Finding The Right Tiny Breed

In about a year I should have a new dog with my fianceé and choosing a breed is more difficult than I thought. Since we are moving into an apartment complex that only allow dogs that weigh 25 pounds or less that limits my choices a bit. I wanted a larger dog for plenty of reasons but now I have to settle on a smaller breed. And researching them I find that I like a lot of them but found few that I truly absolutely LIKE or WANT to care for. Mostly because I don’t feel confident enough, especially with terriers. I’d love a smaller terrier, but I feel like I can’t care for one good enough or that I don’t know enough regarding dog training so I could handle a stubborn but darling terrier.

Right now (my opinion changes every week) I am fixated on the Havanese. It appears to be a moderately easy dog to care for despite the coat care, they are eager to please and easy to train. And for being a small dog it seems to be quite stout and adorably bouncy. Since I’m looking into the grooming business I was considering maybe I could groom him myself, but we’ll see. I wonder if it’s good practice or not. Oh, the decisions.

Choosing a dog breed is so difficult I wonder why I haven’t gone insane yet. Right now I don’t have much to report on this matter since I need to research even more on smaller dog breeds to find one that pleases me. Some other dog breeds I’ve found sound pleasant along with the Havanese are: Miniature Poodle, Bichon Frisé, Welsh Corgi Pembroke and West Highland White Terrier. We’ll see if the list keeps growing or if I will cut some of these candidates off the list.

What’s that? What my fianceé wants? PFFFFFFFFF!

Training Future Pooches

I had a German Shepherd named Zelda when I was younger. She is still alive, living in the countryside and is apparently really fat. The reason we separated was that I had to move away from my mum’s to study and my apartment didn’t allow dogs. I was very sad because despite my bad training methods, Zelda was, and probably still is, the happiest dog I have ever met in my life.

Zelda!

When I think about her and think about the training methods we used on her, I am absolutely stunned how much of a trooper she’s been. While at puppy training class, I was taught how to handle a dog little by little with treats and praise, but at home things weren’t like that. I feel appalled at what I might have done to my dog to cause her pain and distress under the guidance of another family member. While we didn’t actively throw our beautiful doggie around, occasional slaps on the snout and angry screaming did occur. I am so ashamed of this and my only defense in this case is that I was relatively young back then and just didn’t know how to do things correctly. I am sorry, Zelda, you are an amazingly happy dog that deserves every bit of good life that we could possibly give you. Unfortunately, due to a rift between my mother and myself, I can’t get to Zelda anymore and it breaks my heart as I miss her so much.

Zelda was not the only German Shepherd we ever had. Hani was another occasion when I was younger.  Unfortunately, she didn’t stay long since she became aggressive, probably due to the anxiety and fear my mum induced on her and the lack of exercise. My mum is not the most compassionate person I have met and she might have had a hard time understanding Hani’s body language and what she actually needed. Hani was rehomed, thank goodness. By the end of her stay with us she was so anxious that it was uncomfortable to be home with her. I hope she has a wonderful life, that Hani, not that it was difficult to improve her situation from where she was.

To my credit, I did understand some of Zelda’s, warning language, even in a very basic sense. Many times when I gave her a slap on the snout, she would turn her head to the side, eyes fixed on me. The whites of her eyes would show and she would lift her lip to show her teeth. She was telling me to back away as I was making her very uncomfortable. Who can blame her? Sometimes I listened and sometimes I didn’t. I was never once bitten and I believe this is testament on how amazing Zelda truly is. And I took her for granted.

I have wanted a dog since then and still do. But until a year ago I didn’t feel too confident about the idea. Fortunately I’ve found Positive Training. I have been absolutely fascinated by this training method. I can train my dog and not use my hand on them? That sounds like such an amazing thing that I had to know more about it. This is the training method I shall attempt to use on my future pooches.

I discovered the Positive Training method after my aunt got a puppy and we attempted to use Dominance Training methods on him and they clearly didn’t work. Since I had no actual knowledge how to handle a hyperactive adolescent doggie, I was stumped and so was my aunt.  Kaiser is a dog that the more you restrained him, the more he fought back.  So dominance training OBVIOUSLY wasn’t the answer. Yeah, you can make your dog shut down if you manage to throw him onto his back and keep him there, but Kaiser was too strong for us and I think it is just as well. He’s a smart dog, he shouldn’t be held down anyway.

