America da Casa Mont’Alves and Energy Van ‘t Isabellahofke have a litter together.  Born June 13, 2010 are five boys and three girls in Northern California.  This litter was planned for Autumn 2010, but my little darlings made their own plans.

The HSUS and PeTA are citing a problem of “pet overpopulation” although they do not prove that there is a problem.

In a case like this, it is easy to use the AR numbers and disprove a theory of “pet overpopulation” being evidenced by euthanasia statistics.

Take their euthanasia numbers of 3 to 4 million, http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/hsus_pet_overpopulation_estimates.html.

(http://tinyurl.com/drsqz)

Divide by the number of dogs and cats in the U.S.,
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/us_pet_ownership_statistics.html.

(http://tinyurl.com/9w8ok)

Their estimate is consistent with the numbers shown by the AVMA, http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership_calculator.asp, when the U.S. Population, 303,824,640, is entered.

The average percentage of dogs and cats euthanized (for 3 and 4 million) is 1.84 percent to 2.45 percent, so about 2 percent. The HSUS and PeTA want to punish 100 percent of animal owners because 2 percent of dogs and cats are euthanized. Some of those animals are euthanized because they are sick, ill, or have temperament issues and the owners wanted to save money by going to a shelter.

These are the numbers that HSUS and PeTA use. They also use a number that 1 in 4 dogs dies of euthanasia in a shelter in California. On their fact sheet, they explain where they got that number and it is that for every dog that *dies* in California, 1 in 4 dies of euthanasia in a shelter. Once again, they do not exclude euthanasia for merciful reasons.

What the ARs do, is take the numbers that favor no “overpopulation” and show them in a way that looks bad. 2 percent of a 163 million is a big number. These numbers happen when there is a large population like we have in this country. We have over 300 million people. By comparison, Canada has around 40 million people. We are dealing with *huge* numbers, but *small* percentages.

…Not really, but that got your attention, huh?

February 24, 2009, the HSUS announced, “Today is the 15th annual Spay Day!” in their latest newsletter.  They also say, “We must do better to stop the needless euthanasia of our beloved pets and find homes for every healthy dog and cat.”

So I took a look at the statistics that HSUS presents.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/animal_shelters/common_questions_about_animal_shelters_and_animal_control.html#How_many_animals_enter_shelters_each_yea
They are unabashedly taking credit for dramatically reducing “animal overpopulation” since the 1970’s, although other organizations and local governments worked to do the same.  Improvements in cost and safety of pet sterilization surgeries also helped out, as did the rise in enforcement of leash laws.  But hey, the HSUS was there, so they must have been 100%
responsible right?  They really know how to spin statistics, don’t they?

Well, I wanted to know what these guys are fighting against.  The phrase “pet overpopulation” is a little vague.  Are they opposed to the existence of unwanted pets or to the existence of pets in general?  You may think you have your answer, but what do the numbers show?

The HSUS states, “This enormous decline in euthanasia numbers-from around 25 percent of American dogs and cats euthanized every year to about 3 percent-represents substantial progress.  We will make still greater progress by working together to strike at the roots of animal overpopulation.”

(”Make still greater progress.”  Like they want to “still” or “stall” progress. <teehee>)

“3 percent”?  If is was only 3 percent, then why are they fighting?  That is a low number.  Ha-ha!  I quick look at the numbers that the HSUS uses shows that 3 percent is an *inflated* number!  The HSUS uses pet ownership statistics from the American Pet Products Association (APPA), http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp, which show that there are approximately 163.1 million dogs and cats in American households. The HSUS also estimates that of the 6 to 8 million dogs and cats taken in by shelters every year in the United States, approximately 3 to 4 million are euthanized.  That number is 1.84 percent to 2.45 percent; even with the most favorable rounding this is not 3 percent.  *AND* when the numbers are in the millions, a small percentage point is a big number.  Plus, they are not accounting for voluntary euthanasia chosen by pet owners for old and sick animals.  These guys are slick.  Do you realize with these numbers that if one of every 40 to 50 households in America took in just one unwanted dog or cat from a shelter that euthanasia for unwanted animals could end?

