Leaving Dogs in Car Story

This story broke my heart.  A needless death of two healthy dogs.

 Never leave your dog in a car on a warm day.

"On Thursday evening I had to take my 11 year old bitch to Emergency Vet. She has been exhibiting back pain.  She is fine!

But while there I over heard the most sad situation playing out in the next exam room.
 I saw a man come out and said... "Please where is the Vet?"
After about 5 minutes I heard the vet talking to a family.. I heard a scream and crying. I thought that what ever the situation was the dog or cat had passed away.


 As I could over hear talking and another person coming down the hall, I then heard arguing and screaming again. This must have been the parent of the person who was screaming, my assumption a teenager had the news of her pets passing. The yelling began.....the profanity was abundant, and the picture of what must have happened then hit me.

I believe the young lady was out with her boyfriend (who was in the lobby) and they had the dogs with them (yes 2).  They either left them in a closed car or left them in a closed car with the air on and the car ran out of gas while they were inside somewhere for a long time... the dogs expired from heat prostration!

The father was yelling "what the ---- were you thinking, this did not have to happen, this is going to kill your mother, the poor dogs, your stupidity killed them! And why didn't you call 911 or break the -------  windows and get them out!  The screaming went on and the father left.  When I left an hour later the young lady and boy friend were still there.

So long story short....... NEVER GO INTO A STORE OR A SHORT VISIT SOMEWHERE AND LEAVE YOUR PETS IN THE CAR RUNNING--- THEY CAN RUN OUT OF GAS OR STALL AND THE ANIMAL WILL SUFFER A HORRID DEATH!"

Linda P.

 Good article about dogs in hot cars:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/pettalk/2009-07-14-dogs-in-hot-cars_N.htm
Excerpt:

"So maybe this will help: a graphic description of exactly what occurs when a dog (and it's almost always dogs, since few people take cats for rides) is closed in a hot car.

Plano, Texas, veterinarian Shawn Messonnier, who knows something about hideous heat and animals and who has written several books, including Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets, out next month, agreed to be brutally descriptive about the process and physiology of heat stroke.

First, he says, it's important to understand that the temperature doesn't have to be in the 90s for a car-bound animal to be in deep trouble. At much lower temperatures, particularly if the sky is cloudless, the humidity high or the car dark-colored, a vehicle becomes a sauna fast. And cracking windows a few inches accomplishes practically nothing (though many owners of now-dead pets thought it would).

In fact, researchers learned that when it's a sunny 78 degrees, the temperature in a parked car with windows cracked rises at least 32 degrees in 30 minutes. So: 78 degrees to 110 in half an hour.

"A matter of minutes, five or 10 minutes" is all it takes on a hot day for a dog to wind up organ-damaged or dead, Messonnier says.

Here's how it progresses: First, the dog pants hard, trying the only way it can to cool off. As the temperature rises and the dog realizes it's in trouble, it becomes frantic, tries to get out, scratching at windows or digging at the seat or floor. It's an awful moment, the dog's moment of realization. "If you want to compare it to humans," says Messonnier, "it would be this: The person is too hot, stifling, feeling trapped. But a person knows things can be done," like smashing a window or blowing the horn for help. Dogs, of course, panic, since they can devise no strategies other than digging desperately. They often bloody themselves in this effort to survive. Some have heart attacks.

The panic doesn't last long. Very quickly the dog goes prostrate, begins vomiting, having diarrhea and lapsing into unconsciousness. Organs are disintegrating. "All organs function properly within a certain temperature range, and when body temperature reaches a certain level, organ cells begin dying. There's inflammation, white blood cells rush in … a cascade of things happens in minutes," he says. Liver, brain, kidneys are dying.

"When you do an autopsy on a dog that died this way, the organs are soupy."

