Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Wordless Wednesday-Gray Face, Youthful Smile---and an Award

Tubby has a gray face, but a youthful full of life smile!

 I am very happy that our friend Bailey, at the great blog Bailey Be Good, gave us an award!  Please make sure to check out her blog it has lots of great information for pet lovers  Anyway we are so honored that Bailey gave us this award.  The award is called “Premio Destellos Brillantes en el Cielo Azul,” which means:  “Bright Flashes in the Blue Sky Award."  

http://www.baileybegood.com/img/blog/August2011/PremioDestellosBrillantesEnElCieloAzul.jpg


There are a few requirements for accepting this award:

  • Winners must post the award with rules on their blog.
  • Winners must include a link to the person who gave them the award.
  • Winners need to nominate 6 blogs for the award.
  • Winners must leave a message on those 6 blogs to let them know they’ve won.
  • Winners must describe what they dream or wish for most in the world.


 It is very difficult to pick just 6 blogs to give the award too, all of the pet blogs I follow are great.  I somewhat randomly picked 6 terrific blogs.  Please check them out:



 So now for my dream or wish.  My first thought is that I would wish dogs and cats would live as long as people do so that I could have my pets with me longer, but that is a little selfish.  I am not sure that would improve life for dogs and cats, after all they only about 10-15 years now, and sadly many of them can't find loving homes for that length of time.     So I tried to think of something else....


My wish would be that all pet owners would embrace the positive training methods espoused by the likes of Patricia McConnell  and Ian Dunbar (and plenty of other positive trainers.)  Even thought research has pretty much dispelled the dominance theory in regards to dogs, many people still cling to it. Others use punishment based methods that rely on pain and other aversive methods to shape behavior.  I know that wouldn't work for me, why should it work for our pets?   I think if people could gain a better understanding of their dogs (and cats) behavior we would have stronger human/animal bonds, happier pets, happier people, and less homeless animals.

8 comments:

  1. Woof! Woof! I could hardly see your gray face but surely see your happy SMILEY face. Happy Wednesday. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  2. Ooh thank you for the award, how exciting!!
    And yes totally agree with your wish... I've been given the 'advice' before to discipline my cats by spraying them with water or tapping their noses - why would I want to do that?? I've trained both my cats to sit for their dinner and Mr Darcy also knows how to say please for a treat, this was done through positive reinforcement... works much better in my opinion =^..^=

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  3. Congratulations on your award!! I was touched by your wish, I've thought that so many times when thinking of my pets I have lost.

    Love the picture, how precious!

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  4. Love the picture! Congratulations on your award! Well deserved!

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  5. Congratulations on the award!! And thank you for giving us the award - we are so excited!!
    I agree, punishment based training should never be used. Happier pets, happier people, less homeless animals, it is my wish too :-)

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  6. Hi Y'all,

    What a big happy smile you have!

    Congratulations y'all on your award and a hearty thank you!

    Y'all come back now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog
    P.S. Sorry Blogger won't let me use my active blogspot when comments don't pop up, so you'll find the link to it in the intro of the inactive livejournal.

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  7. What a wonderful wish. Congratulations on your award!

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  8. oh what a wonderful photo of tubby and a wonderful wish to match!

    congratulations on your award!

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