The HSUS wants to limit pet ownership under the guise that it will eliminate euthanasia, however, increasing the numbers of animals in homes will eliminate euthanasia and decreasing the numbers of animals in homes will increase the animals in shelters.  The HSUS wants to limit pet availability by restricting breeders of animals, however, encouraging responsible and ethical breeding and buying of animals will eliminate the breeding of animals that are unwanted for health or temperament reasons and those that are bred by breeders who do not take their animals back.  A lack of unwanted animals equates to a lack of animals in shelters.  The HSUS also contributes to “anti-cruelty” laws that are no more than exaggerated false images of common and humane procedures.  They are trying to create a problem where none exists, which will ultimately lead to resentment between the government and animal owners.  Their actions with respect to dog fighting are likely a
bid to increase popularity for HSUS and an attempt to ride on the headlines about dog
fighting.  The laws they propose are so pointless, they will never help reduce dog fighting.

So this “Spay Day” remember to spay your AR organization.  I like the way my spell checker picks up “HSUS” as “HUSSY.”  So accurate, so, so accurate…

I licensed my beloved America in my county two years ago and I was able to get a 3-year license before a somewhat cumbersome law went into effect.  I got my new boy, Energy, in November 2008.  He turned four months old in December and now we had to navigate the new law in my county.  During my “adventures” of dealing with the local Animal Control (AC) agency, I spoke with the AC director, who said that she worked with a local organization of dog clubs to develop the new law and they everyone agreed that the law was “fair” to everybody.  Well, it does have issues.   I discussed the issues I had licensing Energy on a pet law forum, and it seems rather popular, so I am posting the same message here with an added closing paragraph.  Enjoy…

I live in a CA county that requires dogs to be registered as AKC or UKC to remain intact and avoid a $150 license.  S/N license is $30 and a reduced intact license is $45.  Dogs licensed with the reduced-fee license are not permitted to breed.  My dogs are Belgian Laekenois and the AKC doesn’t recognize that variety as a breed.  The AC also has a stipulation that the dogs must be shown 3 times per year, be a conformation champion, or be S/N when they reach 4 months old.  If they are too young to show, then they need a note from the breeder that states the dog was “purchased with the intent to show” and that the dog is “of show quality.”

This law has improved from its first draft that did not include UKC and did not have an option for dogs too young to show.  If the first draft passed, then I would not be able to license my dogs.

I was able to get my bitch a 3-yr rabies vaccine and subsequently a 3-year license before the law went into effect.  When I went in to license my new puppy, I had to educate the people at the counter who were doing the best that they could.  I even spoke with the AC director, who was dumfounded when I told her that a breeder cannot vouch for my intent when I made a purchase because my purchasing intent was in *my* head.  The breeder can vouch for his intent when he *sold* the puppy.  I also pointed out contradictions and vagueness within the requirements.  She argued and said the law was not contradictory or vague, but it was.

When I mentioned that my puppy was not registered as AKC because AKC doesn’t recognize the breed, the clerk said, “then he isn’t a dog.”  I don’t think she meant that.  They mentioned UKC and I mentioned that the UKC shows in my area generally preclude BSD.  “Then pay the $150.”  “Well now your little law is just unfair.”  “No it isn’t.”

I mentioned that my dog was registered in an FCI registry.  “A what?”  I explained and I think their heads just about exploded.  “Well the FCI is the important one because it is international.”  They accepted the puppy’s pedigree and gave me time to try to convince the Dutch breeders to help me comply with this stupid American law with a letter, which they wonderfully provided to me and to the AC email address.

