Dogs @ MindSay

Charlie came to see me today. Charlie is my picky-nees friend who belongs to my neighbor that lives down the way somewhat catacorner to me. The neighbor who, in her late 60's/early 70's, still dresses like she's in her 20's.

 

(Funny story: My son went to the mailbox which is right next to the fire station and across from that neighbor. He came back looking fairly distressed. Thinking something was terribly wrong, I immediately stopped everything and asked what happened. On his way to the kitchen he tells me 'Old Lady Hotpants' was out there in the yard all bent over showing the world her glory. He yanks open the kitchen drawer, grabs my lemon zester and says: Quick! Clean out my eyes!!!)

 

I don't generally care for small dogs but me and Charlie do ok. Occasionally, Charlie will sneak out from Old Hotpants' clutches and make his way to my steps and give a 'yarp, yarp, yarp'. (He's afraid to come up. He's very close to the ground- and he likes to keep it that way.) When he yarps, I will usually then come down so that we can play very important games; one of which is 'pick-uh-neezes loves cheezes'. This is basically where I grab a handful of Cheez-Its …and Charlie snarfs them. (You should see it. I will say: Chaaaarlieeee, pick-uh-neezes loves cheeeeezes…and then he will twirl in circles so fast it looks like a big hairy buffing wheel. How he eats without throwing up, I have no clue. If only I could get him up the stairs to do my floors. I worry about being accused of dognapping though.)

 

Then we played our other very important game called 'cantgitme' in which Charlie runs around my feet and I pretend to try and grab him and he scoots his butt close to the ground and takes off just in time. He feels very smart playing this game because I can 'never catch him'. He is obviously way too much dog for me.

 

Most of the time when Charlie comes over, he and I will harass each other for awhile before he wanders off- but never out of eyesight of his home. He's a good boy. He aptly performs all duties of Protecting Hearth and Home and the Snorting and Lickage of Crotches as well as any other canine.

When I first got to know the ragmop, I figured he ran off for the same reason my mother's dog runs off- older ladies like small dogs because their easier to handle; but sometimes little dogs have lots of energy and they want to play and have more fun than what they can get. It's not personal. Just canine. 

 

But today something else occurred to me when Old Lady Hotpants discovered he was missing and started calling. You wouldn't think a picky-nees could bulge its eyes to any further extent than they already are but take it from me- they can. He didn't wait for nothing- he tore off. But when she came strolling down the street after him in her extra tiny sailor midriff and extra short cutoff jeans, I could see why.

I bet that dog damns being only colorblind.

My Babies. Whippets.
Tiger is almost four, and his baby sister is 4 months.
They make me smile and my heart melt every day.

I had this project (that I finally finished) about dogs. I love dogs. Really I do. You know that question they ask – If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island who would you bring with you? Well, I wouldn’t bring anybody. I’d bring my dog because I like dogs better than I like people. (wait- scratch that. I forgot about Vin. I’d bring Vin Diesel and my dog. But if there was no room in the boat for my dog Vin would probably have to lump it and swim for shore….)

 

I learned quite a bit during my research and I’m ashamed to say, even as a dog lover, I held quite a prejudice against the American Pit Bull, Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier that I should not have. I listened to hearsay, to conjecture and never made the move to find out the truth for myself- until now (because I was getting paid…) And I’d like to officially apologize to the three breeds.

 

In all reality there is no such thing as a pit bull. It is a blanket term that refers to the three breeds. Kinda like when we refer to someone as Caucasian. But we know there are Irish white people, German white people or Italian white people. They’re all Caucasian- but not. The American Pit Bull has temperament and traits that the Bull Terrier does not. The Bull Terrier has temperament and traits that the Staffordshire does not. The Staffordshire has temperament and traits that the American Pit Bull does not- and so on…

 

Nonetheless, all three have been lumped under the term ‘pit bull’ and now all three live under the stigma of being vicious killer breeds.

 

I cannot stress how categorically untrue and unfair this is. These dogs no more deserve the reputation of being ‘born killers’ than a newborn infant.

 

Despite their reputations it should be known that in the early 1900’s, the American Pit Bull was in nearly every single home in America- they were the Black Lab of their time. In their early years of development in England, (about the 17^th and 18^th century) they were bred, yes, for baiting and pinning bulls and other dangerous animals. However, they were carefully bred to exhibit aggression only toward other four legged animals- never humans. A dog that would not immediately heed its owner was considered useless and killed. So when you see a ‘pit bull’ breed that is aggressive towards humans, what you’re seeing is an all out defect.

 

It also may interest you to know that the American Temperament Test Society, an organization that tests the dispositions of various dogs by putting them in confrontational situations, has tested the American Pit Bull, the Staffordshire and the Bull Terrier. The more aggressive the reaction to stimuli, the lower their percentage.

