Cairn Terrier (Toto’s Breed) May Become Kansas State Dog – Does Your State Need an Official Dog?

Toto, a Cairn terrier, will forever be linked to Kansas.

Alaska has the Alaskan Malamute, Massachusetts has the Boston Terrier, and nine other states also have official dogs (including New Hampshire’s Chinook, which I thought was just a kind of salmon until I saw that the yellow sled dog is decidedly not a fish).

But 39 states don’t yet have state canines. They may have state reptiles, birds, and even insects, but no dogs. Kansas is getting set to lower that number to 38 soon, if a state bill calling for the Cairn terrier (the kind of dog Toto was) to become the official state dog passes.

“I do realize that this isn’t the most important piece of legislation or issue we’re dealing with, but I hope we can take this legislation as what it is, a symbolic piece of legislation, and move it through,” Rep. Ed Trimmer, who last week introduced House Bill No. 251, said in an ABC News story.

Cairns are a good choice for Kansas, since the state will forever be linked to the canine co-star of The Wizard of Oz. But most states don’t have clearcut ties with dogs. It’s not like they’re native mammals stomping around the woods, or local birds flitting about the flowers.

Last year Dogster wrote about New York’s attempt to make “shelter rescue dog” the official state dog. I’ve checked for updates, but I don’t see anything about that legislation happening. It was a great idea, though.

Dogsters, if your state doesn’t have a state dog, what do you think yours should be? Or is this even something you’d want to see, since it tends to promote certain breeds? Jake thinks California’s should be a yellow (aka blond) Lab, of course.

Should the yellow/blond Lab be California's state dog, as Jake seems to be hinting at?

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Canine Movie Star Uggie to Retire; Click for Hugo Dobie to Get a Nod for a Golden Collar Award

Uggie's days on the red carpet are numbered, but he'd rather be lounging by the blue pool.

(Update below)

Uggie, the adorable canine big-screen star whose role in The Artist has catapulted him into the limelight, will be stepping away from his feature film career to spend more time just kickin’ back.

“Uggie’s still enjoying it, but he’s getting up there and he’s slowing down a little,” trainer Sarah Clifford told the The Hollywood Reporter of the 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier, who also recently costarred in Water for Elephants. “He’s at the stage where he just says, ‘I think I want to go and lay in the sun by the pool.” (And his other trainer and “dad,” Omar Von Muller, does indeed have a pool.)

The little dog with the big ‘tude will still take on minor roles, but there will be no more of the months of long workdays required by feature films. Uggie’s protégé, a Jack Russell named Dash, will be taking over the big roles. He has been waiting in the wings for this opportunity, backing up Uggie for minor scenes, learning the ropes before his older “brother,” as Von Muller calls him, stepped aside. (The two are not actually related, except that Von Muller calls himself “dad” to both.)

One of Uggie’s final red-carpet appearances will be on Feb. 13 at the Golden Collar Awards in Los Angeles. He and Dash will grace the stage as their own perky selves. “From what I gather, one of his last hurrahs will be at the Golden Collar Awards,” says Alan Siskind of Dog News Daily, which is putting together the gala event.

After the Golden Collars, all that stands in the way of chillin’ by the pool all day is a little event known as the Academy Awards. The Artist, which cleaned up during the Golden Globes earlier this month, is up for 10 awards. Unfortunately there still isn’t a category for animal actors, but that’s what the Golden Collars are all about.

I’m delighted that I will be at the Golden Collar Awards in a couple of weeks, bringing Dogsters exclusive coverage of the event. It should be quite the scene. There’s even some excitement going on ahead of time, with Martin Scorsese, whose film Hugo has 11 Oscar nominations, pushing for the canine costar of that film to be entered in the Golden Collars. He thinks the regal Doberman, Blackie (Maximilian), deserves to be in the running for top dog in the category of Best Theatrical Film.

Blackie, in Hugo. (Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/GK Films)

The director wrote this in an editorial in the Los Angeles Times:

“Okay, let’s lay all our cards on the table. Jack Russell terriers are small and cute. Dobermans are enormous and — handsome. More tellingly, Uggie plays a nice little mascot who does tricks and saves his master’s life in one of the films, while Blackie gives an uncompromising performance as a ferocious guard dog who terrorizes children. I’m sure you can see what I’m driving at.”

Good for Scorsese for sticking up for the big guy (actually, Blackie is a gal). If you’d like to see Blackie added to the roster, go to the Dog News Daily Facebook page and nominate her. She needs 500 write-in votes by February 6. I’m heading over there right now to nominate her. (I’ll use my Soldier Dogs moniker to add some teeth. ) Not that I don’t love Uggie and the other contenders, but Blackie’s stellar performance should not be overlooked just because she was kinda big and scary. (Time has wondered if this is a form of “breedism.”) Head over to the FB page and join in if you want Blackie to have a chance to run with the little dogs.

