Rabbit Patrol

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Houndstooth| 19 Comments

I haven’t made a secret of the fact that Morgan has a War on Rabbits here in our yard.  Actually, it extends throughout our entire neighborhood.  She is convinced that they all wear little kamikaze vests under their fur and will detonate our house if given the chance.  There’s no convincing her that they are not dangerous invaders.

There have been plenty of funny stories about Mo and her battles against the lagomorphs in our yard.  She once even drug Mr. Taleteller off his feet and across the yard in her closest encounter of the rabbit kind where she came out of the bayberry bush with tail fur stuck between her teeth.  I’m not sure what they’ve ever done to her, but she has a death mark on the back of each one.

Morgan in the Vee -- Tales And TailsI don’t think having a vendetta against rabbits is unique to Morgan, though.  There are plenty of dogs who dislike the pesky furballs and work to exterminate them.  However, when I got home from BlogPaws, I noticed that she has taken her battle to a new level.  Friends of the internet, she has taken on recruits.

Morgan in the Tree -- Tales And TailsMy husband now hates the rabbits in the yard as much as Morgan does.  When we come home in the evening, he will nearly foam at the mouth if he sees a rabbit out in the yard.  I’m surprised he hasn’t driven the van across the lawn in an attempt at lapin eradication.  He is now out to get them with almost as much passion as Morgan, if not more.

The day I got home from the conference, we were sitting in the living room and I looked up to see Morgan standing at one window watching for rabbits while Mr. Taleteller stood at the other window staring at a rabbit.  He actually went outside and chased them down, under the guise of keeping Morgan from getting riled up by seeing them.

I’m not fooled, however.  I’m pretty sure Morgan has slipped him the Kool Aid and converted him somehow to be a follower of her rabbit killing cult.  Of course, neither of them has actually caught one of the furry varmints, they’ve just had close calls.  I wonder what our neighbors think when they see my husband running across the yard chasing after the rabbits, but perhaps some mysteries are best left unsolved.  I just know that it greatly amuses me, and I have a feeling that Morgan is really proud that she’s finally convinced someone that her mission has validity.

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We’re participating in this Saturday’s Pet Blog Hop, hosting by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.  If you’d like to participate, please follow the rules and follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste the html code into your html editor.  Thanks again to our hosts for putting on the hop!

Posted in dogs, German Shepherd, Morgan, Mr.Taleteller, pets

A Social Media Experiment To Get Crates For Search And Rescue Dogs

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Houndstooth| 24 Comments

I mentioned this week that I learned a lot about social media and how it works while I was at BlogPaws. The truth is that as bloggers, we have powerful voices if we choose to use them in the right way. There’s something that I’ve been wanting to work on, and I know that I need connections in order to make it happen. That’s where all of you come in, because I think what I really need is for just the right person to hear my voice and request. Even though you might not be able to do anything to help, if you share the message in some way, I’m hoping that my voice will make it to the right ear.

In the past year, I’ve learned a lot about making connections with companies and brands and that often there are a lot more people reading my blog than I realize. One example that comes to mind was when I mentioned the brand of dog food that we use and was then approached by that company to do some reviews and try some new products for them. I was stunned and I am sure that I had more than a brief geek moment when I heard from them. I don’t get free dog food yet, but my husband continues to hope. Maybe one day the dream will happen.

While I’ve been learning about a lot of pet brands, I’ve also been learning that many of them also have philanthropic branches that reach out to give back to pet communities. I’ve actually been lucky enough to talk with a few of them. However, while many companies have ways of giving back, most of them are very specific about who they help, and they should be. If they aren’t, I’m sure they’d be overwhelmed by groups with open hands.

This makes it hard if you’re a group outside of that niche, though. It’s no secret that Mr. Taleteller and Küster are part of the McClean County EMA. That’s who they do their SAR work through. Everybody who works in Search and Rescue is a volunteer, and it’s not a cheap endeavor. A friend of ours recently said that most canine SAR handlers spend between $5,000 – $7,000 a year out of their own pockets. The group is working on fixing up a trailer for the dogs to ride and rest in and have a place for medical treatment. They have a budget, but at this point, they have to decide between having crates in the trailer or having air conditioning.