 

The American Pit Bull ranked at 83.4%

The Bull Terrier at 83.3%

The Staffordshire at 93.2%

 

The Chihuahua ranked at 70.6%

The Black Lab ranked at 91.1%

 

From 1965 to 2001 the number of fatal attacks by the Staffordshire Terrier has been 0. Dachshunds, however, have killed 3 times. Of the thousands of dogs reported stolen each year, over half are Staffordshire Terriers. As they are often mistaken for ‘pit bulls’, thieves target the breed mostly because they know a Staffordshire is easy to steal. The dog simply does not have a suspicious temperament, therefore they do not assume there is any reason to not go off with whoever bids them. None of that would make sense if the breed was actually a ‘born killer’. Many Staffordshire owners refer to their Staffordshire Terriers as Staffordshire ‘Terrifieds’.

 

Please understand that this is not research off of a few breed enthusiast websites. When you spend a month writing a number of articles on different dog breeds, word of mouth and the ‘opinions of a few’ just won’t work.

 

Now- here’s the kicker. I still believe in breed bans. Even after all I learned I still want the breed banned- unless and until you can prove you bought your breed of neutered/spayed pit bull from an officially mandated, registered and reputable kennel.

 

It’s not the breed I don’t trust – it’s you. It’s those of you who are willing to take a dog with the temperament of a Black Lab and turn it into something ferocious. I had a Black Lab. The most dangerous thing that dog ever did was fart- and he couldn’t be bothered to ‘attack’ anything unless it was bacon flavored. Do you know how much you would have to do to a dog with that kind of temperament to make it vicious? THAT is a sick individual. The sickest.

 

The idea that anyone would take a dog and turn it into a killing machine makes me beyond ill. What kind of chickenshit motherfucker do you have to be to use an animal to play out your sick perversion? If you’re so big and bad- what do you need a dog for? Do your own dirty work! Don’t hide behind the dog, don’t vent on the dog. BE the bad ass you think you are.

 

If a breed ban will save a dog from a psychopath, then so be it. The argument is that these disgusting pigs will just go find another breed to destroy. I say go for it. If it takes banning every damn breed, I say go for it. You wanna learn the hard way, we’ll make it hard. Trust me, when upstanding citizens can’t have the dogs they want, they’ll start making it hard for those motherfuckers who think they can just piss all over God’s creations and anything else they please.

 

I know how things would work in my perfect world but the saddest part is, in doing my research I found that every dog is at a challenge because of us. In the beginning, dogs were bred for a purpose- so every trait they were bred for was utilized. Sadly, that’s not the case anymore. We don’t need dogs the way we used to need them- but all of their instincts are still there. And worst of all, it is WE as humans that have weakened them, by taking certain traits and breeding them in and out at will. Things that were once considered defects are now the standard and traits that were the standard are now considered defects. The same goes for temperaments.

 

Maybe humans are the breed that needs banning- ever think of that?

 

I have always loved cats, domestic and wild, I like them because they are so damn independent!! They don't need me, they can get along fine without me, but they choose to be your friend on their own terms. Unlike a dog that really don't survive alone, but seek out other dogs to help them survive, cats do very well without any help. They are not 'needy' , I am at a stage in my life where I have 'taken' care of others long enough, although hubby don't count in this :) I just don't want to have to take care of another critter or person, cats fit the bill nicely, although I am not owned by any pets at this time since I am full time on the road, if I had my rathers , if and when I am home all the time , a cat would be my first choice, although I love dogs, I hate barking dogs the most,, cats don't bark and that is another plus, although if I were alone, I would have a medium to large dog for guardian purposes, but I would have a cat as a companion, and to find out the healing values in their purr......another plus! Another thing is that you don't have to pen them up or tie them up, I hate seeing dogs in little kennel pens, or on a lease tied to a tree somewhere far from their masters home, If I could not provide a huge penned up yard to house my dog,and had to put them on a lease, I would not have one, I find that to tie up a dog or put them in these little pens are abuse! and I wish more people would wise up to how pittyful they have made these dogs lives, I personnally believe it you can't provide the adequate space for these critters to have a good life,you shouldn't be able to have one...........I for years did this to these poor critters, and I have vowed never again.

blessed be.........purrrrring away

 

THIS ARTICLE FROM  LIVING  WITH CRYSTALS NEWSLETTER FROM RAINBOW CRYSTAL WEB.
The Power of Purr

When I was first learning about crystals and vibrations, my idea of vibration was a cat's
purr, and I wondered what kind of healing could be accomplished by placing a cat on each
chakra. The research I did for this article suggested that this would be a very good
idea.