Despite my shortcomings and feelings of guilt, I have actively been searching a way to teach my future dogs in a manner that my dog will find very fun and pleasant and will make me more patient and understanding of dogs. Reading about a dogs in a more general sense has been extremely interesting in my opinion and very vital for any person considering a dog. I want to make a career caring for dogs.  Right now, my dreams are to become a groomer and a doggy daycare owner, because I want to help advertise the importance of understanding your dog. It’s become a dream since, as I have stated, we take dogs for granted. They are absolutely brilliant animals and I think constantly being around them we are desensitised from their amazingness which we should never be! Dogs are much smarter than some of us think, they are capable of such complex tasks. Whether they're working alongside us or living in our homes as companions, they deserve our utmost respect.

I don’t want to be an alpha to my dog. I want to give my dog the guidelines it needs to live comfortably with me.  What will I earn for all this? Affection and trust from a doggy companion while they feel safe and relaxed. So positive training from now on!

Positive Guidance!

I had to draw this. Get it out of my system and all that <3!

Little Doggies!

I'm making charms for sale and decided to draw a few dogs among all the other motifs I have.

We are CUTE!

I'm going to make a few more dogs and other animals included. Not sure yet what breeds I will include, though.

Dog Breeds That Fascinate Me: Border Collie

I decided to write about breeds that especially fascinate me. I might just end up writing about most breeds since there are so many wonderful ones out there. At this time I will start with the Border Collie. Yes, it’s fairly common breed and thus this might not be the most interesting article to read. But Border Collies, man! These medium to large sized dogs are considered to be the most intelligent dog breed that is out there and really, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration.

This breed fascinates me because it’s so intelligent. Not only that, it is agile, fast and an extremely efficient herding dog. If I had sheep, I’d get a Border Collie like right then and there. But alas, I don’t have a herd of sheep for a dog to look after, which is why I am unsure about adopting a Border Collie.

Due to their herding skills they need a lot of exercise. And a lot as in A LOT. I am simply frightened that I cannot provide this breed what it needs. A best case scenario would probably be for a Border Collie to herd sheep daily to keep them occupied, however, that doesn’t mean it’s an absolute no go as a pet dog. There are Border Collies who don’t have enough herding instinct to actually work as herding dogs. They excel in most dog sports since they are so willing to do things. Which is another reason I am interested in them, the training! I want to spend a lot of time training my dogs, but some dogs might not find training that interesting!

Dog intelligence is also a double-edged sword. Since they are so smart there might be some outsmarting situations. A dog is a living, constantly thinking creature that can be quite stubborn. Oh, you closed the door on your dog? No problem, dog can learn to open it without a sweat! This is why it’s extremely important to keep these kind of breeds mentally and physically stimulated, they need it to be happy. As dog owners we need to do it to be happy.

My biggest problem probably is that I am not an outdoor sort of person. If I have a dog, I will take it out for walks no questions asked, but these dogs are extreme athletes, I can’t just take them around for a long walk. I need to stay outside WITH them, for hours if possible. I want to change that trait in me because really, I love nature and I love outdoors, but actually going outside can seem like such a hassle to me, reasons being my anxiety and depression. But this change will take time and it’s not a dog’s duty to change me, I have to do it myself. Yeah, having a hyper dog might motivate me to go outside, but anxiety doesn’t work like that. I might start hating it instead of disliking it and that’s even worse.

The good thing is, I won’t live alone in the future. I’m going to get married and I won’t have to take on the duty of our future dogs (be it Border Collie or not) solely on my shoulders. I have a lot of passion for dogs and my future dream jobs include grooming dogs (and cats <3) and becoming a dog trainer. I just really admire the Border Collie diligence and intelligence, but taking on this breed seems like a mammoth task. However, a dog is supposed to be a pleasant thing in our lives, they should never feel like a chore or then we have dogs for the wrong reason. I think I might be able to provide a Border Collie the home it needs but not right now.  I need experience and a lot of confidence before I take on a hyper breed like this. I have no doubt, that someday I might just be up for the task!

My Top 10 Fictional Canines!

There have been a number of awesome dog characters through the years and of course, some stay with us forever. I wanted to list my top 10 favorite fictional doggies!

10. Wolf Link

Wolf Link

I like Twilight Princess.  I don’t care what others say, I had fun playing it and while it’s not the best Legend of Zelda it’s still made me play it through a few times. That’s more than some other video games out there. The reason why Wolf Link is so low on the list is because my artistic self cries out when I see his mangled anatomy and “painful-to-look-at” animation. I just wished he moved more fluidly like a canine rather than stomping about like a bison. Still, he is a vital part of the game so he gets his place in this list.

9. Bolt

Bolt

I think most people went to see this movie not expecting much. I was no exception and I was pleasantly surprised! Bolt is an absolutely adorable movie and Bolt as a character was very fun and charming. My only problem is his design. Yes, he’s super cute, but he’s supposed to be an American White German Shepherd dog. Apparently his design went over many makeovers and the design choice is a very conscious one. I don’t mind how Bolt looks, it’s just that he’s more of a corgi than a GSD.