Truthfully, they really need both. What I have been trying to use my voice for is to get them four to six large side opening crates to use in the trailer. This wouldn’t be a huge hardship for a company to donate, and they would gladly accept crates that have been returned or considered “scratched and dented.” They are even willing to drive somewhere and pick them up. This would make things so much nicer for the dogs. I can’t imagine them having to rest in there after working with no air conditioning, though. This is especially important after they’ve been working hard and need to rest. Heck, it would be really important to me as a human, too. These dogs work hard and give it all they’ve got, and they deserve just a little comfort during their down time.

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So, this is me, using my voice in attempt to find something that could really benefit a lot of people at some point. It will certainly benefit a few search and rescue dogs. I believe that the group would be very happy to bring the trailer and dogs to someone’s business and do PR for them, gladly telling people about what they’ve done for them and demonstrating the dogs’ skills. If there’s someone that wants to donate beds to go in the crates or certain toys, that would just be frosting on the cake.

I know that someone, somewhere has access to the resources we need, it’s just a matter of getting in touch with them. I’m writing this post partially to see if the power of social media can work a small touch of magic and also to plant the seeds in other people’s minds about how you can try to reach out and use your voice to help others who don’t have the voice that you do. Of course, it goes without saying that if someone does donate crates for the group, I will gladly sing their praises here on the blog. Free publicity can go a long way, in case any businesses out there are listening. I do also know that there are people out there who would donate to a chip in type of fund if I started one, but that would be a different kind of social media experiment, and I want to see if my voice can find the ears of a company willing to donate first. What I would greatly appreciate from our readers is if you would share this post in some way so that we can try to get the right eyes at the right time.

There are a lot of resources out there for shelters, but not many things are available for working dogs. I’ve talked to several companies who support rescues with crate donations, but don’t see the great need that there is for resources for working dogs. That’s another reason for writing this post. I want people to see the need that these groups have for resources so that companies can start to make connections with them when they want to do good deeds. I know there are a lot of groups out there with a lot of needs, but if nobody speaks up, the need isn’t known. So, this is my first ever attempt at using the blog to fill a need for someone else. It might work out and it might not, but nothing ventured is nothing gained.

Posted in dogs, German Shepherd, Kuster, Search and Rescue

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Küster Is Not Going To Oklahoma

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Houndstooth| 35 Comments

I was going to spend all week talking about BlogPaws, but I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about whether Küster will be going to search in Oklahoma for the victims of the tornadoes there. There short answer is no, but I thought I would explain a little bit about why.

The biggest reason is that Küster isn’t certified yet. He is very good at what he does, but an actual disaster is not a place to take a dog for training. There’s no practice in this situation, there are people’s lives actually in the balance. While I don’t have any doubt that a lot of people would enjoy Küster’s antics, there are liability issues involved that mean he can’t do actual searches until he has his certification. Search and Rescue dog certifications are very demanding and specific.

Küster Uses His Nose -- Tales And TailsThat leads into my next reason. Küster is learning to do what’s called “live find” and tracking. He is given a specific human scent from an article of clothing or something else very personal to the victim. He then finds where that specific person has gone by following their scent on the ground. By comparison, our friend Buzz is learning “area search.” He goes out to search through an area and find any human scent, not one specific human scent. Area search dogs are much more likely to be used in the situation in Oklahoma, because they don’t know exactly who they’re searching for. There could be people in that debris that nobody even knows about. There will probably also be cadaver dogs searching for bodies. I’m not saying that no live find dogs would be needed, but it’s much less likely in the conditions they’re working in right now.

Another reason is that search and rescue dogs are called into situations like that in a very specific fashion. Groups from Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma were called. Teams in Missouri were put on standby. Illinois, Indiana, and Tennessee have sent letters offering mutual aid if it becomes necessary, which it might as the current dogs working will soon be too fatigued to work and will need a break. People with SAR dogs don’t just start randomly showing up. Having teams from specific areas means that they can direct the searches and organize them to make sure that every area is searched, nothing is missed and that it’s done when the area has been cleared and deemed safe enough for them to enter. Searches are done in a sort of grid format, and they don’t want people randomly wandering through them in a haphazard manner.

