Experiencing the Strength of the Mighty Chihuahua

Owning Zoe and Charlie has been my first true experience being a dog owner. I've wanted a dog of my own since I was a little kid. I'd had these images of me throwing a tennis ball playing fetch, or hiking down a trail with a full backpack, hiking boots and a hiking stick with my dog at my side (never mind the fact that I've never gone hiking before), or on a road trip just the dog and me, like I was Han Solo and dog would be my Chewbacca. Of all the dogs I had dreamed would be my companion a Chihuahua was never one them.

I wanted a more macho kind of dog, one that was wolf-like in appearance, like a German Shepherd or an Alaskan Husky, one that would be a reflection of my masculinity. Funny, huh?

So instead of a big, rugged dog I ended up with two Chihuahuas that have a combined weight of no more than 13 pounds. And while neither one will ever fulfill my dreams of playing frisbee or will make me look like a tough guy walking down the street they have still fulfilled me in a way I hadn't expected.

I used to think that people that did things like taking their dogs with them everywhere they went, or had portraits taken with them, lavishing them with money and attention were absolutely nuts. What's wrong with these people? I understand you love your dog, but for Christ's sake they're DOGS, not people. You must have a mental condition. But now I think I understand.

I have learned so much from my dogs. Zoe and Charlie show me unconditional love. When I come home from work every day they are the ones that welcome me home, tails wagging, jumping up trying to lick my face. They live in the moment, not dwelling on past. They don't hold grudges. If they get mad, they don't stay mad. They forgive almost instantly. They give so much and ask for so little in return. Now I understand why people spoil their dogs. They're just trying to reciprocate.

I have also earned a greater appreciation of not just dogs, but of all animals. They have opened my eyes to rights of animals. I make sure that whenever I see a news item about animal abuse I make a point to put it on Digg and add a comment or two. I now have a greater sympathy for shelter animals and the situations that led them to being there. I have always felt that Pit Bulls have been victimized by ignorance and discrimination, but now the subject enrages me. Isn't that funny? Who would ever think that a Chihuahua could serve as a goodwill ambassador for a Pit Bull?

Without having Zoe and Charlie in my life I doubt I would have ever read Cesar Millan's "Be the Pack Leader". From that book I have learned how not only does the "pack leader" mindset help you with dogs, but how it can help you become a better human being. The calm assertiveness needed by an effective pack leader can also be applied in one's own person-to-person interactions as well. Learning to communicate calmly with your dog is great practice for communicating calmly with people. The principles and mental states are no different.

My dogs have had a powerful affect over me. They may look tiny, but they are strong in ways I never could have imagined.
By the way, you can see what I've "Digged" visiting http://digg.com/users/jonlow67

Dogs, the Perfect Companion...an essay

I have always felt that every creature, every species we share the planet with was put here to serve a purpose. There is a balance that exists in nature. Every creature exists because it has its own role to play in maintaining that balance. What is the role of dogs in the natural order? I have come to believe that dogs are here to be with human beings, us, that nature has uniquely intended dogs to be our companions.

Evidence exists that would suggest that wolves, from which all dogs are descended, have accompanied man as many as 15,000 years ago. The first pet wolves probably assisted their human masters with hunting and defending. Man has made pets out of all sorts of animals besides dogs. Amongst them are cats, fishes, birds, reptiles, rodents, and horses to name a few. Some even make pets out of insects. But it is the dog that has just the right combination of attributes that fit us perfectly.

Dogs possess just enough intelligence to be teachable but not so much that its needs for mental stimulation are too burdensome to reasonably provide. Dogs have a pack mentality with the capacity to accept humans as pack members and are protected and defended as such. Big dogs are strong enough to adequately defend against attackers but not so big that they require any kind of special housing. Dogs do not have special dietary needs. Dogs are genetically easy enough to breed into variations that fulfill specific needs like pulling sleds, herding livestock, or hunting rats. Nowadays, if we need an animal to provide assistance to the blind, or assist the police in catching a criminal, or detect drugs, explosives, or survivors in pile of rubble that we might not otherwise be able to find it is the dog that we turn to.

Sure, a cat can keep you company but will never protect you against an attacker. You can't pet a fish. Reptiles and birds aren't capable of thinking of you as family. You can't take a hamster or a rabbit for a walk. Don't get me started on insects. And while a dog can't plow your field or give you a ride like a horse can, a dog can still herd the horse and keep watch over it.

