Heather Griffiths

Heather Griffiths 11 Min Read August 2, 2017

Pointers and Trackers and Herders, Oh My: Performance Titles and Competitions

Activities with Dogs, Behavioural & Training Solutions

Who doesn’t love a title?

It’s why celebrities give their unfortunate offspring such soul crushing, toe curlingly faux ‘noble’ names as “Prince” and “Sir Carter”. Some people have even given up their citizenship in a country routinely ranked as the best in the world for the sake of a title. Of course in that case, Baron Black of Crossharbour found that his title was not exactly an advantage among his fellow inmates in prison, so he didn’t seem to have too many qualms about relinquishing it in order to reclaim his Canadian citizenship, post-lockup.

Heather Griffiths 21 Min Read July 14, 2017

Looking For A Home: Shelter and Rescue Dogs and Cats

Cats, Choosing Your Dog

Prince Edward Island, the smallest province of Canada, is famous for Anne of Green Gables. Well, Anne and potatoes, but Anne brings in more tourists.

That beloved children’s book was written in 1908. In it, someone in Avonlea is going into Charlottetown, the provincial capital, to pick out an orphan to bring back with them to help with the work on the farm. Matthew Cuthbert asks that a boy be brought back for his farm as well. They get a girl instead, and the rest is fictional history.

Heather Griffiths 18 Min Read July 13, 2017

At War With Pepe LePew: De-skunking A Dog

Cats, Health Solutions, Living Solutions

It was a humid summer night. It had not been a great day so far.

It had taken all day for The General’s mother to be discharged from the hospital, where she had had a stent put in to correct a blockage in an artery. Apparently super important heart surgeons can’t be bothered with details like speaking the magical words from their Olympian heights that will produce the prescription necessary for a patient to get the hell out of his domain.

Heather Griffiths 11 Min Read July 12, 2017

Help! The Cat’s Wrecking My Stuff: How To Stop A Cat from Scratching

Cats

Used to be, it was easy to stop your cat from destroying your furniture, carpet and draperies. You simply had the cat declawed.

The General and I did this to several of our cats. No one, including the vets who did the procedure, suggested to us that it was cruel. The cats’ toes were tender for a few days, but after that, their ability to turn the legs of expensive pine furniture into toothpicks disappeared.

Heather Griffiths 17 Min Read July 9, 2017

Silent and Deadly: Bloat

Health Solutions

The General and I started our pet resort knowing nothing about the kennel business, other than what we didn’t like about it. This was in 1998, when the internet was just starting to be a thing. We didn’t have HTML content. We didn’t have – gasp – social networks. We were using modems.

Heather Griffiths 8 Min Read July 7, 2017

Knick Knack Paddywhack, Give A Dog a Bone – Or Should You?

Health Solutions, Living Solutions

If you’re a faithful reader of Auntie Awesome’s stories, you’ll know that I did just about everything wrong when it came to our first dog. If you’re not a faithful reader of Auntie Awesome’s stories, then what is wrong with you??

Heather Griffiths 19 Min Read July 5, 2017

When They Are Good, They Are Very, Very Good But When They Are Bad, They Are Awful: A Kennel Story

Storytime

I do not subscribe to what seems to be a widely held view that dog and cat kennels are almost guaranteed to be terrible places, to be avoided at all costs. If you leave your pet at a kennel, these cautionary tales go, you are just subjecting him to crushing loneliness, illness, neglect and maybe even abuse. What kind of horrible person would do that?

Heather Griffiths 18 Min Read July 4, 2017

The Facts About Kennel Cough – More Nuisance Than Threat

Health Solutions

“My puppy has kennel cough!” the voice of our new client on the phone exclaimed accusingly. “You made me show my vaccination certificate, but obviously you didn’t do the same with everyone. Otherwise this couldn’t have happened!”

There was so much wrong information in those statements, it could have appeared in Weekly World News along the Bigfoot and Elvis sightings.

Heather Griffiths 19 Min Read July 3, 2017

Purebred Dogs: Genetically Crafted Triumph or Genetically Crafted Disaster?

Choosing Your Dog

The subject of purebred animals is a touchy one. Attitudes range from “Anyone who buys a purebred dog is killing a shelter dog” (PETA), to “My dog is a fashion accessory and as such not only has to be purebred but fit into my purse.” (Any Kardashian, plus their spiritual mother, Paris Hilton).

Heather Griffiths 18 Min Read July 2, 2017

Doing What Comes Naturally: Barking and Howling

Behavioural & Training Solutions

When we ran the pet resort, one of the things that became increasingly difficult to bear as time went on, was the cacophony of dogs barking together, and yes, often, right in our ears. The General and I were fascists about not letting anyone into the kennel to disturb the dogs’ routine, because while they did quiet down pretty quickly once they got over their first sight of us and got on with walks or playtimes or whatever was on the agenda, the sight of a stranger, especially with a dog, would set them all off roaring. Once they were quiet, all the gods in the pantheon showing up together complete with lightening bolts and magical hammers, would not have been permitted to get to anywhere near the dogs and start them all off again.

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Heather Griffiths