mp3rude

We lost our founding dog Sally recently, which was as big a blow as anyone can experience when saying good-bye to a dear friend. Our  nostalgia  about our seventeen year friendship with her stirred a project we’d been simmering for years: An image-rich tribute to the human-animal bond and the ways we’re transformed by that bond. The healing, motivation and comfort that dogs offer in exchange for a meal and some ear scratches have been a source of poetry and prose for centuries, and now, as pit bulls secure their rightful place in our culture, their fans seem to have no shortage of gratitudes and stories. In fact, people have been writing to us since our group began to express their amazement at their love for .. . a dog. We feel like therapists at times, taking confessionals from people who can’t quite believe how much their lives have changed for the better. “We understand,” we reply. The human-animal bond is big stuff. It’s been nudging us to evolve our thinking about o...

After a bit of a hiatus from blogging, I’m back!! There’s been lots of exciting things happening since my last post, and some super exciting stuff on the horizon, so here’s an update on all that…. Last year I was lucky to participate in a number of professional development and further education workshops, seminars and conferences, both in Australia and overseas. I’m a huge proponent of ongoing education because we never stop learning in life and so I’m committed to continually broadening my knowledge and acquiring more experience as a behaviourist. This ensures I’m able to bring the most up-to-date, scientific and ethical training techniques to my clients. Clicker training Carolyn to peck the black disk at Chicken Camp Here’s some of the ongoing education I did last year (click on the links for more information): Science Based Training (with Feeling) Seminar  in Melbourne – Dr Ian Dunbar  Chicken Camp workshop  in Perth, Australia – Terry Ryan ,...

BADRAP’s  website  is getting a scrub and an update this summer so the mega-ton of content that’s been piling up is easier to find. Can’t. Wait. Here’s a sneak peek of some of the ways we’re working to put good info into the hands of rockin’ dog owners… 1. Understanding Dog Tolerance Levels.   How does your dog feel about other dogs? Some of our  most-shared material  turned into a two minute animated teach-in. Live it, share it.   2. Dog Intros at Home – For the Win.  A new dog is moving in. Exciting! Got three minutes to learn how to do it right? Here are our best tips for making those crucial intros go smoothly so the friendship starts off on the right paw.   Shelters, Rescues and Every Day Educators:  These videos are meant to be shared, so feel free to grab the embed code to help dog owners in your corners find the best success with their buddies. Thank you!

Riverside County, CA is having some trouble with dog bite prevention. In October 2013, Riverside County Animal Services ushered breed specific legislation in to unincorporated parts of the county in the form of a mandatory spay/neuter law that targets families who own dogs described as ‘pit bulls.’  They’d hoped to promote public safety through this ordinance and, by focusing law enforcement resources on sterilization, decrease the number of dog bite incidents. That move came on the heels of a well publicized attack involving two mixed breed dogs described as �Australian shepherd pit bull mixes.�  “It’s time to say enough is enough,” County Supervisor John Tavaglione said. “I’m tired of seeing innocent people hurt.�  LINK Debates leading up to the ordinance stirred the usual pit bull breed myths and stereotypes in online discussion and news stories, but did not bring additional funding for animal control officials, bite pr...

Are the holidays always so filled with nostalgia, or was this year special?  Just yesterday, on the last day of 2014, we said a sad good-bye to Barn Dog alumna  Sassy  – a regal elderbull who first came to us from a dusty hoarding case in SoCA. She lived a very happy two years with her adopters, and died of mass cell cancer under the tears of her biggest fans, the Blechman Rivera family.  Photos  Bettina Crawford Photography Life ends, Life begins.  And on the first day of this New Year, our team tended to a small litter of  puppies  who’ve just* started to scuffle around. They currently look like wrinkled old men, trying out their new legs. The pups and their most wonderful mom  Waffles  came to us two weeks ago from Yolo County Animal Services and promise a lifetime of fond memories to their future adopters. Life demands that we keep moving forward.  In the middle of the sad news and those busy tasks, w...

Christmas is such an exciting time, not just for us but also for our pets. We tend to be home on holidays, there are more people coming and going and the kids are home from school. But with all the fuss and excitement comes some hidden dangers for our pets, some of which you may not have considered… Christmas trees and decorations: Christmas trees, both real and artificial, can be irresistible to curious cats and playful puppies. All that bright and shimmery tinsel, flashing lights and hanging decorations can make exciting new toys to play with. As lovely as they are to look at, tree decorations can be hazardous. Baubles can break and cut paws if they’re stood on and decorations can cause choking or gastrointestinal obstruction if eaten. Christmas tree lights pose an electric shock risk when they’re turned on with puppies, kittens and rabbits most likely to chew on them. Cats and kittens may also be tempted to climb the tree as it provides a high vantage point and this could easil...

Dealing with hate-think and discrimination  is familiar turf for many pit bull owners. We�ve become pros at navigating situations where fear-based judgment can pose real threats to our canine family members. We fight breed bans by wearing thick skins and arming ourselves with facts to help educate, and we participate in creating effective animal laws and policies that reflect contemporary science while embracing canines as the individuals that they are. The animal welfare community as a whole has done beautiful work to disarm the stigmas and stereotypes attached to blocky headed dogs, and trends are swinging towards game changing Owner Support programs that are fueled by empathy for families in our communities. We�re evolving � At least in some corners. In recent months,  some of our rescue partners have been hit with a different form of stereotyping crisis in their personal lives.  As animal advocates,  they�ve been heroes.  But as immigrants,  they�r...