Fur Kids? Paw Parents?

Does language modify behavior or does behavior modify language? Are laws arising as a result of changes in our language, expressions and words, which have, in turn, altered our attitudes toward animals?

Words have crept into our vocabulary that is increasingly being reflected in the dog/owner relationship. Transformed words and expressions are placing different emphases on animal shelters, rehoming organizations and the rehomed dogs, often to the detriment of that relationship.

Are we, who daily fight to maintain the right to own animals, too harsh on those who are anthropomorphizing their dogs by how they use language??

Recently, I posed those questions to a group of thoughtful animal anti-animal rightist activists, and it was a match that ignited a bonfire. There was frustration --such as how the word “breeder” is now used to debase decent people. “Profit” has developed such a negative connotation that breeders defensively insist that they lose money on each pup. While talking in social media, breeders can no longer discuss their dogs living in ‘kennels,’ but the dogs must now live in ‘dog rooms.’ The ‘compassionate’ reader wonders about expressions like “pet quality,” and questions why all dogs aren’t the same, and about why one dog is favored over the other.

The group members expressed concern about animal rights groups using words to harm us, yet, well-meaning breeders use the very same words until they become familiar and are constantly used in everyday conversations. One person related how she heard a breeder call another person a ‘greeder,’ because of the number of litters she had that year. Everybody has heard another breeder called by the infamous “mill” word.

The group was frustrated by the increasing anthropomorphizing language used by dog owners, not only for “pocket dogs” and “stroller dogs,” but also by those in the breeding community. It has become a vocabulary that is increasingly, deliberately blurring the lines between animal and human. We questioned when this phenomenon began, as even the younger people in the group couldn’t remember their mothers referring to themselves ‘pawparents,’ ‘pet parents,’ or calling their dogs ‘furkids.’ The trend seems to have appeared in the early ‘90’s at about the same time that Animal Rights groups were gaining ground in the media and impacting our lives.

The group discussed words that increasingly anthropomorphize dogs, which should be anathema to a breeder, as it reduces the worthy and historic interest in producing quality animals to cartoon characters such as Pongo, Augie and Snoopy. Some of the words mentioned, not in any special order of distaste: Pet Parent, Furkid, (Fur anything), Paw Parents, Furever Home, Foster Mom, Best Friend, Family Member, and my Baby. There are now even dictionary definitions for most of those words; they have become so ingrained in dog owner culture. Furkid, for example is often defined as, “A pet (normally a cat or dog) that the owner treats as if it were a child.” Modern Dog Magazine wrote that “These words blur the divide between humans and other animals in our society, muddying the comfortably clear-cut distinction we’ve set between the roles and rights of each.” http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/furkids/12550#sthash.dQXnEDYW.dpuf

The recent dictionary definitions of some words are changing to reflect these damaging alterations. When looking up a simple word such as companion, the older dictionary versions define the word as “one that accompanies another: comrade, associate; also: one that keeps company with another” (Merriam Webster). A more recent Google Web definition becomes, “a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time or with whom one travels.” An even stronger change is in the word zoophile. “Zoophile — n. a person who is devoted to animals and their protection from practices such as vivisection” Collins English Dictionary. More recent definitions assign some form of sexual attraction to animals to  the word. There are many other examples of how actual formal definitions are being altered to reflect a growing change in how animals are perceived.

These are the terms used by those well-intentioned, admirable folks who rehome dogs and who want to invoke sympathy for the animals that are found homeless or in a situation that requires removal. However, words like “rescue” (“Rescue: when someone or something is rescued from danger: a daring rescue at sea”) becomes a term for any dog or animal that is in a shelter for any reason at all. It has become that now, when a person buys a dog from a perfectly safe rehoming organization or shelter, they add “rescue” to the name as if “rescue dog” was an actual breed. If asked by a stranger what their dog is, the first response is often, “Oh, he’s a rescue dog,“ or “I rescued him from the shelter.” There are certainly cases where dogs are rescued -- the dogs pulled from the Katrina floodwaters, from absolutely abusive environments, etc. -- however, most dogs in shelters or rehoming organizations are no longer in danger; they are safe, no longer needing to be “rescued.”

While ‘adopt’ can be applied many ways, the first definition will always be some version of: “To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child.” ‘Adopt,’ instead of purchase; ‘Donation’ instead of purchase fee; has become the new language for those who rehome dogs. There have, indeed, become an increasing number of breeders who now ‘place’ their dogs through ‘adoption,’ with a hefty ‘adoption fee.’

