You are currently browsing the archives for August, 2010.
Leinie loves spending time with his friend Bridget. Bridget is an American Pit Bull Terrier. As it stands right now in Virginia, if Bridget somehow got lost or surrendered to a shelter or animal control office, because of her breed there is a good chance that shelter would refuse to adopt her out and she would be euthanized.
Two weeks ago House Bill 429 was introduced to the Virginia General Assembly. If passed this Bill will become law and take effect in July 2010. This would be a big victory against Breed Specific legislation.
What is Breed Specific Legislation?
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is defined as a law or statute that equates the qualities of a dangerous dog with a certain breed, and bans or restricts certain breeds based on identity, not behavior of a specific animal. This type of legislation does not make concessions for those members of the breed who are valuable assets to their communities, such as therapy dogs, assistance dogs, or advanced trained dogs such as drug dogs and search and rescue dogs. BSL identifies a dog as “dangerous” based upon its breed alone and not based on any action or offense that the individual dog has ever committed.
Follow Me Dog Training LLC believes that within the shelter/pound world, decisions for adoption or euthanasia of dogs found or relinquished should not based on breed! We support House Bill 429!
Breed Specific Legislation is not the answer. Blame the deed not the breed. Find out all you can about your chosen breed of dog, exercise your dog and most importantly train your dog to be a model citizen.
Find your Virginia legislators here. Write (letters or faxes are best) or call and urge them to stop shelters from using breed as a reason to euthanize or adopt out dogs.
Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago at 11:31 am. Add a comment
Social networking is everywhere isn’t it!
Follow Me Dog Training LLC is trying to keep up with the rest of the world and their social networking sites. We have our blog (which you seem to have already found), Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Merchant Circle and a few other ways that are an easy way to keep in touch with friends, clients, school work, businesses you name it!
We have even heard of some social networking places for dogs. There are sources for meeting other pet lovers, sources within breeds, sources like Dogster which is a wealth of information. In Richmond VA we have RichmondPetLovers.com. Leinie is on Dogbook for Facebook and has a bunch of friends that know him. Heck Leinie even has his own blog!
Today though I learned of something that I think might be as over the top as the Bow-Lingual, the Dog Translator. In the fall of 2010 your dog can have their very own way of keeping in touch with all their followers with “Puppy Tweets” This tag has movement sensors that let your dog tweet whenever they move. Toy making company Mattel introduced this new product for dogs and the people that spend way too much time social networking. They have even stated it isn’t for kids.
Who doesn’t want to put words into the mouths of our dogs? I for one was thrilled with the movie UP! If you haven’t seen the movie it is worth it for the dogs alone! That was awesome! But I would like to think that my dog might have more original thoughts then this possible “Puppy Tweet” Yahooooo! Somedays you just gotta get your bark on.
Social networking is here to stay, as computer challenged as I am, I accept that now. Follow Me Dog Training LLC hopes that you are following us on one of our many platforms. They are a great way to find out about new trends, see pictures of your dogs form group class or find out about things that might be going on around Richmond Virginia.
Will you be going out and getting the “Puppy Tweets” for your dog next holiday season?
Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago at 12:25 am. Add a comment
Happy Birthday to Leinie!!! Follow Me Dog Training LLC is privileged to have such a cool Malinois working for us. He turns 5 today and still acts very much like a young dog with a ton of energy.
Although many people do throw parties for their dogs, we kept it low key this year. Leinie went for his normal 2.5 mile walk to take the edge off. He hung out during lessons, slept during some others. He received a new Bouncy Bone, one of his favorite toys. He’ll get some play time with his friends and some cuddle time with Renée.
Happy Birthday Leinie! Have a great year and many more!
Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago at 7:33 pm. Add a comment
Sadly, yesterday a wonderful artist, craftsman and author took his own life. He’ll be met at the Rainbow Bridge by many dogs and cats that will thank him for his great works of art and his contribution to animals. This isn’t about the sadness of how he passed…just that we lost a wonderful artist.
Chances are good you have seen some of Stephen Huneck’s work. Or maybe you have picked up one of his ‘Sally’ books to read to your kids. Perhaps you have had the pleasure of visiting the Dog Chapel in VT. His prints always managed to put a smile on my face.
“The work of Stephen Huneck is like laughter; enriching to life and uplifting to the soul”. Boston Magazine
“At all Stephen Huneck Galleries dogs are welcome and there are always a good supply of treats on hand, a small gesture to thank dogs for all they give us”. -Stephen Huneck
Huneck’s artwork is held in both private and public collections, including at the Smithsonian Institution building in Washington, D.C., New York’s Museum of American Folk Art and the Contemporary Museum of Art in Sydney, Australia.
I do hope that the state of Vermont, or some wonderful dog people or something will be able to help the Huneck family keep Dog Mountain so they can continue to provide us with examples of Huneck’s work and so people and their dogs can still visit the Dog Chapel.
My favorite of his books is definitely My Dog’s Brain…it is about what is in his Lab, Sally’s brain, but really it is about every dog. Check it out and you’ll know what I mean.
Posted 8 months ago at 11:48 pm. Add a comment
January 2010 finds Leinie posing in a new location. Do you know where he is? Follow Me Dog Training LLC encourages you go for a walk with your dog and find Leinie’s favorite spot this month.
Here’s the challenge; find where Leinie is posing, take your dog’s picture in the same spot, or as close as they can physically get. Send the picture and the exact location to renee@followmedogtraining.com. Please send your pictures as an attachment so I can post them!
The first picture I receive with a dog in the correct spot, will win a prize from Follow Me Dog Training LLC, have their dog’s picture posted on the blog and get bragging rights for a month.
The current month’s picture will always be on our Where’s Leinie? page!
Be safe and responsible, please pick up after your dog. Now go out and explore Richmond Virginia with your dog!
Posted 8 months, 1 week ago at 11:54 pm. Add a comment