Kuster on the Run -- Tales And TailsSo, Küster and Mr. Taleteller are still on the bench this time. There will be a time when they will go search, and it will probably be in the near future. That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing that we can do to help. It just means that we’ll be helping in other ways from here at home. The good news is that you can help from home, too. You can donate to the Red Cross. They are providing direct aid to those who have been displaced by the disaster.

Another good place to donate to is the National Search Dog Foundation.  They find dogs in shelters that have potential as SAR dogs and train them.  If the dogs don’t work out for SAR, they place them in homes.  Before you donate to anyone, be sure to look into their organization and make sure they’re legitimate.  Unfortunately, when a major disaster strikes, there are less than honest individuals who will try to cash in on the generosity and goodwill of others.  I’m not saying that there aren’t other legitimate agencies out there providing aid, but I am saying that you should ask questions and do research before you give your money to anyone.

I realize this is a lot more information than you needed to know about whether or not the Black Tornado is going to Oklahoma, but hopefully it helps the answer make more sense.  The truth is, there are things all of us can do to help, even if we don’t have a Search and Rescue dog in our house.  We all have time, money or other things that we can donate to help out when disaster strikes.

Study in Orange -- Tales And Tails

Posted in dog, dogs, German Shepherd, Kuster, Mr.Taleteller, Search and Rescue

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Wordless Wednesday 5/22 — Just Out Of Reach

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Houndstooth| 37 Comments

I Can Almost Reach It -- Tales And Tails

Posted in Blueberry, dogs, Greyhound, pets, photography, wordless

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So Why Go To A Pet Blog Conference

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Houndstooth| 32 Comments

Last weekend was the second time I’ve attended BlogPaws and it was certainly a great experience for me. However, I know that a lot of people don’t understand the point of going to a conference dedicated to blogging about pets. A lot of people have expressed interest in learning what I learned from the conference, so I thought I’d share some things so you have a better idea about what it’s all about.

Cute Little Chick -- Tales And TailsOn my blog, I write mainly about our dogs and our experiences along with some products that we like from time to time and even a few sad moments, although I try to keep my posts fun and light-hearted. However, I realize that there are people blogging about all kinds of things related to their pets. I have seen bloggers at the conference who write about dogs, cats, ferrets, mini pigs, guinea pigs, snakes, rats, capybaras, horses, pet businesses, reviews of pet products and pet training. What I think is cool is getting to meet all these different people with all these different interests. I learn just as much or more from conversations with other bloggers as I do from the formal speakers.

Honey -- Tales And TailsOf course, that leads me to the informational sessions. Some of these are better than others, and I think the key is finding the ones that really apply to you and what you’re doing. I learned about things like SEO (which is still a foreign language that I don’t speak), connecting with people in the digital age, ways to improve my blog behind the scenes and what the future of blogging holds. I’m generally a person who doesn’t think a lot about how to reach more people. I’m content in my comfortable place with the blog, but conferences like this remind me that there are things that I can do that don’t cost anything but my time to make it better. When I learn about new things that I don’t know at a conference, I usually do feel compelled to learn more about them and see how they can work better for me.

Another important component of the conference is the opportunity to meet with other pet businesses. I didn’t just meet people who run pet-based businesses and companies, I met people who have messages they’re trying to get out about certain campaigns as well as medical issues and health concerns. I met businesses who are well-established and some who are new and just trying to get off the ground in innovative new ways. You can’t believe how many people there want to give you stuff. As a matter of fact, I got so much free stuff that I had to pay one hundred dollars to bring it all home.