Penn and Teller - P.E.T.A. (Full Episode)

"We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States ... We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state." Wayne Pacelle, Senior VP Humane Society of the US (HSUS)

This 30-minute episode will tell you more about HSUS and PETA than 100 written articles will ever do. Sit back, turn on the speakers, cook up a good steak, open a beer or glass of wine and enjoy Penn and Teller's direct and enjoyable expose on PETA.

30 minute Penn and Teller Bullsh*t Episode on PETA

Barter: Pheasant for Fruits and Vegetables

Bartering not for the fruit or the vegetable but for the knowledge of how to be a "gatherer."


I have been working on my "hunter" skills for a few years now.  But the whole package of self- sufficiency requires "Hunting and Gathering."


My goal is to be self sufficient in five years.  I'm learning how to harness solar power, and other skills that make it so I am not "dependent" on outside energy.  

This is something I have been working on since the fall of 2008 when I believe our country took a wrong turn.  I won't get political; just practical as I saw the writing on the wall that hunting would be an endangered activity and gun ownership was going to be troublesome.


So here is the deal:
I have a 20 pheasant bird card at a local club that I will be able to start using this late fall.

You, if you are reading this own a Hungarian Pointer; one of the best upland bird dogs around.

I have Bailey as my hunting partner.  We are a good pheasant hunting team.

You want either to be part of a pheasant hunt or bring your Hungarian Pointer on a hunt.

I have everything it takes to do a hunt at Hastings Island.  You (and your dog) can be my guest.

You have KNOWLEDGE about growing fruits and vegetables that I would like to possess.

My barter:  One day pheasant hunt with Bailey and a dressed out pheasant for one day of showing me how to use my little 1/4 acre suburban plot to grow fruits and vegetables.

I could spend A LOT of money on plants and trees and kill them or produce lousy produce.  I could hire someone to show me how to do it.  OR I could use the age old system of barter.

Barter is another skill I'd like to get very good at.

That's the deal.

http://www.permies.com/

Next barter item:  Canning for pheasant.  Want to learn the art of canning all the fruits and vegetables I will be growing.

Raising Free Thinking Kids and Dogs

For Father's Day 2012

Fatherhood came early for me in this life.  I was young and so was the love of my life.  Struggles came also very early but the goal was always the same for me.  Raise my children to be "free thinking adults."   This was the most important aspect of fathering (or existence itself) to me.  I wanted my girls to be independent women who could think for themselves and develop their own lives.

Being a believer in reincarnation gives me the understanding that these two women came into our lives for us to teach them skills to live in THIS current society.  They were their own persons the moment they arrived.  It was our job to reintroduce them to how to "make it" this go around.

They chose me as their father.  It was my largest responsibility in life to teach them or get them the teachers who could share the knowledge with them about life skills.  Not for my satisfaction or "pride" but so they could one day go out into society as FREE THINKING PEOPLE.

Five years ago today, our oldest daughter got married to a great guy.  They are a fantastic team.  Both Free Thinkers.  We don't agree on everything, but that is exactly the point of raising them the way we did.

In a couple months it will be our youngest daughter's fifth anniversary.  Another set of Free Thinkers.

It was just after the girls got married that we first got Chloe.  Ten months later, Bailey joined our family.

Now the joy is raising Free Thinking Dogs.  Dogs that are well-mannered and trained members of society.  They still need to be the dogs they are.  Hungarian Pointers with skills and drives hard-wired over ten centuries.

We walk the hills, valleys, rivers, lakes and oceans with the dogs.  They are not "our children" but dogs who live with us.  They get to think for themselves for the most part.  On our walks they go where they want.  They check in with me often to make sure I am around because that is what they want to do.  They love me unconditionally.  They won't leave because they choose not to leave.  Very seldom do I have them come back to me.  I do make it a point to call them to my side a couple times during a walk just to remind them I have to be in control when needed.

So Father's Day 2012.  Two two-legged humans and two four-legged dogs call me dad.  I love them for who they have become, but were already before I met them.  My father skills were limited to letting them find themselves and helping them to learn the "rules of the game."

