweaters, towels… anything really that is left on the couch. (And don’t ask why towels get left on our couch!)
Lexi’s turn. The two of them sniff each other’s butts every chance they get. What can I say, it’s a dog thing.
Lexi always finds the sunbeam to lie in. She is always freezing, and in winter can be found lying on a heating vent.
She also loves to be outside, and she’s got a crazy run she likes to do. Of course, when she’s being called to come in, she moves as slow as molasses in winter.
And this is what she does 99.99999999 percent of the time: nose to the ground, searching for bugs, worms, ???
She never notices birds or squirrels in the yard, because she’s always too busy snuffling the ground.
She did hear something here that caught her interest. Probably somebody walking on HER road.
Her great escape, as a pup. Min Pins are very agile, very talented escape artists.
And one more diva pic for the road.
I haven’t posted any pics of them playing, but trust me, they do love to play!
And just because I can’t do a whole dog post without a picture of my boy, Dannan:
He is not a Min Pin. (We’re really not sure what he is; some kind of hound/spaniel mix, I think.) Dannan thinks he’s just one of the gang, though, and tries to do things that the girls do, like perching on the back of our couch.
If you’re interested in seeing more about our dogs, Dannan has a blog. Of course, it’s mostly about him, but from time to time, the Pins do make an appearance.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that although the Pins make me certifiable, they are also hilarious, little squirmy sweethearts who love to cuddle. And I love them.
Back to non-dog stuff tomorrow!
The Muse Asylum 