Daisy -- Tales And TailsI came home and it was hard to return to reality. You sort of live the life of a rock star during the conference. All kinds of people want to talk to you and make their best impression. Bloggers have the eyes and ears of the people that a lot of companies really want on them. It’s in their best interest to sort of wine and dine us, and they do it pretty well in most cases. In my everyday life, that is a rarity. I teach PreK and nobody cares about my opinion. To go to a place where everybody seems to hold you in high regard feels like stepping into a fairy tale.

Colorful Poodle -- Tales And TailsHowever, I will tell you that while I learned a lot, had some incredible opportunities, and got to seem some awesome pet products, the very best part of it all is making connections with other bloggers. You will meet people that you don’t completely agree with, but you will meet others who seem like long lost siblings, too. The opportunity to share ideas with people who share your passions and interests is invaluable. I think that a lot of new ideas were sparked over the weekend and all of the blogosphere will benefit by it, whether you were in attendance or not. I was even lucky enough to have a few of them throw me a birthday party.  While I came home physically tired, I also feel really invigorated and energized with ideas. I’d say to anyone who asked me that you should definitely go to a conference if you get the chance, because you never know exactly where it will take you.

Posted in blog awards, BlogPaws, blogs, dogs

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And The Winner Is…

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Houndstooth| 50 Comments

Bunny here at the keyboard feeling very happy to have Mom home from her trip to BlogPaws.

You might remember that Mom had been feeling ambivalent about going to BlogPaws this year, because it was scheduled during school time for her and because it’s expensive to go.  However, she decided she really wanted to go when a certain picture of yours truly was nominated for a Nose To Nose Award.  Then, she got lucky enough to get a sponsor, so once again, she packed her bags and traveled off to Tyson’s Corner, Virginia.  Just between you and me, I think they really ought to have that conference in the Midwest so that a lot of us pets in the middle of the country could have a chance to attend, but they didn’t ask me, so I stayed at home to keep an eye on Dad and keep the Shepherds under control.

Evil Eye On You -- Tales And Tails I hear that Mom had a lot of fun and learned all kinds of stuff, but I wanted to get a chance at the keyboard before she starts writing about all that stuff.  I figured that what everybody wants to know about is if she won the award or not, and I feel that I ought to at least be able to share that with you since I didn’t get to attend, and we all really know that I did the hard part of making that photo, which was to sit still and look good.  I mean, sure, Mom pointed the camera and pressed the button, but we all know where the magic really happens.

Anyroo, the last night of BlogPaws, Mom and the other finalists for all the different categories had to walk down the red carpet and go into the awards ceremony.  I hear there were dogs, cats, ferrets and other animals who dressed up and walked down the carpet, too.  Oh, how I wish I had been there for that!  Mom and the other finalists were supposed to sit in the front in case they won.  Of course, Mom didn’t have anything prepared to say because she was sure someone else would win.  She was sitting with Miss Jen from My Brown Newfies and Miss Jodi from Kol’s Notes and they were all waiting for their categories to be read.  At one point, Miss Jodi, Miss Jen and Mom all realized that they had nothing prepared to say in the rare event that they won and Miss Jodi told Miss Jen and Mom that they should be very concerned at that point.  Mom told Miss Jodi that she was going to laugh really hard if she won.

Conference Credentials -- Tales And TailsFinally the time came to announce the winner for Best Photo — and they called Mom’s name and they showed my picture on the big screen.  Mom says she was in complete shock and barely managed to say anything, but she did remember to mention that Dad helps us and is very supportive and that I am a fantastic model. I have to admit that my tail has been wagging for her since we got the big news.  We’re also happy for Miss Jodi for winning her category along with all the other winners, even the cat blogs.

So there you have it.  A little Greyhound from the middle of the cornfield who never raced and a human who does photography as a hobby for a little blog on the internet managed to win big.  Let that be a lesson to everybody out there that big dreams can happen to everybody.  I think Mom and I will be floating on our little cloud for quite a while.  We’d like to say a big thank you to whoever nominated our picture and to the people who voted for it to win.  It was one of the best surprises we’ve ever had.

Award Winner -- Tales And Tails

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Posted in blog awards, Blog Paws, Bunny, dogs, Greyhound

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