Why is all of this so important? It makes it easier for those Animal Rightists to convince the public that animals should have the same *rights* as humans, and therefore should not be owned by a human. Such as: Breeders shouldn't breed (words like *force them to breed* comes to mind); Breeders shouldn't *force* them to be performance dogs, or show dogs, or therapy dogs. By humanizing dogs (pawparents, furbabies, my kids) in the media and everyday usage, it increases that blurring tenfold. It gives the Extremists that much more ammunition to use against the owning of animals. We need to be cognizant that by buying into and using the blurred language promoted by the Animal Rights groups and the media, we are legitimizing that language. ARs use the transformed expressions in order to justify legislation – such as the Guardian ordinance in Boulder and other cities and states. That ordinance takes away the *ownership* and creates a completely different legal definition for the dog in your house. Beware, or be aware of the language that you use, because it may and will have unanticipated and unintended consequences.

Originally published in the German Shepherd Review, October 2013, Stormy Hope, GSDCA Legislative Liaison to AKC

'Bout Time!!!

So, the babies switched houses a week ago and this is my first post.  I'm an abysmal failure!

I have been painting the floor of the porch so that I can FINALLY move in and use it as part of the house.  It was painted the first part of August and when we got back from Canada and started walking on that cafe au lait colored floor, I soon discovered that it wasn't a great idea to have it one color.  So, I've been camoflaging for dirt, etc.  I have to get it done before it gets cold, had to wait after last winter as it was still too cold for the first layer to be put on, now I'm doing the "decorating."  I had something in mind and when that couldn't happen because they don't make what I thought they did, I modified brushes and am painting two other colors on the bottom color, then sprinkling on flecks.  It is working!  I'm pleased.

So, that is my excuse.  I'm overwhelmed!  When I'm not working on the porch or feeding dogs or washing laundry that piles up with puppies, I'm sitting on the floor playing with them or watching for hawks, eagles and owls who might be trying to swoop them up when I have them outside.  Another excuse!  I'm pretty good at excuses, aren't I?

These babies are certainly cute and sweet, but I think that about every litter.  I just LOVE cuddling with them!  How could one not love it?!

Mai has been playing with them for the last three days and she PLAYS with exuberance!  Zinger, who was wondering if she could hide from them is now joining in.  Watching the process makes my heart sing.  These kids think that they are big dogs even when they are still not yet six weeks old.  They DID turn six weeks old on Sunday, so now they KNOW that they are big kids. 

Blog will restart, puppies arrive tonight!

I have been on baby sitting duty, not for Zinger and her pups, but for my daughter's dogs, Mocha, a GSD mix, Maili, a whatever mix maybe Tibetin Terrier mix, and Elli, a Border Terrier.  We have had them for a bit as Kathleen was called away suddenly to New Mexico for a funeral.  They came on the 11th and it has been an adventure.  All sweet girls, but the big ones stay at home every day and have found my fence to be delicious!  Kathleen is coming today to pick them up.  The puppies are coming tonight!

This is Ms. Mai.  She did extremely well in Canada and almost earned her Canadian championship.  She is quite a nice little package!  She took points in the States a week or so ago at Enumclaw.  Beat Pip.  They each took points one of the two days.  Pip needs only a point or two to finish here, has her majors and is already a champion in Canada.

Pip started in heat about Monday and is going to fly to Detroit on Saturday to be bred to Kandu On the Move, Bravo.  I'm excited about this breeding, but told Phil to tell Bravo that we want more girls!!!!

I got some pictures this morning of Kyle and Sean, the swimming grandsons in Hawaii, but can't find where the computer hid them!  Those two may someday go to the Olympics.  I won't be surprised!

So, I will now have to get back into the blog business, once I get the little tubby tigers!  Can hardly wait!

Stand by!

c

They lost something!

No, not weight!  They are gaining THAT like champs!
Yesterday they lost their dew claws.  How does one do that?!!!  Carefully and without anything but a little squeak for each one.  They all came through with flying colors!
Just a note on the future.  Francy will be coming into heat in the next month or so and will be bred to Spencer for my first US/British litter.  I am hoping for a very nice set of show puppies for me and for the people who want the prettiest companion dog they can imagine.  This is an exciting venture.
Francy has all of her health tests done and passed.  Spencer starts his on Saturday.  He'll get them all quite soon.
This weekend Mai, Spencer, and Pip will be in the dog shows in Sequim.  Mai received her first major win a few weekends ago in Coeur d'Alene, ID.  Pip has both her majors.  Spencer got a point or more in Massachusetts after the National Specialty in which he wasn't entered.  He received a Group 4 from the classes in that show in Bellingham, MA.  He beat an already champion beautiful bitch that floored me on how lovely she is and went on to get the Group 4 even though he was hot and not used to the heat and humidity of Massachusetts.  The judge told Carole that she would have given him a "much higher placement" in the Group if he had been more up, that she loved him!
The puppies will soon look like little beached whales the way they are eating and the way Zinger is taking care of them.  She is a natural born mama!  I'll try to get pictures this weekend, meanwhile visit Betty's blog!