Dogs have been called "man's best friend" with good reason. They've earned it.

Thank you, Cesar Millan, for providing me with the inspiration to write this.

Little Lance Making a Comeback

Sometimes the worst things bring out the best in people. Perhaps something terrible happens to serve a greater good. As horrible as that whole Michael Vick thing was, perhaps now we are all more aware of the horrors of dog fighting and the plight of the Pit Bull.

In this case, Little Lance, the little mix-breed puppy that was shot in the street and thrown out a car in East Oakland a few weeks ago has had to go through this so that perhaps all could see that animal cruelty is alive and well in the East Bay. Conversely, what we also got to see was that there are also a lot of animal lovers out there as well. This was a call to arms for those who stand against animal abuse. Indeed, over 400 answered the call with monetary donations, and over 50 people stepped forward to offer their homes as fosters.

Code 597 also got it's moment to shine, coming forward with a large donation. Code 597 is an organization named after the California Penal Code for animal abuse and neglect. It was founded by Oakland Raider Jerrod Cooper. It is an organization dedicated to keeping animals out of shelters.

As for Little Lance, he's recovered enough from his surgery so that he's up and walking around, but he still has a long way to go. He's now in a foster home in Oakland. I hope he'll have a permanent one soon.

Code 597's website
Link to Little Lance's story in the San Jose Mercury News

The Way of the Dog Whisperer

I just finished a great book, "Be the Pack Leader". It was written by Cesar Millan, known by many from his TV show, "The Dog Whisperer".

"The Dog Whisperer" is not a show where you'll find tips on potty training or teaching your dog commands or anything of that nature. Cesar will tell you himself he doesn't train dogs. He rehabilitates dogs, he trains people.

Cesar is more of a dog psychologist. He shows you how dog behavioral problems stem from being psychologically unbalanced and how those problems can be solved by attaining balance. His philosophies make a lot of sense to me, and that's why I'm such a big fan.

Cesar reminds us that dogs are not people, that dogs need to communicated with on their level, a dog level, not a human level. Spoken language does not exist amongst dogs. Their brains are not equipped to learn any language spoken by their human masters.

While TV commercials, TV shows, and Hollywood movies have done a great jobs of portraying dogs as smart, loyal, and funny companions, they've also given us unrealistic expectations for our own dogs to live up to. A scene from the movie "The Jerk" parodies this. Now, I don't remember word-for-word exactly how this scene plays out, but it goes something like this:

Navin (played by Steve Martin) is sleeping in his motel room along with his dog, a mutt, named Lucky. Suddenly, Lucky awakens, alert. He begins barking excitedly, waking Navin in the process.

"What's wrong, Lucky?"

"Ruff"

"Are we being robbed?"

"Ruff"

"Earthquake?"

"Ruff"

"Is the building on fire?"

"Ruff, ruff, ruff!"

"Oh, my God, the building's on fire!"

Navin and Lucky rush out the door. It's the middle of the night. He's in his pajamas pounding on everyone's door.

"Wake up! Wake up! You have to get out! The building's on fire!"

Cut to a shot with outside the motel parking lot. A large number of people are outside having exited their rooms, everyone in PJ's looking annoyed. Firefighters mill around but no actual firefighting taking place. No sign of smoke anywhere. Navin, hugging the dog, says, "Thank God for you, Lucky. You saved everyone's lives!"

A motel guest walking by says to him, "Lucky? You call him Lucky? There's no fire. You should call him Shithead."

From that point on until the end of the movie the dog's name is Shithead.

The sooner we accept the fact that our dogs, no matter much we love them, no matter how smart we think they are, will never learn to understand the English language the better off you all will be.

Dogs live their entire lives never having to speak to each other, yet it is clear that do communicate with one another. How could they, or any animal, survive as a species if not so? Elephants, packs of wolves and hyenas, and primates all live in structured social hierarchies with complex relationships. If they weren't able to communicate with one another to maintain structure there would be anarchy. How do they do it? Body language.

Because we humans rely on words we have come less attuned to body language, but it's not like we have completely lost the ability to do so. For example, if we see someone walking towards us dragging their feet, shoulders slumped, with a deflated look on their face, you'd be able to tell that they were feeling sad, wouldn't you?