Life is a game. You have to learn the rules to play the game correctly.  That's where a father comes in.

The game changes over the centuries but the game's basics stay the the same.

First rule: Be the thing that creates and does things in the world.

For the girls it was for one helping people spiritually (psychologist) and for one helping with people's bodies (nurse).  They also are raising kids to be Free Thinkers.

 For my two dogs it is hunting birds and small furry animals.  They both hunt on our walks.  Bailey has the skills and ability to help put food on our table.  Chloe brought me a ground squirrel once.  She thinks she may get one again.  Who knows, she just might.

You can never really loose if you play the game of life to its fullest.

 It's the playing of the game where all the joy is derived from.  It is never about the attainment of the goal its self, but the pursuit of goal.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there.  Teach your children well.

Two great books along these thought lines:  Merle's Door and A Dog's Purpose.  Both in my Favorite Book section to the right.

Hungarian Pointer

"From the first moment I saw a Hungarian Vizsla I was captivated by the breed and I am still. To this day, the breed does not cease to enchant, captivate and arrest me. I appreciate his manifest devotion, his loving and emotional sensitivity, the nature which craves approval and a loving touch. I admire his ability to switch to the wildness of his animal world which he does not relinquish for one moment, and which lurks there as part of his very being. This is the essence of him, and I love being responsive and responsible for nurturing his natural instincts as a gundog."

"To me he remains the proud creature that I met nearly 30 years ago standing in the sunlight, his russet-gold coat rich against the spring green. He was alone in a field, alert and agile, every muscle tense, head held high, nose twitching, aware of nothing else but the sights and senses in his dog world. He relaxed and threw himself on the ground and rolled, pressing his shoulders deep in the grass, pushing his muzzle forward into the daisies. Finally he lay still on his back, his legs in the air while he gazed at the passing clouds. This joy and zest for living culminated in one last ecstatic fling before he sprang to his feet effortlessly and stood proudly as before. He caught sight of us laughing at him. He ran towards us wagging his tail with delight. I never cease to appreciate this breed's ability to move me and then reduce me to laughter by its ridiculous antics."

From "THE HUNGARIAN VIZSLA" by Gay Gottlieb

AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders

"Join us in supporting responsible breeders and giving the American public access to acquiring happy, healthy puppies. The American Kennel Club has created the Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders petition in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) new proposed regulations which would create harsh and unintended consequences for responsible small and hobby breeders in this country.

Under the proposed regulations, breeders or others who sell a puppy sight unseen, by any means including online, by mail or by telephone, would now be regulated in accordance with USDA standards, if you own more than four "breeding females" of any of the listed species, including dogs and cats. The effect of these proposed regulations would be to take away the public's opportunity to obtain puppies from those breeders, who in many cases have dedicated their lives to breeding for health, breed type and temperament.

Please join us by signing the Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders petition before July 16 when the public comment period to the Animal Care Division of the USDA's Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service ends. The petition, along with AKC's comments on the proposed rule change, will be sent to the USDA.

How to Sign:
1.Visit www.akc.org/petition and click "Sign Here Now!"

2.Read through Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders and click the blue box titled "Sign the Petition."

3.Complete the required fields — name, email, city and state. You can also leave a comment if you wish. We recommend you check the "Signature Display" box so that your name is displayed rather than an anonymous signature.

4.After filling out those fields, click the blue "Sign" button.

5.Once you are finished you'll have the option to share the petition via email, Facebook, Twitter and your blog. Please take a moment to share it with your fellow fanciers, club members, and friends who support responsible breeders.

Thank you for your support.

Please forward this email to your fellow fanciers, club members and friends who support responsible breeders.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the petition or the proposed rule change, please contact our Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org

Sincerely,"
Alan Kalter

Chairman of the Board
American Kennel Club

Bailey's Sons go to Father and Son

Here is a picture of Fawkes and Bo.  Two of Bailey's pups from the two litters Bailey and Sophie created over the last two years.  This makes them brothers.