If you are owned by one or more cats, you probably already know the roles they play as
healers in your life, but you may enjoy having some details and statistics: both to
persuade your cat-loving but holistically-indifferent friends that there might be
something to this vibration business. Those who are holistically inclined but indifferent
to cats may gain a deeper appreciation of my favorite species.

I've simplified the technical information so that I could understand it. I hope it works
for you, too.

Purring is Good for Cats

Scientists have determined that cats, including pumas, lions, tigers, ocelots, cheetahs,
etc., usually purr in the range of 20 to 140 Hertz (Hz). (1 Hertz means a vibrating
structure moves back and forth once per second. A domestic cat usually purrs at a
frequency of 25 and 50 Hz. This is important because:

Research has demonstrated that exposure to a frequency of 25 Hz increases bone density by
at least 20%. Veterinarians, who've known this for a long time, say that if you put a cat
and some broken bones in the same room, the bones will heal. This may also explain why
cats rarely suffer bone or joint related diseases, including hip dysplasia, arthritis and
ligament problems, or bone cancers.

Not only bones are affected by purring. Other research has demonstrated that, in the
higher frequency ranges, the body produces an increase of natural anti-inflammatory
compounds. This reduces joint pain and swelling and results in the healing of muscles,
tendons, and ligaments.

Purring also seems to open up a cat's air passages, thus reducing the incidence of
respiratory problems. The respiratory difficulties often associated with heart disease
are rarely found in cats, and all breathing problems a cat may have are quickly
alleviated when the cat begins to purr. A story in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal
(1973) described a dying cat who was having so much trouble breathing that its vet was
considering euthanasia. However, once it started to purr, it began to breathe normally.
Purring seemed to open its air passages.

The cat's ability to change the frequency of its purring is probably one of its
fine-tuning healing abilities. It may account for domestic cats living longer lives than
their canine counterparts and may also have given rise to the idea that cats have nine
lives.
They survive conditions that normally kill other animals, such as falls from heights. In
a study of 132 cat falls with an average fall height of 5 ½ stories, 90% survived. The
record height for a cat falling and surviving is 45 stories.

Purring is Good for Humans

Cat fans have always believed a cat’s purr was relaxing or stress reducing. Stress
reduction alone can lead to countless health benefits.

Many people report that lying in bed with a purring cat helps them go to sleep easily.
Others have noticed that their cats seem to know when they're not feeling well and the
location of the pain. Have you ever had a stomachache that was eased by a cat purring in
your lap?

A friend of mine who was going through a serious psychological disorder discovered that
every time she was lying in bed shaking with fear, her cat would dash from the living
room and curl up beside her, purring loudly. This feline nursing procedure got her
through a number of rough spots.

Now science is beginning to confirm what we cat lovers have always known. Studies have
shown that owners, especially senior citizens, who have cats have lower blood pressure
and can live longer than humans who don't own pets. Scientists are now researching
whether sound and vibration therapy could halt osteoporosis, or renew bone growth in
post-menopausal women and the elderly.

Other Studies

Psychologist Dr. June McNicholas of Wales is a strong advocate for allowing pets to visit
their people who are in hospitals. She believes that animal companionship can assist the
healing process.

She and some colleagues found that:


    * Cats provide considerable emotional support during the early stages of spousal
bereavement.
    * Cats can provide support for women with breast cancer.
    * In general, cat owners have fewer psychological and physical health problems than
those without cats.
    * 90% of children with cats rate their felines as being in their top ten special
friends.

The children are smart in their choices. A study by the Institute of Paediatrics and
Adolescent Medicine in Munich found that young children continuously exposed to cats were
67% less likely to develop allergic asthma. 45% were less susceptible to developing hay
fever than other children.

Researchers at Warwick University in the UK also found that children who own pets have
stronger immune systems and take fewer days off school due to illness.

The Element of Detachment

Humans are accustomed to getting a dose of pity with treatment. We expect our caretakers
to say, "I'm so sorry." "Oh, I feel so badly for you." "What an
awful thing happened to you."

We forget that when we're vibrating in a state of feeling sorry for ourselves, feeling
miserable and hurt, we aren't making ourselves feel better. A confirmation that the
physical/emotional place we currently occupy is unpleasant and undesirable only serves to
help keep us there.

The cat sends no "Get Well Soon" cards. It doesn't sit by your bed looking
sympathetic. It doesn't say "Poor thing." It gets on your lap and purrs. It
doesn't look to be rewarded for its healing work. It's not thinking, "I want you to
think I'm great because you feel better." And if you don't feel better, it isn't
going to feel worse.

This may be vibrational healing at its best. No ego is involved, and the feline healer
doesn't have an investment in the outcome. It purrs because purring feels good.
Rainbows don't shine for our benefit, either, but we love to see them.