Dogs are pack animals. Every dog pack has a leader. Dogs brains are hardwired to think in terms of packs, pack structure, and pack leaders. A dog's owner and the owner's family are all a part of the dog's pack in it's own mind. The dog looks for someone to step up and assume the role as pack leader. If no one demonstrates the leadership behavior that it expects and needs, the dog itself will assert itself as the leader. This manifests itself in the form of behaviors such as excessive barking or nipping, peeing all over the house, and other "bad dog" mannerisms.

What a good dog owner must do is establish and maintain the position of "pack leader". That is what Cesar's book is all about.

I've begun practicing some the things I've just learned from Cesar. For example, when Charlie and Zoe are playing a little too rough, instead of yelling, "Hey, cut it out, you two!", I mentally achieve a "calm-assertive" state, physically separate them with a firm but gentle hand, and look at each of them saying, "Cut it out", in my mind, but never verbalizing it. I try to express it with a look and with body language. And believe it or not, they actually seem to get it!

With continued practice I believe I will be able to master it.

Potty training begins again next week. I am hopeful that these things I have learned will help with that.

More on Michael Vick

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." ~Mahatma Gandhi

One of the most important elements of spiritual and emotional growths is the act of forgiveness. It allows us to shed the emotional bonds of anger and resentment that keeps us from growing, from achieving greater things.

Spider-Man 3 is one of my all-time favorite movies, not only because I was a huge Spider-Man fan as a kid, but also because the underlying theme of the movie was forgiveness. It's not until Harry forgives Peter do they find the strength to overcome the combined might of Sandman and Venom. Peter learns to forgive himself. Sandman asks for, and receives, forgiveness. Venom is the only one that cannot find the strength to forgive, and is ultimately destroyed.

I recently discovered BAD RAP's blog site and have really enjoyed reading and participating in the exchanges in the individual blog comments. The most heated discussions revolve around the Michael Vick case.

Some of the details of the case are pretty horrific. The dog fighting aspect, by itself, is bad enough. What really got everyone's attention were allegations that eight of the dogs were killed for failing "performance" tests. Methods used to kill these dogs were said to have included strangulation, hanging, electrocution, and having their bodies slammed to the ground.

Two others that were being charged reached plea agreements in exchange for their testimony against Vick. Vick's contract with the Atlanta Falcons was cancelled. Multi-million dollar endorsement deals were also cancelled. The NFL has suspended him indefinitely. Vick was convicted on Federal charges and was sentenced to 23 months in prison. He may still have to face state charges when he is released from Federal prison.

It has been estimated that between his NFL contract and many endorsements Vick has lost about $140 million in potential income.

Even if Vick manages to avoid state charges there is no guarantee that the NFL will grant his reinstatement, and even if he does manage to get reinstated there is no guarantee any NFL franchise will want him. Many NFL experts feel that Vick's playing career is over.

Michael Vick deserves to be punished, and, indeed, he is.

Last month the Washington Post's website ran a photo gallery of featuring the survivors of Vick's "Bad Newz Kennels" with accompanying audio clips from those involved in their welfare. Click here if you'd like to see it. The first soundbite is from a local animal shelter volunteer actually thanking Vick for putting dog fighting in the public spotlight.

Is it actually possible that something good can come from this tragedy? It made me think about what the possibilities could be. What would be gained if we could bring ourselves to forgive Michael Vick? I offered this comment on the BAD RAP blog site:

"I know there are those who will disagree with what I'm about to say but I feel it needs to be said. I'm rooting for Michael Vick. I feel the man should be given a chance to redeem himself like he said he would at that press conference. I want to believe that he really is sorry. I want to believe he really has seen the error of his ways. I hope that he leads a successful career when he is released from prison.

The dogs given to BAD RAP are the perfect analogy. These were animals that would have been put to death if it weren't for BAD RAP stepping in and saying, "Wait a minute. These dogs shouldn't summarily judged as being beyond help. Just give them a chance." (or words to that effect).

I'm sure that there are many who feel that Vick he is a horrible person that did horrible things and should be thoroughly punished and should not be allowed to play football ever again. And while that sentiment is understandable I believe it would be unfair to have given those dogs a chance at redemption but not extend that same chance at redemption to Vick as well.