I went to AC and licensed my puppy and mentioned that the law is a bit cumbersome, it excludes rare breeds, it lacks flexibility for imports, the “show” requirement is a bit lame, since there are other competitions for breeding stock dogs, and the law is poorly written.  “We’ve never dealt with this kind of situation before.”  <sigh>

If laws are written and upheld that limit purebred dog breeding to just the selection of dogs currently recognized by the AKC, rare breeds will cease to exist first and new breeds will never be seen again in this country.  If we limit dog breeding to just certain breeders, then genetic pools of dogs will shrink and dog health will suffer.  Dogs that are not healthy enough to function for the purposes for which they were bred are the types of dogs that wind up in animal shelters today.  The current design of most pet laws that are emerging today are such that they will lead to more, rather than fewer, dogs in animal shelters.

Alright, it’s been awhile since I posted to my dog blog, but I’ve been a little busy.  There is a new addition to my dog “family.”  America da Casa Mont’Alves is now joined in our pack by Energy van ‘t Isabellahofke, who I call Einstein because he is so smart.

Here are pictures of Energy before he left the Netherlands and after he got here,

http://picasaweb.google.nl/Isabellahofke.nl/Energy.

I took America and “Einstein” to a pet store where there was a photographer taking Christmas photos.  I did not know there would be a photographer there, but I thought the pics would be a great idea.  Those pics are now uploaded to the Gallery pages.

http://www.belgianlaekenois.org/Gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=333.

I never crate trained America, but I gave her the means to train herself when she was 2 years old. I imported her and the travel here left her very wary of crates, dog houses, cages, and any form of box for a dog, like small cars and my small truck that doesn’t have a back seat.

I let America have part of the sofa as her bed and, when I got another sofa, the old sofa became hers. After awhile, after many toys, treats, and flatware were shoved into the cushions, I put the sofa in the garage and left America a floor cushion that was her bed on the sofa. She didn’t like that I put her bed in the corner and I didn’t want in in the middle of the floor. America also didn’t like the swivel chairs that I put in place of my sofa. So I took a large crate (without its door) and placed it between the chairs. I put America’s bed in there and strategically hid some delicious treats under and behind the cushion with a few leading as a trail to the better treats.

America discovered the crate (the “box,” I call it) on her own and, being Belgian, she was very aware that there were treats in there. At first, she would put her head in the crate and stretch her neck as far as possible to keep from having to put a foot in the crate. Later, she would step in, but tremble fiercely. All the while, she had her tail stuck between her legs. I never said anything to her because drawing attention to her activity would only make her more nervous. After she came out back from the box, I commented, “Did you find a treat?” I regularly put more treats in the box for America to discover and I would sit in a chair near the box.

America learned that the crate was a safe place, so she started using her bed again, which was now in the crate. I put the door on the crate and America became frightened, so I blocked the door open and let her get used to the box again. Later, I was able to close the door with America inside and she would tolerate it, but would be very excited to have the door opened. After a little bit of conditioning to the idea, America became tolerant of being closed in once in awhile.

Dogs in the wild have dens and, when given the option of having a den, most dogs will like it. The crate is a form of den that is a new idea for a dog that can inspire the instinct dogs have to be in dens.

These days, America loves her “box.”  This is where she can go and be a dog without being told, “stop staring at me.”  She takes her treats and favorite things into her box.  She goes into her box to stay out of my way when I need to rush around the house to get ready to go somewhere.  Her box is her place to go and just be.

I started this blog a couple of months ago and haven’t worked on it for a month. I know that I need more content and I should improve the design, but I am at a loss for ideas about what to do with this site. So, I would like suggestions about content and design. I want to keep the focus on the Belgian Laekenois breed and dog-related issues, but I am open to suggestions about other topics of discussion. Also, I am open to the possibilities of other people contributing blogs.

Well my New Year’s celebration didn’t go as I had planned.  I and America went to go see fireworks that were scheduled to start at 9:00 PM, New Year’s Eve.  America sits in the car during the fireworks, but she likes to walk around and meet people with me when we go to public events.