Update 10 p.m. Jan 30: We just learned from the LA Times movie blog that there was such an outpouring of votes for Blackie that she received all the nominations she needed within a few hours of getting out the word about her! I hope she can make the awards. I’d love to see her beside her more diminutive colleagues.

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New York City Actor Kills Himself After “Forced” Euthanasia of His Beloved Pit Bull

Struggling soap-opera actor Nick Santino used to say that the Pit Bull mix he rescued actually rescued him. Santino grew up in an orphanage and foster homes, but when he adopted his dog, Rocco, several years ago, they bonded deeply, perhaps more than he had with any of his temporary families. Rocco was his family.

But both are now dead, and friends and neighbors are saying it’s because his Upper West Side building’s management had been harassing him for months about Rocco. In 2010, building management passed strict dog regulations with a pit bull ban. Rocco, the only pit bull in the building, was grandfathered in. But the harassment had apparently grown unbearable in recent months.

Among the difficulties, Rocco was no longer allowed to ride in the main elevators, and one condo neighbor complained the dog was a barker, even though other neighbors said it was not true. Management threatened Santino with a $250 fine.

“Everybody knows that he had been harassed by the building management,” said neighbor Lia Pettigrew, who works in the pet-care industry.

“People were complaining about his dog,” said neighbor Kevan Cleary, adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School. “It was open season on him.”

On Tuesday, something inside Santino snapped, or more likely, broke under pressure. Santino took his healthy best friend out of the building one last time and had him euthanized.

But overcome with the horror of what he had done, Santino took an overdose of medication later that night — after tearfully giving the doorman and neighbors Rocco’s treat, rawhides, and bed. It was a day after his 47th birthday.

His suicide note included this, according to a friend:

“Today I betrayed my best friend and put down my best friend. Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn’t deserve this.”

Rocco has been cremated, and Santino will be, too. Their friends will make sure their ashes will end up together forever.

This story is just so tragic, and I am sorry to bring it to you on a Monday morning. But it’s important to tell it. Maybe it will be a cautionary tale against this kind of discrimination. Yes, Santino was down on his luck, and there may have been more going on than we know about. Maybe he could have moved, but that’s not easy in New York City, especially with a Pit Bull. Through the haze of bullying and harassment, Santino could not see clearly. I hope someone has to answer for this. (Building management did not respond to inquiries by media.)

RIP together, Nick and Rocco.

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Park Ranger Uses Stun Gun on Man with Two Off-Leash Lap Dogs

A man walking his two lap dogs off-leash in an area that had been off-leash for years until December ended up at the wrong end of a stun gun because of his walkies. Yes, a stun gun, with a high-voltage shock that can immobilize you and scare the pants off you. Yes, for walking his dogs off-leash.

Actually it was for the offense of giving a park ranger a wrong name after telling her he didn’t have his ID. She told him to stay put, and she didn’t tell him why after he asked numerous times, witnesses say.

So he walked away. And she deployed her weapon.

“It was really scary,” witness Michelle Babcock told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I just felt so bad for him.”

Paramedics came (stun guns can have deleterious side effects, such as death), and so did county sheriffs, and Gary Hesterberg gave his real name. He was arrested on suspicion of failing to obey a lawful order, having dogs off-leash, and knowingly providing false information, the Chronicle reports. Then he was released.

This is just SO not okay. The ranger’s name was not released, but a Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) spokesman said that she was trying to educate the public on the new leash law.

Educating the public with electric shock? Really? Educating via posters or warning citations, fine. But a stun gun? No way.

Rancho Corral de Tierra, in Montara, Calif., had been a great place for off-leash romps for years. Then the GGNRA took over last month, and leashes became the law. Not everyone knows this. And even if they do, it’s really hard to get used to restrictive rules.

I should know. I live two blocks from a San Francisco beach that’s overseen by the GGNRA. It used to be off-leash for well-behaved dogs year-round. It’s not like that anymore. On Christmas Day, a ranger was earning the GGNRA thousands of dollars ticketing people enjoying some leash-free romps with really good dogs. Merry Christmas! Tickets are $100. I speak from personal experience. Grrrr …

At least people didn’t get the stun-gun treatment as part of the holiday ticket package. This kind of force is a tremendous abuse of power, and I hope GGNRA takes a serious look at this ranger’s actions. The scenery around here is stunning enough. We don’t need electric force to make the walks any more stunning …

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Oscar-Nominated Movies Have Gone to the Dogs

The clever staff at NextMovie realized that it’s a dog’s world, and have recast the nine Academy Awards Best Picture nominees with dogs as the stars. (As far as I’m concerned, The Artist/The Barkist already stars a dog, thanks to Uggie; and Hugo‘s Blackie is right up there, too.) Which is your favorite poster, Dogsters? They’re so well done that I can’t choose.

