Free of the Leash!

Technology goes over the top

Why this surprises me, I don’t know. When our local animal shelter has youth volunteers trying to encourage leashed dogs they are supposed to be walking to fight, this should certainly come as no surprise to me. Yet it does.

How the creators of this game can call it satire is beyond me. Actually, how they could come up with this game is beyond me. I hope the disgust and outrage this has prompted causes the game to be banned.

While I rarely agree with anything from Fox News, here is the FoxNews.com story, including a response from Michael Vick.

The bloody muzzle and cold, calculating eyes of a pit bull stare out from the website for newly released Google Android app “Dog Wars” — a game that trains people in dog fighting, a murderous sport connected not just with cruelty to animals but also in some cases to drugs, guns and murder.

“Feed, water, train and fight your virtual dog against other players,” trumpets the game, which encourages users to “raise your dog to beat the best!”

The Humane Society of the United States has expressed outrage and called for the game to be dropped, while disgusted animal lovers around the Web quickly turned to the chat forums on Google’s own website to voice their disgust.

But the makers of the game call themselves dog lovers and say their intention was satire, not glorification.

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Following in my footsteps

Maddie entered the Twitterverse today. She has embraced social media much more quickly than I did. She now has a blog, an email address and a twitter account. No, she is not going to join Facebook!

www.Twitter.com/MaddieMagoo1

Food mistake?

When Maddie was taking antibiotics, I started feeding her wet food so she would take her pill. Since then, I have continue to put wet food in with her dry. Now I am a bit worried she will be expecting that all the time and refuse to eat her dry food alone. She put my mind a bit at ease this morning, as she did not run straight to her food bowl, even though it was a mix of wet and dry food. She went about her business and ate a little at a time, just like she does when her bowl is filled with just dry food. She only has one container of wet food left, so we shall see what happens.

On another food-related note, Rob and I are getting more strict with her behavior while we are eating. In the past, she has sat on the couch with us while we eat, then she licks off our plates when we are finished. We started making her sit on the floor while we eat so she is not crowding us. She has done surprisingly well. I thought it would take several days to convince her to stay on the floor, but yesterday she only tried jumping back up on the couch once. It’s a remarkable achievement considering how much she adores food and how much she usually drools while we eat!

Pet insurance

This was a topic I had planned to address years ago but never got around to it, so better late than never.

Right after we adopted Maddie, I started hearing a lot about pet insurance. Interesting, I thought. So I did a little research and Rob and I talked about it. In the end, we decided against the insurance — why pay someone else for something we may never use? — and opened a savings account instead, what I have dubbed Maddie’s Fund (no relation to the organization that gives grants to promote no-kill shelters). Every month, Rob and I each contribute a some money from our paychecks and put them into the account. Now, if Maddie has an emergency, or when she needs more care as she grows older, we have money set aside to cover it. And it just might help us from making a very difficult decision for economic reasons.

Migrating clothes

Anyone else have a dog who enjoys moving clothes from one room to another? In the last 15 minutes, Maddie has brought me my running tights, a workout shirt, and a slipper. They join two other slippers, a tennis shoe and Rob’s Steelers hat in the office and living room.

Maddie is past the point of chewing up these items — I did lose several articles of clothing and shoes when she was a puppy — but she does like to bring them into whatever room we’re in. I think it’s her way to trying to get attention when she feels she isn’t getting enough. Now, to teach her to bring them back into the bedroom so I don’t have to do it!

Maddie and the Blizzard

There is nothing Maddie likes more than playing outside. Except maybe playing outside in the snow. Every day she bugs me and whines until I finally take her outside. And it’s not like she really needs me to be there. She is happy burying her tennis ball in the snow and then frantically digging it out, only to move on to the next snow drift and repeat the process again. Unfortunately because of her affinity for the outdoors, she injured her left paw and during her digging sessions she often makes it bleed again. She must then endure antiseptic/antibiotic drops, but I think to her it’s worth it.

Crazy dog adores leaping in the air when you throw snow.

She has a very flexible spine.

I have no idea.

Waiting for another shovelful to fly through the air.

Maddie and Rob

The aftermath.

Maddie and The Exercise Ball

Maddie has found a new nemesis in our blue exercise ball. We discovered she likes to bark at it – maybe because she can’t put it in her mouth – and roll it around with her front legs.

One day we brought it outside to see what would happen with a whole yard to play in. It was a riot. Check it out below.

Maddie and The Exercise Ball

Reuniting sisters

Ruby and Maddie met for the first time in nearly two years today, celebrating their second birthdays together.

Here are the two of them more than a year and a half ago, when we brought them home.

This is when they were adorable. When they were awake I had trouble dealing with the two 6-week old puppies.

Maddie's not really that mean. She just looks like a killer.

We were kind of afraid how Maddie would react to this ‘new’ dog, but the two of them got along great. They hung out for a little while, then we walked into the garden area (Ruby lives on a farm outside of Mount Pleasant) and the two ran full speed back and forth together. It was great to watch.

The pair ate their birthday cupcakes — banana peanut butter with carob chips and cinnamon cream cheese frosting decorated with their initials in carob.

It was fun seeing Ruby again. It was really hard to give her up, but I just couldn’t handle two 6-week old puppies. I’m glad Ruby has a wonderful home where she can run free and explore the world. Even when that exploration includes being sprayed by a skunk!

We found out Maddie and Ruby share a lot in common, both in physical characteristics and behavior-wise. It’s nice to know there are two crazy pups out there!

Maddie and Ruby will enjoy reunions every two weeks this summer and fall when we go to pick up our organic produce.

Ruby and Maddie meet for the first time in nearly two years.

Maddie enjoys her birthday cupcake.

Ruby eats her birthday cupcake.

My girl turns 2

Today is Maddie’s second birthday. It’s hard for me to believe. On one hand, it feels like she’s been with us forever. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem possible she’s already two-years old.

I made banana peanut butter cupcakes for all of her friends. And Maddie gets to see her sister Ruby for the first time since we had to find a new home for her. I can’t wait to see how that goes. Maddie has gotten a bit anti-social when it comes to dogs. She still loves people, but she pretty much ignores dogs. I hope they get along and play a bit. We’ll be seeing Ruby every other week throughout the summer and fall when we pick up our organic produce from her moms (one is the owner of MoGoOrganic in Mount Pleasant).

I’ll post pictures after our visit.

New dog park website

The Burlington Regional Dog Park has its own website! You can find it at http://brdogpark.blogspot.com