RSVP for BarkPark to benefit Colony Cats (& dogs)

Colony Cats (& dogs) is pleased to announce that we will be the beneficiary of a day at Barkpark, a beautiful, 10+ acre private fenced-in park with a pond in Delaware, Ohio, near the Columbus Zoo. The cost to attend is $20 with all of the proceeds benefiting Colony Cats (& dogs). Dogs must be spayed/neutered, friendly with other dogs and people, current on vaccinations & bordatella. Owners must bring proof of this or a statement on veterinarian letterhead for a dog who is no longer vaccinated due to medical reasons.

The event runs from 10-4pm on Saturday, June 22 so there is plenty of time during the day to stop over for a chance to run with the other dogs. We serve lunch all day, will offer a nice selection of items for sale as well as some wonderful raffle baskets (including a pair of OSU football season tickets). We will even bathe your dog, trim their nails and send them off with a treat or two. Who could ask for a better day for our pups!!

For more information or to be added to the guest list, please call or email Karen at 614-271-4086 or kaernes@aol.com. See you there!!

Enjoying the late afternoon with my pack at the ravine

Let Dogs Be Dogs

I posted this on Facebook yesterday because I am so tired of seeing the negative effects this 'dog as little people' is having on our dogs. We are rewarding fear and increasing dependency, creating a whole lot of neurotic dogs while trying to fulfill our own emotional voids. Let's love them by respecting them for who they are and providing for their needs, not ours.  I am the mother to three beautiful young women. I am the owner of three amazing dogs. I love them all. But I love them differently. And I will do serious damage to anyone who hurts any of them. But I love them differently… (Oh, and by the way, Happy belated Father's Day to all the amazing dad's out there).

I HATE this message because of what it implies. To me, it is so wrong, dogs are not our 4-legged children or furbabies. They are dogs…and should be honored and respected for what that means. This message from Cesar Millan, love him or hate him, is so true - "The best way to be a “parent” to your dog is to be a calm, assertive Pack Leader, fulfill their needs with Exercise, Discipline, and Affection, in that order, and give them Rules, Boundaries and Limitations. This is probably also the best way to be a parent to your human children, but don’t forget the big difference. Most human children will grow up to become adults. Your canine pack is dependent on you for life.
The best thing you can do for them is to let your dogs be dogs. They’ll be calmer and happier for it, and so will you — and they’ll thank you for it every day in their own way." Sorry, just needed to vent 

Enough said!

WooFstock 2013

WooFstock 2013, August 24, 6-10p 

at Columbus Commons 

Hope to see you there!

Awesome!!!

A message to small dog owners

When out walking a 120lb. leash aggressive labrador rescue I was training we were suddendly confronted by a snarling little chihuahua who could have easily been mistaken for Cujo. The little guy ran off his property, barking and snarling while trying to wrap his mouth around the Lab's leg. The attack was sudden and unexpected, the dog seemed to appear out of nowhere. The lab meanwhile, in the blink of an eye, was in full fight mode, ready and willing to take on the challenge. I was trying to move my dog away, which meant walking into the middle of a fairly busy residential street, mindful that the chihuahua had a good chance of getting killed by my dog or a passing car. I could have easily crossed that street with the lab in tow but I was truly afraid that the chihuahua would be hit by a passing car. The chihuahua was relentless, lunging at every opportunity. The owner appeared to my delight, but instead of calling off her dog, she stood there laughing her silly head off, oblivious to the dangers her dog was facing. I yelled to the fool, "get your dog before my dog kills him". She ignored me and called her friends from her backyard to come watch her macho dog in action. She was so proud. Now mad as hell and not much caring about the fate of the chihuahua I crossed the street, calming down the dog at the end of the leash in the process. The last I saw, the chihuahua was standing in the middle of the road still barking and snarling as we continued our walk.

The behavior of the chihuahua was not cute. The owner's behavior was despicable but not uncommon. I've always owned big dogs. I train many small dogs and enjoy their quirky personalities. I have always maintained that if a behavior is not appropriate for a large dog, then it is not appropriate for a small dog either. The behavior we demand from our big breeds is the same behavior we should demand from small dogs.