8. John

John

How can I not include a character or two from the very nostalgic show Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. When I was a kid this show was the most awesome thing ever. Dogs! Fighting bears of the size of houses and a big baddie bear of the size of a goddamn castle! Looking at it now it’s just really ridiculous but I still have emotional connections to it and thus I still watch it and enjoy it, regardless of the stupidity. John was one of the main characters and a GSD. He... didn’t do much since the main character was the goddamned doggie Jesus so of course anyone and everything bowed to this thing while he slayed satan- I mean the massive bear.

7. Benizakura

Benizakura

Benizakura is also from Ginga Nagareboshi Gin and his character was something I really appreciated. The show also includes dogs from all over Japan so they can fight this monstrous bear. Benizakura was one of the recruits the main character managed to lure with them. Benizakura was very unique in the way that he really, really appreciated his owner and leaving him basically killed him (later he got mauled by a bear). The scene where Benizakura’s owner screams and begs him to come back is really heartfelt (although why didn’t the silly kid just call animal rescue or something instead of falling over his feet and crying into the sunset.)

6.

Cerberus

Cerberus

I don’t really have much to say here, a three headed monstrous canine that is also the Lord of the Underworld’s’ pet. Awesome. No words. Also, I love mythological creatures, so... moving on!

5. Garurumon

Garurumon

This stripy tiger dog Digimon was the coolest thing ever when I got up to watch the show every Wednesday morning. Digimon itself is a fun show that means a lot to me but Garurumon specifically was the coolest. It’s a huge dog with purple nails, how can I not like it? Fun fact: He transforms into a werewolf and then further onto a mechanical dog with a swiss knife blade as a tail.

4. Arcanine

Arcanine

Arcanine is just simply a beautiful design. My beloved Arcanine from Pokemon White 2 is named Helios and he’s the top of my team.  The fu dog of the pokemon world, Arcanine is a fire-type and highly underrated. He can fight through anything with amazing power and diversity in his attacks. Let us give a hand to Arcanine!

3. Jake

Jake

Adventure time! Come on, grab your friends! This show is an experience I recommend anyone try. My fiancée got me into Adventure Time and I hope she’s not regretting it. I love this show and more specifically, I love Jake. The more I’ve been reading about dogs and how they function, the more I can appreciate that, despite Jake’s very un-doglike stretchy powers, he still has a doggy mind set. He has a short attention span, he is highly food motivated and he’s a little bit egocentric, just like dogs are in nature. I love Jake, he’s an awesomely well crafted character that deserves recognition for being so true to dogs... in a way.

2. Inspector Rex

Rex

When I was little, a local channel used to air this show in German with Finnish subtitles, and man did I love it. Unfortunately my reading skills weren’t the best back then so I couldn’t really understand what was going on. However, it never stopped me from appreciating how awesome this dog was. Rex was a dog I really enjoyed to watch as it boggled my little child mind how much one dog is capable off. It seemed like there was nothing Rex couldn’t do. Rex, despite your foreign language, I love you immensely.

1. Amaterasu

Amaterasu

Technically not a dog, but gods don’t ask permission and Amaterasu is no different. Amaterasu, Ammy for short, is the sun god. She appears in the video game Ôkami (a pun, in japanese Ôkami can mean either wolf or great god.)  Ôkami remains the game I have played the most in my life. I’ve beaten it maybe 7 times and still go back to play it. Why? Because I really love it. The story is silly but to me it brings charm. No game has made me cry and laugh so much as this particular one. I mean, what game can make you cry over a scrap of paper? Ôkami, apparently. Amaterasu is a fun character that acts exactly like I’d imagine a god would if they were running about the earthly plains, peeing and pooping on demons and plain ignoring evil when they are spouting insults in their face.

Artwork by Stumppa, more at deviantART

A (Possible) Future Groomer!

I have decided that a career involving dogs would be ideal for me because I love dogs. Making a dogs life better by helping getting rid of dead hair and clipping their nails sounds like a good deal to me. Some breeds have fur that, if allowed to grow without attention, can become matted and even painful for the dog. I met once an Afghan Hound named Bono whose fur was in such a terrible condition, that the fur formed a thick cover of matted fur that probably pulled and pinched his skin in painful ways. I heard that his old owner had never brushed him and it really showed. After Bono’s dead and matted fur was removed I understood that he turned into a more confident dog.