Malcolm X is one of my heroes. He was a drug user, a drug dealer, a pimp, and a thief before he went to prison, turned his life around and became one of the greatest heroes of the civil rights movement. People CAN redeem themselves, but only if they're given the opportunity.

Here's my crazy wish for Michael Vick. My wish is that he really has seen the error of his ways, that decides to champion the fight against animal cruelty when he is released from prison, regains his superstardom in the NFL, and uses his fame to raise awareness for the cause.

I know it's nuts of me to hope for such a thing, but wouldn't it be great if it happened? I think it's worth giving it a chance."

I wasn't expecting anyone to agree with me, and no one did. Vick hasn't done yet to earn anyone's forgiveness, but I am eagerly waiting to see what he does when he is released from prison.

A Question of Fairness

Since adopting our second dog, Charlie, Karen and I have tried to treat both of them in a manner we believed to be fair and equal. I have been thinking a lot about that lately and now I'm not so sure we have been.

I mentioned territorial behavior in a prior post. I've observed that it seems to be much more pronounced in females. Zoe is definitely territorial. I've come to the realization that bringing a new dog into her territory must be terribly stressful to her. She had mine and Karen's attention and affection all to herself, not to mention the bed, her toys, and her food. That is, until Charlie came along.

When it's snack time the dogs usually have to obey a command before they get their treat. Usually Zoe will obey right away, but with Charlie, well, he may take a moment to be his goofy self first before he follows suit. If I attempt to reward Zoe before Charlie has earned his reward Charlie will go after Zoe's treat. This generally leads to a wrestling match, but once ended in a fight. Now I wait until Charlie has obeyed, then they both get rewarded at the same time. I've come to realize that this isn't fair either. Before Charlie, Zoe got her reward immediately, as it should be. But now she must wait even though she has already complied.

Because of Charlie is so young and hasn't finished taking all his vaccinations he's still at risk of contracting Parvo. Karen had a dog that contracted Parvo as a puppy. His treatment was long, expensive, and painful for the dog. We're not taking our chances so Charlie can't go on walks or to the dog park until he's done with his shots. Thinking it would be "unfair" to take Zoe on walks while Charlie had to remain in the house I stopped walking Zoe altogether. I hadn't realized that this is really being unfair to Zoe. I'm going to figure out a way to start walking her again without it being so upsetting to Charlie (and he does whine and cry when he feels he's being left out).

Karen recently admitted that Charlie was her favorite. I don't blame her for feeling that way. Just look at him. He's an adorable little guy with a carefree spirit, a joyful exuberance you can't help smiling at. He gets into a lot of mischief, for sure, but there's not an ounce of malice in his little body. He's definitely Dennis the Menace, but not anywhere in the ballpark of being Bart Simpson. I feel a little guilty admitting this, but it's true, Charlie really is the cuter one.

It was actually a relief to hear Karen admit this because, in all honesty, Zoe is my favorite. We kind of balance out each other out. As the first dog I could ever say was "mine" she will always be special to me.

I feel badly for her, too. I've concluded that she must have been abandoned by her first owner. She was found wandering the streets of Martinez and was taken to the Martinez Animal Shelter. If she had simply been a runaway, then surely whoever owned her would have wanted to find her, and she was at the most obvious location a Martinez resident would think to look. No, she was wandering the streets because she was no longer wanted.

On the other hand, Charlie was adopted straight from the family that owned his mother and father. He had been with his mommy, his daddy,and all his siblings until the day we took him home. Charlie has never had deal with the hardship of being abandoned. In short, he's had it pretty good.

Charlie will soon be neutered. He will be getting the last of his vaccinations, and will be getting his microchip as well. At that point I'll be able to walk both of them. Hopefully, things will begin to even out.

The BAD RAP on Pit Bulls

This is gonna seem strange when you step back and think about it. I'm a Chihuahua owner writing passionately in defense of Pit Bulls.

I have always liked Pit Bulls. I really love their smiles. Go look at some pictures of dogs. All different kinds, Labs, Poodles, German Shepherds, Chihuahuas, look at them all. There is not one breed that has a smile as big as a Pit Bull's.

