An account of early notable dogs at Comfort Island has been covered previously, but in 1995 Coty, Tori and Kira mounted a campaign to acquire a family dog. They teamed up against me after an island neighbor began selling a litter of Yellow Labrador puppies. I held out while they sold most of the puppies, but when the owners offered to give us one late in the season, the pro-dog crusade picked up steam with all the classic rhetoric, “Please Daddy, pretty please. We’ll take care of it. We’ll feed it and take it for walks. We’ll brush him and give him baths. You’ll see you won’t have to do a thing.”
The team was relentless and finally I said, “Okay.” Because I’d made and broken the same promises when I was a kid, I had no doubt that it wouldn’t be long before the responsibilities would be Kira’s and mine.
Unfortunately, I never had a chance to see if my children would live up to their promises because our new dog had ingested some twine before we owned him, and a few weeks later we were forced to put little “Sunny” to sleep. It was a very sad experience for the whole family, and we were all in agreement that we’d have to replace Sunny with one of his relatives.
We contacted the appropriate breeder in Wisconsin, and several weeks later “Woody” arrived at the Asheville air terminal where I picked him up. He was only eight weeks old and groggy from being sedated for the flight when I aired him on the grass adjacent to the terminal. I thought to myself, “What a calm and mellow puppy.” I have seldom been more wrong in my initial assessment of any critter before or since.
It turned out that we had just become the dumbfounded owners of the most energetic dog I ever owned. I theorized that he could run the Iditarod Dogsled Race all by h...
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...f the best features of having Woody at Comfort Island was that he could run as much as he wanted without us having to worry about him running off. I did have to discourage him from swimming after ducks a couple of times, but he learned to avoid the swift currents when he wasn’t on shore.
He was a powerful dog and he could accelerate up steep slopes that we had trouble scaling at any speed. He loved to ride in the boat, and Coty, Tori and their friends would throw the ball for him endlessly.
He wanted to greet folks by jumping up on them, and it was necessary to restrain him vigilantly when elderly guests came to visit. He would sometimes try to jump on or into a boat that arrived at the dock, which was scary if it was a valuable wooden boat. It was no wonder that during Woody’s tenure most callers came in their workboat rather than their Sunday go-to-meeting boat.
1938-1941 His first dog was an English Shepard named Rex, who was a one man dog and his constant traveling companion. Beginning at about age three, he and his dog Rex had an insatiable desire to explore any place that was outside the house and within walking distance. Since both his mother and dad worked long hours at their respective jobs, he had a daytime black maid whose name was Sanctum. Every time Sanctum would turn her back he and his dog would “run off” and poor Sanctum would telephone his mother and in dismay advise her that “Sonny” had run off again. Since Elkhart had a population of about five hundred, most of the citizens had learned to keep a lookout for this wandering boy. When he was spotted by one of the townsfolk, they would call his mother and tell her of his doings and location. His mother would leave her work, go get him, give him a spanking, and return him to the house and Sanctum. This could happen several times a day. One particular incident that wasn’t revealed to his mother until years later was when he climbed the Elkhart water tower (75 ft.). Some of the townspeople coaxed him down with the promise of candy. His mother, who finally realized that “spanking” was not a deterrent to “running off”, put him in bed for twenty four hours after one of his ventures and would not let him get up although he begged for a spanking instead. H...
Many physical conditions of the race helped us understand Paulsen’s determination and love towards his dogs and how he developed personally through the race. The author illustrates his frightening moment of Happy canyon during the race. Since Paulsen wasn’t told anything specific information about Happy canyon, he was very unprepared for vertical drop down the cliff.
Sweeney, Michael S. Dog Tips from Dogtown: A Relationship Manual for You and Your Dog. Washington, D.C: National Geographic, 2010. Print.
Have you ever witnessed a dog sled race? Imagine running through 1,049 miles of ice with pure adrenaline coursing through your veins. One of the most famous and prestigious races is the Iditarod Dog Sled Race in Alaska. It covers over 1,000 miles of rough terrain in a frozen tundra. Dogs and their mushers undergo extreme training to get ready for this competition. Although the race is challenging, and some might even say abusive, it is rewarding experience for both the dogs and their mushers. This race is a grand celebration of Alaskan culture that must be continued.
Kevin really wanted to take Cromwell to training classes but Kevin’s father Howie would not allow it. Kevin's father Howie did not believe that jumping through a hoop and leaping over fences was a sport, but Kevin did. Kevin just wanted to take Cromwell to classes because it would make him happier and it would make him a more improved dog.
Hollingsworth, Shanna. "Psychiatric Service Dogs: Children with Autism." Psychiatric Service Dog Society. 2008. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. .
...in his pack. These qualities combined make him a strong dog that is able to become the single survivor of his pack.
The Beast and Olie are my dogs, the beast is a Boxador pit-bull mix named Kaizer, white with brown brindle coloring, very stocky and muscular. This handsome boy, has hazel blue eyes and the sweetest disposition look to his face. Olie a beautiful white little Maltese fur ball, with pointed ears and a tail that curls around onto the edge of her back. These two fur balls have been friends for a year, when I got the beast at only 6 weeks old. Seeing the way, The Beast and Olie looked when they get to go for a walk as we usually do on nice days, when the wind gently hits your face like a feather brushing across your cheek, the breeze blows through the grass and makes waves like an ocean, a green ocean, the sun is like a warm blanket on my face and
It is around this time that it becomes difficult to put dogs into our typical categories of nature and culture, because although dogs were originally just another part of nature, when we began to domesticate them, we made them something more. In fact, in modern days it is even more difficult as we have begun actively breeding them for specific traits, so much so that many would argue modern dogs are essentially technology. From this it becomes clear how perfectly dogs fit into her idea of a companion
wanted to take him down to take his place as leader. The dogs had to live through many
Thesis Statement: While most owners are aware of the amount of joy and laughter dogs bring to them and their family, they are unaware that their dogs love them unconditionally and can help them have better lives
Larkin, Dr Peter. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Dogs: Dogs Breeds and Dog Care. N.p.: Hermes House., n.d. Print.
“A dog is a man’s best friend” goes much deeper than the phrase might initially imply. Recently many medical journals have begun to identify with the many and varied benefits of pet ownership. Men have always relied upon animals for work, transportation, and survival. As times have changed, man has begun to appreciate a different bond with animals. Gone are the days of animals running free outside around the homestead, for now animals are allowed inside and are considered by many to be an integral part of our daily lives! Medical studies have found that animals have a much greater intelligence level than originally thought. Through proper training and experience, animals are not only household pets, but also are becoming an accepted form of medical treatment.
As a kid, I fell in love with the idea of getting a puppy for Christmas. Wrapped in a small box with a bow on top sitting under the tree just like the movies and tv shows I had seen. I can remember making a Christmas list of all the things I wanted that year, and every year the same thing that I wanted had said “puppy” with it underlined so that my mother knew which was my favorite on the list. Every year no surprise, I didn’t find a dog. I never understood why I never received one. When the kids at school talked about the few dogs they had at home made me so jealous, but I hoped that one day it would be me to have my own best friend at home.
After approximately thirty minutes, which felt like forever the vet came out of the door holding Puddles. His head was wrapped in a cloth, but he was feeling much better as his long and sticky tongue jumped out of his mouth. I ran up to him and took him from the vet and cuddled him with joy. He licked my face with his gooey and smelly breath, but I did not mind Puddles was happy and so was I.