Fawkes (the bigger older dog in the back) went to Aaron, and Bo (the little pup in the front) went to Ken, Aaron's father.  Great owners.

They will grow up together in towns very close to each other and I am sure they will spend hundreds of hours together growing up.

I am very excited to get together with these young dogs in the field.

Love to see if the "pointing gene" passed through to the next generation.

Be a Point of Light

Randy Travis - Point of Light

This could be the companion quote to go with this very solid tune. "Never, never be afraid, to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."
— Martin Luther King Jr. 


"Do the greatest good for the greatest number of people."  Motto of the CERT program

Just completed two months of Wednesday night classes to become one of my home town's "CERT" members. Most people I met do not know anything about this national FEMA program started about 8 years ago.  Most cities and towns have them now.  Walnut Creek (our hometown) has one of the best.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are citizens that come to the aid of their community when a major emergency strikes.

http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/about.shtm

One of the programs is the saving of dogs and cats during emergencies.  One of the things that was learned in New Orleans, after hurricane Katrina was that rescued and injured people would return into dangerous conditions to get their pets.  Now CERT members rescue pets also and we have special operations to deal with animals rescued.


Below is a video that gives an idea of how ordinary citizens can be "points of light."




CERT in Action, a fierce storm has struck the local community. CERT members activate in their neighborhood, set up an Incident Command Post, and assess damage throughout the area. They use their CERT skills to respond to damage and injured victims in the local community center, managing the situation until professional responders are able to arrive. This video provides a useful introduction to the CERT concept for new program participants and others who may be interested in the program. 

http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/videos/CERTinAction/index.shtm

The Vizsla is and was a hunting dog

( The modern day Vizsla DID arise from a hunting " machine " )

George Noren

3 years & 70,000 visits to redbirddog

This really cool Vizsla blueprint  from the Animal Blueprint Company

Friday, June 8, 2009 I posted my first post after a field trial in the desert north of Reno, NV.

Picture on our first post   

Three years later we are still here.  Bailey and Chloe are getting older and so am I.  We have logged well over 5,000 miles of hiking over the last 36 months and have had many adventures.  What a great ride these dogs have taken me on.   We have met hundreds of wonderful dogs and people over the last three years in person or over the wonderful tool called the internet.


We are honored to have fellow Vizsla Owners from around the world follow our exploits.  Here is a list of visits over the last year from a few different countries:

	United States (US)	23,335
	United Kingdom (GB)	2,663
	Canada (CA)	1,886
	Australia (AU)	546
	Germany (DE)	279
	Netherlands (NL)	177
	India (IN)	160
	Hungary (HU)	157
	Belgium (BE)	154
	New Zealand (NZ)	152
	Philippines (PH)	122
	Ireland (IE)	120
	Slovenia (SI)	119
	Italy (IT)	99
	Romania (RO)	92
	France (FR)	86
	Greece (GR)	82
	South Africa (ZA)	73
	Sweden (SE)	63
	Brazil (BR)	61
	Czech Republic (CZ)	61
	Mexico (MX)	59
	Serbia (RS)	58
	Argentina (AR)	57
	Turkey (TR)	57
	Poland (PL)	53
	Spain (ES)	51

The Vizsla is truly a world-class dog.  Bailey just placed a tennis ball next to my right arm.  He wants me to throw it up so he can catch it in the air.  What a blockhead.  Chloe is outside barking at a squirrel in a tree.  Darn squirrels anyway.  She has just busted back through the dog door to attack and wrestle with her brother. Why?  Who knows.  She loves him, that is one thing I know.  They make us happy that they are part of our lives.  We are happy to share with others our joys and sometimes sorrows.

Happy trails and trials. 

 Life is not measured by the breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.

Chloe acting as my co-pilot

Bailey and me pheasant hunting