I've always known that they're not the killing machines with locking jaws that many choose to believe about them. The truth about them is, like any other dog, they're only as mean as they have been raised to be. While there is some truth to the idea that they are genetically disposed to being fighting dogs, it is also true that they are also genetically disposed to being people pleasers. Given this genetic dispositon for fighting the reality is that they'd probably be better at fighting than other breeds, but with the same kind of training and socialization you'd give any other breed they'd be no more inclined to attack another dog than any other breed would be.

I could train my Chihuahuas to herd sheep but they wouldn't be as good at it as a Sheep Dog would. Conversely, if I had a Sheep Dog that had never seen a sheep before wouldn't it be unreasonable to expect him to automatically know what to do if he were suddenly thrust into the middle of a herd of sheep? I'm not automatically better at using chopsticks than anyone else just because I'm Chinese, right?

What has led me to think so much of Pit Bulls lately is the Michael Vick dog fighting case. There was an article in the August issue of Bark magazine and a program they just ran on Animal Planet. Apparently, it is a common procedure in most jurisdictions that any dog seized in a dog fighting operation be automatically be euthanized. It is given that these dogs are ruined, unworthy, and beyond rehabilitation.

Such was the case with dogs in the Vick trial. But in a way they were lucky. They probably would have been euthanized right away if not for the fact that it was such a high profile case. They had only been kept alive because they were evidence. This had bought enough time for organizations like BAD RAP to step in and save their lives.

Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls, or BAD RAP for short, has been providing support for Pit Bulls and their owners for over 10 years. They were brought in by authorities to provide an expert assessment of the dogs seized from the Vick property in Virginia. They discovered that while all of them suffered horribly, a good number of them were not beyond repair. They were able to get the court to release a dozen or so into their custody.

Once back home in the Bay Area they were able to successfully retrain and rehabilitate the Vick dogs. They were eventually adopted into new homes, many with families. One was even certified as a therapy dog.

Lately I've become hooked on these "Animal Cops" shows on Animal Planet. I'm fascinated by the cases of animal neglect and abuse. I really ought to cut back though, because after watching a case involved abused dogs it makes me want to spoil my own dogs, and I think I've spoiled them too much as it is. But anyway, on "Animal Cops Miami" there have been a couple of cases involving Pit Bulls. According to the show Pit Bulls are not allowed in Dade County, Florida. I found that a little disturbing.

I suppose one could conclude then that the lawmakers in Dade County have made the unilateral decision that all Pit Bulls to be unfit, unsafe, and unworthy. That this one breed, this one variation of all domestic canines in the world is somehow beneath all the others. This has a ring to it that sounds a lot like the old Jim Crow laws in the South.

Under those laws black people were automatically considered second class citizens. A black person didn't need to have done anything wrong to be considered wrong. Just being born black was wrong enough. A black person could be a doctor or lawyer that went to church every Sunday and gave half of his income to charity, and that still wouldn't be good enough to get him a better seat on the bus.

Isn't that same kind of unfair treatment being applied to Pit Bulls here? I feel so sorry for all those Pit Bulls I've seen in those animal shelters. Too many of them will end up being destroyed before they're even given a chance.

A couple of years ago I knew this lady that had a Pit Bull that desperately needed a new home. She was out shopping one afternoon and was returning to her car. When she opened the door this blue-gray Pit Bull rushed in from the street and into the car. The dog didn't mean her any harm, she just wanted to be in the car. The dog didn't have any identification so she decided to take her home.

The lady lived in an apartment where dogs were not allowed so she was on a mission to find the dog a new home. Karen and I got to meet her once. She was clearly an adolescent, no more than a few months old. Her ears had been cropped and she was quite well muscled leading me to wonder if this dog had been trained to fight. Meeting her face to face was a real treat. She raised up on her hind legs to greet me. She had such a sweet disposition I immediately started to think of adopting her myself. Karen felt the same way, too, but it would have been unrealistic to believe we could provide the dog with what she needed.

I asked the girls how they'd feel about welcoming a Pit Bull into our home, and I was surprised to discover that they held the same common misconceptions, that they were people killers that had locking jaws. I did my best to re-educate them.

The lady didn't want to surrender her to a shelter. She knew as well as I did that if that dog ended up at the local SPCA she'd just be another Pit Bull in a shelter full of Pit Bulls. She wouldn't stand a chance.

We lost touch with the lady so I never found out what became of that sweet dog. I hope she found a new home. I will probably never stop wondering.

To find out more about BAD RAP and the good work they do visit www.badrap.org.