I was a little late for the fireworks because they started while I was on the road.  I decided to take a shortcut, but I made a wrong turn.  It was dark and I was driving on a rather fast street with little lighting, but I saw what looked like a black dog coming toward me on the side of the road.  This was no place for dog, she could get hurt.  So I made a u-turn and drove to catch up with the dog, who was running very fast.

As soon as I stopped and got out of my car, America jumped out too, just as another vehicle was approaching.  America immediately jumped back in my car and the other dog ran across the street towards me.  The driver of the other car stopped and the black dog ran around my car a few times.  I finally got her calmed down and coaxed her into my car.

I had no idea how America would take to this stranger or how this nice, but very heavy, black lab would take to America.  There was some minor adjustment while the two dogs decided where to sit, but America let the lab sit in the “pilot” seat.  That is the middle of the back seat where she could see out the front window.

I checked the lab’s tags for her information and I called her owners who didn’t answer.  Her address was on her collar, so I drove around the neighborhood until I could find where she lived.  The lab was quite nervous, but America had taken to giving her kisses and to just being reassuring company for our guests.  She didn’t even complain when the lab got treats and usually America doesn’t like it when other dogs get near her treats and here she was letting a frightened dog have them.  America also politely shared a water bowl for our very thirsty guest.

We finally found the dog’s house and, with the help of a neighbor, got the dog put back into her own yard and secured all of the gates.  The dog immediately went through the doggie door and into the house.  I let America out to check things and she inspected the house, I guess to make sure that everything was safe.

We missed the fireworks, but we probably save a dog’s life.  America got a big kick out of that little adventure.  I talked to the dog’s owners who came home on New Year’s Day and everything is fine.  This is a good lesson for dog owners about double-checking gates and other exits that a dog can use to get out during loud celebrations.

There are four recognized types of Belgian Shepherds and they are the Belgian Laekenois, the Belgian Malinois, the Belgian Groenendal, and the Belgian Tervuren. Some sources state that there were originally six types of Belgian Shepherds. Theoretically, any variety of Belgian Shepherd can appear in any given litter, regardless of the breed of the parents.

For example, rumor has it that the original Belgian Shepherd was a Laekenois and that all Belgian Shepherds came out Laekenois lines. Later, there were no more Laekenois until a Laekenois came out of Malinois lines. Currently, some breeders will cross breed lines, although the practice of mixing lines in Belgian Shepherds is no longer permitted under AKC regulations and is only permitted in the FCI with special permission.

One of the issues with the tendency of different varieties appearing in a particular breeding, is that some varieties are disqualified from pedigree registration in most clubs. Occasionally, Malinois parents will produce a black Malinois. In one case, an American Laekenois breeder found herself with two black and tan Belgian Laekenois.
Some breeding of non-standard colors may be desirable as there are black Malinois used in police work where, perhaps, the dark color is desirable. In most cases, the non-standard colors are not desirable.

Modern technology makes it possible to screen potential breeding parents for an allele that carries the gene responsible for black and black and tan colors. The screening test can also detect if a particular dog carries a gene for a lack of mask.

Information about the “Canine Coat Color Test” screening test for the Belgian Laekenois is available from HealthGene in Canada and at, http://www.healthgene.com/canine/C128_belgian_shepherd_l.asp.

In three decades of training my dogs with traditional methods, such as pushing the dog into desired behavior, simple praise, leash corrections, and discipline, I decided to train my new puppy, America, with treats and play. No collar and no leash during training, just a bagful of treats and a positive attitude.

That was two years ago and I am very happy with the results. What I have learned from training with treats is that training is not about correction and discipline, as I have been taught over the years, but it is about establishing a relationship based on positive communication.

Treat training taught America that training is always fun. This association of “fun with training” has led to an association that “obedience is fun.” Nowadays, I do not always have treats or toys with me, but I do always have a dog that is eager to walk by my side and obey my commands. I am very impressed with these results.

I highly recommend using to treats to build enthusiasm and drive for training and to encourage an eagerness for obedience.