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It’s Heads Down in London’s “Poo Alley”

Damian Cerase on the "brown brick" road

There’s this one little alleyway in suburban London that hundreds of schoolchildren take on their way to and from school. It’s convenient, safe, and makes for a quick trip. It has only one problem, but it’s a real stinker: It’s perpetually poo-covered.

The pitter-patter of little feet is dampened by the piles of dog poo left by the dogs of owners who don’t scoop. “There are poo-shaped footprints, so you don’t have to be Sherlock to follow the trail,” says Damian Cerase, who keeps his head down when accompanying his son on the little roadway in Bromley so they miss the bombs, which are apparently everywhere.

Yuck! Who are these people who don’t scoop, especially on a path with so many children? Alas, we have plenty of them on this side of the pond as well.

Local council members say they’ll be putting up posters and increasing poo patrols as the year continues, with law enforcement issuing fines of £80 ($126) to poopetrators.

Cerase and others have dubbed the path “Poo Alley.” They may even make up somewhat official signs for it. He’s offering up a few other possible names, including Poo Passage, Muck Pie Hall Lane, Excrement Avenue, Number Two Way, and Dog Stool Path. They’re all good, with a dash of alliteration here, a pinch of assonance there …

He might listen to Dogsters’ opinions (Dogster articles are popular around the globe), so if you like one or two names in particular, leave a comment with your preference. And just curious: Do you have any paths like this in your neighborhood? If so, is anything being done about them?

(A big thanks to Dogster associate editor Vicky for giving me the heads up about this story from her original neck of the worldwide woods.)

Source: News Shopper

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Don’t Have Access to a Quality Dog Trainer? Here Are Seven A+ Online Training Classes

I often hear from readers who want to do something fun with their dogs and teach new behaviors using positive reinforcement, but who don’t have access to good trainers in their area.

While I don’t recommend that you seek assistance for severe problems like aggression, reactivity, or separation anxiety without meeting a qualified behavior professional in person, I do suggest that you check out these amazing online education programs to improve your skills as a trainer as well as your dog’s behavior. All of these programs were developed by fantastic trainers and focus on improving your relationship with your dog by using reinforcement to create reliable behaviors.

+ CyberDog

CyberDog is a basic manners course based on the beginners’ curriculum from the Karen Pryor Academy. KPA-certified training partners Sarah Owings, Helix Fairweather, and Lynn Martin will help your dog learn basic skills like targeting, recall, loose-leash walking, waiting at a boundary, and settling on a mat. The eight-week program costs $250.

+ CyberAgility

This is exactly what it sounds like: agility instruction from the comfort of your home. Also created by Helix Fairweather, this fun online course costs $160. Using clicker training, shaping, targeting, and other positive training techniques, not only will you learn new games to play with your dog, you’ll graduate with better training skills!

+ Susan Garrett

This internationally renowned agility champion offers two online courses. Puppy Peaks is a great focus- and teamwork-building program created for puppies but helpful for dogs of all ages, while Recallers is designed to help you build a reliable recall, regardless of distraction or environment.

These fantastic courses are available only a few times a year, and while I haven’t taken them myself, I’ve heard rave reviews! Sign up for Susan’s newsletter on her site to make sure you don’t miss out.

+ KPA Dog Trainer Foundations

I had the pleasure of contributing to this great new course from Karen Pryor Academy. It’s designed as a clicker course for devoted pet owners or competitors who want to hone their training skills, or it can be a prerequisite for those who lack training experience and are interested in enrolling in the dog trainer program. It aims to give attendees a solid understanding of clicker principles, and how to clicker train “the Karen Pryor way.” Registration is $359 for seven lesson units that take eight to twelve weeks to complete.

+ Sylvia Trkman

Two-time world agility champion Sylvia Trkman offers online educational programs for a variety of skill levels, including puppy training, tricks, agility, and foundations. You can enroll as a participant, submitting videos and receiving feedback on your training from Sylvia and classmates, for $220 to $250 per course, or as an auditor for $120 to $150.

+ Sumac Johnson

Sumac Johnson’s Wag It Games program offers online classes throughout the year, including Rally Obedience, Homeopathy, Living Room Agility, Sniff It, and even my new favorite, Treibball — there is something fun for every dog and dog owner to try! You can attend classes as a student, or as an auditor at a reduced price. Check the site for details and start dates.

+ Donna Hall

Donna Hall is a talented Canadian trainer offering customized online classes in subjects including Service Dog Training, Treibball, Basic Clicker Skills, and Foundation Manners. I’m a big fan of her YouTube pages and videos.

Are you interested in signing up for an online program? Have you participated and would like to share some feedback about your experience? Please tell us in the comments. Until next time, happy training!

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