I can imagine that I don’t want to ever see such a case appear in the grooming salon I will be working in the future. Not because I don’t want to trim a dog whose fur is in such disgusting condition but because it is infuriating to see their owners treat their dogs like that. This is especially true for people who buy or adopt breeds that need daily brushing and bathing regularly. Yes, an Afghan Hound is a gorgeous dog, but have you seen the amount of fur it has? Even I, who is just now stepping into the world of grooming, know that a dogs coat won’t magically stay gorgeous and look up to breed standards.

The idea of grooming a dog sounds fun but I will certainly have to obtain a lot of confidence for this career path. Mostly because groomers do not only make dogs look fabulous, they also clip their nails. Nail clipping is a scary procedure for me. I’ve owned rabbits and they also need their nails clipped or they grow into horrible lengths and can break, causing bleeding or in a worst case scenario be completely torn off. I’ll probably get over that by actually working with dogs and just taking it slowly so my mind is at ease during the procedure.

To anyone who doesn’t know: Clipping a dog’s nail too short you can damage the nerve inside the nail. It will bleed a lot and it is very painful to the dog. So if you clip your dog’s nails yourself, please be careful!

Hair trimming scares me a bit too. What if I cut the dog’s skin? What if I burn a dog’s skin with the hairdryer?  I know it is stupid to worry so before I have even begun training. But these are valid thoughts at least. If I do something wrong the dog can be traumatized and reminded of the pain and unpleasantries during his or her every visit to the groomer.  But again, it’s something I will probably get over if I work with dogs.

While grooming might not be the final career path for me regarding dogs, it’s still a start and it gives me an opportunity to work with dogs. I can also help shelter dogs by making them pretty so superficial adopters will fall in love with them instead of ignoring perfectly lovely dogs that just are dying to get a new home.

Right now I’m just looking through the sheer amount of brushes dog groomers use and scratch my head confusedly. Let’s hope I can learn this dog groomer language!

My Art and Dogs

Animals have always been a subject I love to draw, especially dogs. My interest in drawing dogs began in 2005 when I found an artist who I regarded one of the best ones ever.  I fell in love with her fun and dynamic art. I admit to being a little bit obsessed. I joined the same text-based roleplaying game as her, just because she was there. But it was through the roleplaying game that I found very dear friends with whom I am still in contact with to this very day. I met this artist as well and she was kind enough to tolerate my young antics, considering she is much older than I am. Now it doesn’t matter as age gets less important as we grow older, but back then she seemed much more imposing and scary to me for being an adult and I was just a teenager.  Now she’s a friend of mine and I still consider her to be extremely talented and I thank her, for getting me into art more seriously than ever before.

Unfortunately I didn’t start drawing dogs because the anatomy was interesting or that I wanted to draw interesting breeds.  No, I drew those terrible pointy eared wolf-dog sparkle dogs that are just an embarrassment now that I look back at them.

WHY?!

But back then it was so much cooler to have all these unnecessary accessories on a character, be it dog or human, that my tiny mind didn’t understand how amazing dogs are just as they are. At some point, I started to resent drawing dogs in general as I was trying to be ‘different’ and ‘cool’ by lifting my nose up at people who loved to draw these silly sparkle animals. I thought I was better than them, concentrating more on the anatomy and nature of real dogs instead. I do regret my attitude towards these other people but I never regret delving deeper into the world of the dogs and how much more they are then whatever I tried to portrait with those awful gimmicks.

As an artist I didn’t actually get interested in the different breeds other than how they look. That came a bit later. As a visual person I found the vast difference between a Chihuahua and a Irish Wolfhound so fascinating, that I love to portray it in my drawings and sketches.

Ginga Nagareboshi Gin Fan Art

And I do admit to sadness when I see perfectly capable dog artists who do not practice and show off the amazing range they could with their subjects. But everyone is entitled to their own artistic endeavours and it would be wrong of me demand anything more from others, especially as I am not a paying customer.

Anatomy in general has been a point of interest in my art as I find interesting and well drawn anatomy is exceptionally beautiful, be it animal or human. So I created art that integrated anatomy into my art in different ways:

!!!These pictures can make you queasy if you do not enjoy seeing exposed flesh and skulls!!!

Hello & Ow ow ow!

I am very happy I got back into drawing dogs, it is relaxing and fun.  To me, they are an easy subject to tackle and I revel in the feel of just drawing, not having to think about it too much. This does not mean I know everything there is about dogs, art and dog anatomy in art, especially as I believe no artist is ever perfect. There is always something new to learn and portray in art. Dogs will be a subject of our art for many years to come as dogs have been by our sides for thousands of years.

Personally, I love drawing dogs. It’s fun to portray the simple happiness you can find in dogs. I think we have a lot to learn from their (usually) sunny disposition.

Puppy!

Artwork by Stumppa, more at deviantART