A Dog
is for Life.
Not Just for Christmas
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM JOANN :
A DOG IS FOR LIFE. NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS.
I’d like to ask any of you who are considering buying a dog to please think about adopting one instead. The sad fact is that most breeds have a rescue society set up and these are filled with expensive dogs who, through no fault of their own, need a good, loving home. Of course, it’s not just the recognized breeds that this applies to and the regular city pounds are also filled with sweet, mixed breed dogs needing a family to love them.
Owning a dog of ANY size is a HUGE commitment but if you’re willing and able to take that on, you will be rewarded every day by your new pet. Please remember that training your dog is an essential part of being an owner. It’s time well spent that will be enjoyed by both you and your pet as you work together and strengthen the bond between you.
As you can see, I’m a Dobermann fan but since these are large, energetic dogs that need a firm hand, this breed does not suit everyone and may not be the type for you.
I adopted both Chieftain
and Ceilidh (formerly Buddy and Filly) from a wonderful 
organization
- Doberman Rescue in Fillmore, California. They also rescue “little
paws” – smaller breed dogs. Their website is www.dobierescue.org.
This non-profit organization was founded by Ardis Braun in 1987 and
has rehoused over 9,000 dogs since that time. Ardis and her team of
volunteers do an awesome job. In fact Susan has since formed her own
rescue facility, Doberman Pinscher SOS, especially for Special Needs
and elderly Dobes. Her website is www.dobiesos.com.
If you would like me to help you locate the nearest rescue facility to you, please click on this link joann@glasgowgirl.com and title your email “Dog Rescue” and I’ll be happy to assist.
My Dobermann family has recently expanded to include two wee sisters for Chieftain and Ceilidh. Ruadh (a beautiful red who came to me from a family no longer able to keep her) and Ailsa Craig (a sweet Dobe/Rottweiler mix who had exceeded her legal stay at the local pound) have adapted well to their new home and family. Since it's impossible to keep all four of them still long enough to take their picture, I've opted for the separate ones shown below!
Even if you are unable to adopt a dog due to your personal circumstances, please consider making a (tax-deductible) donation to Doberman Pinscher Rescue and Little Paws, Fillmore, CA, Doberman Pinscher SOS, Tehachapi, CA or any animal shelter or rescue organization of your choice. Thank you on behalf of our canine friends. They ask so little and give so much.
Treat me kindly,
my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for
kindness than this loving heart of mine.
Do not break my spirit with a stick, for although I might lick your hand
between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach
me the things you would have me learn.
Speak to me often, for your voice is the world’s sweetest music,
as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when the sound of your
footsteps falls upon my waiting ear.
Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I am a domesticated
animal, no longer accustomed to bitter elements. I ask no greater glory
than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth.
Keep my dish filled with fresh water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer
thirst.
Feed me clean food that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your
bidding, to walk by your side and stand ready, willing and able to protect
you with my life.
And, my friend, when I am very old and I no longer enjoy good health,
hearing and sight, don’t make heroic efforts to keep me going.
I am not having any fun. Please see to it that my life is taken gently.
I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath I draw that my
fate was always safest in your hands.
If you can start the day without caffeine, if you can get going without
pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any
time,
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you, when through
no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct
him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudices,
Then my friend, you are almost as good as your dog.
I’m sorry
I wet on the rug and chewed your slippers up,
But what do you expect from me, I’m just a little pup.
If you take the time to train me then the things that I could do
Would make you very proud that I belong to you!
Ten Commandments For A Responsible Pet Owner
- My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be painful.
- Give me time to understand what you want of me.
- Place your trust in me – it’s crucial for my well being.
- Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment. I HAVE ONLY YOU!
- Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand the words, I understand your voice.
- Be aware that however you treat me, I’ll never forget it.
- Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I chose not to bite you.
- Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I’ve been in the sun too long, or my heart may be old and getting weak.
- Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow old.
- Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say “I can’t bear to watch” or “Let it happen in my absence”. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember I love you.
When God had made the earth and sky, the flowers and trees
He then made all the animals, the fish, the birds and bees.
And when at last He’d finished not one was quite the same.
He said “I’ll walk this world of mine and give each one a
name”.
And so He traveled far and wide and everywhere He went, a little creature
followed Him until its strength was spent.
When all were named upon the earth and in the sky and sea, the little
creature said
“Dear Lord, there’s not one left for me”.
Kindly the Father said to him “I’ve left you to the end.
I’ve turned my own name back to front and called you dog, my friend”.
The family’s
dog was bought for a guard, chained to a post in a chilly back yard.
Housed in a shed that was airless and dark, and every few weeks had a
run in the park.
When boredom set in with no fun and no work, one day it broke loose and
went quietly berserk.
Pa just couldn’t fathom why it went wild as it flattened his wife
and then bit his child.
The police were called in to sort out the mess and the whole sorry story
was revealed by the press.
The Rescue Society was really annoyed, so the dog was rehomed and the
owners destroyed.
Photos courtesy of Rupert Thorpe
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