The Red Dog Inn

Secure your pet when driving, please!

I really didn’t want one of my first posts to be about this, but I have to speak out to do some good for the canine set. One of my pet peeves is to see dogs loose in the bed of a pick up truck. In my state, this practice has been illegal since 1988, and yet, I saw a beautiful golden retriever loose in the bed of a white Ford Ranger just this morning. Legal Reference: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc23117.htm

So why do folks insist on engaging in this behavior if they truly love their pets?  A loose pet can become a projectile in the event of a sudden stop or accident and cause injury to itself, its person or others! 

And why aren’t police departments enforcing this law in my state and other states with similar restrictions?

The options are simple for pet owners:

1 - Leave your pet at home.

2 - Transport your pet INSIDE the passenger compartment with you. If the animal is smelly, give it a bath for goodness sakes.

3 - Invest in a proper crate for the back, secure it to the bed of your pick up and then secure your pet in the crate.  

4 - If you’re unsure about safe travel practices with your pets, check with your vet!

And don’t assume that your pet is safe if you leave him or her in the crate while you go to lunch or shop or in the case I saw, church!  Someone may steal your beloved pet.   Plus, your pet should have access to shade and water while in the crate, as well as, be able to turn around and lie down.

What can we do to encourage folks to appropriately secure their pets when travelling?  Will vets and pet shops help spread the word?

A Word on Pit Bulls

 Did you know that:

• Jack “the brindle dog” Little House on the Prairie (the REAL Little House on the Prairie as opposed to the television series.) was a pitbull?
• Petey the Pup Little Rascals was a pitbull?

Helen Keller had a pit bull as a companion animal, so have Fred Astaire, President Roosevelt, Mary Tyler Moore, Thomas Edison, Brad Pitt, Ann Bancroft, President Woodrow Wilson, Humphrey Bogart, John Stewart and Bernadette Peters. Even the little dynamo Rachael Ray has a pit bull.

Source: “America’s Nanny Dog”, Tyla Hafstrom/My Word/The Times-Standard, 9/25/07

I’m by no means suggesting that a pit bull terrier is the perfect pet for every household; I AM suggesting that you needn’t run away in fear when you see a pit bull terrier or think the dog’s person is involved in nefarious activities!  Many dogs defy their public images; pit bulls are one of those breeds.  

I have to admit, I was cautious when I met my first pit bull.  Now, I have a 50-pound lap dog that offers me her toys as soon as I walk in the door of my friend’s office.   That interaction made me a little bolder. So when two playful pit bull puppies ran towards me on the beach, I had no problems petting them, tossing the ball or letting Butters play with them.

If you think you’d like to make friends with a pit bull, here are some tips:

• Ask the owner.  Admit that you’re apprehensive, but you’d like to overcome that fear.  The owner should be able to tell you if their dog is fine with fearful folks or if the dog will feed off of your fear.
• Once the owner has control of their dog, offer the back of your hand to the dog for a sniff.
• Let your conscious be your guide. Give the dog a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. If the owner approves offer a small treat, but don’t be offended if the dog doesn’t take it.  Just give it to the owner for later. 

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