Sorry, but I was busy de-dew clawing babies yesterday and didn't get pictures.  Here is a picture of ball hound Spencer with his new craze, the Jolly Ball.  He moans he is so excited by it.  I thought he was going to try to stay outside all night last night playing with it.  He was making so much noise the coyotes would most certainly have come to check out what was so exciting.  I'm very glad that he came in!

He rarely lets me get it to throw for him.  He is very happy with his new toy!  What a ball hound boy!

Wish us luck this weekend!!!!  If you live nearby, come see the shows!

OK and out,

The Curmudgeon

PUPPIES, July 21, 2013

Well, Zinger hatched her first litter yesterday.  She was bred to Bravo, GCH Kandu's On The Move.  They are the proud parents of three boys and one girl.  All grizzle babies, all healthy and eating and pooping and thriving!  Of course I am very happy that all are well and that we had NO tense times through the whelping process.  Betty and Skip had a panic when the first one came out sooner than they thought it would and I wasn't yet there, but they were champs and did their job perfectly.  Then I got there and started working on the jigsaw puzzle next to where Zinger was.  What else should I be doing while waiting, I'd like to know!!!  I can resist everything except temptation and there it was, all laid out!  That's what a champ at whelping Ms. Zinger was!  What a girl!
Janie is pretty excited as she wants a boy and she gets to choose from THREE!  Meanwhile, I, who wanted a girl, get to choose from one!  Her name is Chai, because Zinger is tea and Betty wanted a tea name.  So there!  The boys are Bryce, Tiberius Rex, and Bravo Jr. or Junior for short. 

Oh, you thought you were going to get to see PUPPIES!!!!!!!  Silly Wabbit!  This is Spencer, the daddy of Zinger's next litter!

This is SILLY, sweet, amusing Harper taking a nap.  Wonder what she did to tire out so much!  I couldn't resist.  This is just toooooo cute! 

You wanted PUPPY pictures, you say?!!!  Well, this is mom, what more could you ask?!!!  She's very cute, don't you think??

Here's Spencer again.  Won't they make beautiful puppies?!!!

Spencer in his FIRST US dog show June 28th in Massachucetts.  He'll be in his second and third this weekend in Sequim, WA.  I hope that he does as well, but I will be showing him, so who knows?!!!

This was Spencer at Crufts, I think.

No, NOT Spencer.  This is daddy, Bravo!

Spencer.

Dansa, dressed as a lion for her freestyly routine.  She became an auntie yesterday!  She is Zinger's sister/littermate.

Zinger again.  See how beautiful she is?

Zinger waiting for the girl to be born.  Sweet little boys in a pile there.  I'm not good at rotating the pictures, but if you will go to Betty's blog, Skip rotates her pictures!

Zinger was a very calm whelper.  As I said, she's a champ!
You can get a bunch more puppy pictures off Betty's blog 'cause SHE has the puppies at her house!  http://betty-bh.blogspot.com/
OK for now,
The Curmudgeon

So, I blew it!

The picture I put on the last entry entitled ?McFly? was really Solo.  Here are more pictures of Solo I just received.
Solo has FINISHED his first Puppy Class.  I'm sure that he must have been tops in his class as his family is very dog astute.

Picture mistakenly labeled as McFly.  This is really Solo!

Solo and his buddy.

Precious picture, in my book.

Exploring the rain forest.

Wet baby

Dansa and her Whippet friend.

Did you really think you'd get away without a Hawaii house picture?!!!!!!!

OK.  The Curmudgeon signs off!

Pictures of the gang!

I have some pictures sent in by some of you who took puppies home.  Seems everyone is quite happy with the little rascals!

Jax, lounging on the couch where he has good access to the view of the five acre yard.

McFly?  Tired from playing with Bennie?!!!!

Mai at Jeanette's

Dansa getting ready to be the lion in a Freestyle command performance of the Wizard of Oz with Heather

Opps!  Can't find where the computer put IQ and Angus on their first day at puppy class.(Front room in Hawaii house.)

Can't find Xachitl on the couch after she wore herself out playing in the garden!!! ( Front of the house in Hawaii.)

Computers!!!!  Can't live with them, can't live without them!