Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day 2011

I've written before about how proud I am of my dad and his commitment to fighting for our country in the United States Navy. Today is a day you humans set aside to honor those who have fought for our freedoms and I'm thankful for all of you who have done so, and continue to give of yourselves so willingly.

However, we can't forget the unsung heroes of the military -- the military dogs of course!


There are currently about 2,700 dogs throughout all branches of the miliary but plans are in place to increase that number significantly by September 2012. Most of the pups come from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and are from a wide range of breeds including German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retriever. Though the cost of breeding, raising, and training the military dogs can be expensive, it seems to be worth it. According to Foreign Policy,
"In October 2010, the Pentagon announced that after six years and $19 billion spent in the attempt to build the ultimate bomb detector technology, dogs were still the most accurate sniffers around. The rate of detection with the Pentagon's fanciest equipment -- drones and aerial detectors -- was a 50 percent success rate, but when a dog was involved it rose 30 percent."
Dad moves to the Naval Special Warfare Command later this week and, lucky guy, they have dogs! The dogs are outfitted by K-9 Storm Inc. in "high-tech canine devices, from storm lights to long lines and leads to an assortment of vests" including assault, patrol-SWAT and aerial insertion.


Perhaps the best part of the military is that they always take care of their own. Even when military dogs must be retired they are found the very best adoptive homes, often with a military member (human, of course).

So here's to ALL of us who fight for freedom and protect the U-S-of-A! For more pictures of working military dogs click here, here, or here.

*Mom also recommends the two books by Jay Kopelman, a Marine who befriended a dog in Afghanistan. The first is about their adventures in the war zone and the second is about how they both worked hard to adjust back to life in the U.S. after deployment. We have both so send me an email if you want to borrow!*

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Jack the Adventure Dog

My mom graduated today from National University with her Master of Arts in Human Behavior so you would have thought I'd cut her some slack. Nope! After a few short hours in the backyard at Grandma and Grandpa's I decided it was time for an adventure and set out through the open gate for some fun.

Don't worry, I was probably only gone about an hour before some nice people on Belfast Lane got ahold of me and called my mom. What party poopers! Please remind my mom to send them a thank you note though.

In truth I was pretty thankful to get back to my family and a house I  knew. You can just see it on my face that I'm sorry and didn't mean it...right?

Friday, May 20, 2011

Harley, The Throwaway Dog

Mom just entered us to win a copy of Harley, The Throwaway Dog through Life With Dogs. How could she not? This pup could be my twin!

Photo cred Grizzlie Books
What a good-looking dog! Now my silly ear is on the other side (on my left) but still, you gotta love and appreciate a rogue, satellite ear.

The description of the book says,
"Follow the real-life journey of Harley, The Throwaway Puppy, from shelter dog to agility champion.
Illustrated with original watercolor paintings by the author, Harley will appeal to dog lovers of every age."

Well whatdoyaknow, I was a shelter dog too! Here's to hoping we win :)

Photo cred Grizzlie Books

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Monday, May 9, 2011

Fiesta Island

I know I've bragged to you all several times about how much I LOVE swimming at dog beach (like here and here.) This weekend Mom and Dad took us to Fiesta Island, a little gem here in San Diego that is completely leash-free. You read that right, my dream come true. I'm not sure what took them so long to bring me here, seeing as how I love to run and I love to swim but hey, better late than never!

A friend of Mom's from Pit Bull Rescue San Diego named Alicia Anthony was asked to take pictures of dogs playing on the beach for upcoming articles and features in StubbyDog. We were happy to oblige! Check out some of the amazing images she captured:








Aren't they great? I particularly love the one of Kayna with the sand on her nose and the one where Dad threw me into the water. Even though I love to swim you can just tell by the look on my face I am panicked!

We had a great time and Alicia captured it perfectly. If you want to seem more of her work check out her site here. I hear she may be adding a page of just her puppy pics soon so keep an eye out!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Observe and Obey

Yesterday I had the honor of attending my dad's re-enlistment ceremony for the Navy and I was nice enough to let Kayna come with as well. He didn't want to make a big fuss out of it so we did something quick and to the point, with just a few of his favorite co-workers outside of his clinic. I was still so proud of him and all that he's done to serve our country. Thanks Dad for letting me be there.

 Here's one interesting thing Mom and I didn't know until we were there. When you re-enlist they actually honorably discharge you first, then wait one minute, then re-enlist you. We got a little confused at first when they started reading the discharge (and Mom even tried to get him to run away for the short minute he was a civilian!) but he then took the Oath of Enlistment confidently and without hesitation.

Anchors aweigh! Dad's next duty station will be starting in early June when he moves to Coronado to provide medical support for the Navy Seals. He'll likely be gone a lot but Mom tells me it's ok, I'll get used to it. Oh and she promises lots of cuddles during those times! Dad is very excited to have an adventure and I can't wait to hear all about it. Love you Dad!

Monday, May 2, 2011

More fun Pit-Positivity!

You know me, I'm always happy to read good news about dogs in general but seeing such "pawsitive" press about pit bulls makes me shake my little tail even harder!

One organization that's featured in the article, Pretties with Pitties, is a local group of really cool girls who work with local pit bull rescue groups here in San Diego to promote adoptable dogs, including Pit Bull Rescue San Diego. As their Facebook states,

"We strive to correct misconceptions about the breed and educate the public with our friendly, non-threatening group of pit bull-loving volunteers!" 

 They were lucky enough to walk my little foster sister Kayna a few weeks ago and they loved her just as much as I do. Check out some of the pics they captured of her:







As the article states, 

"Any dog can become aggressive if neglected or abused, or if "they've never been properly socialized, if you've tied them up or fenced them up," Mountain says. "It's not the breed to be blamed, it's the other end of the leash."

 Check out the full article here, published in today's Life section of the USA Today.  It's another great step towards showing the public how great pit bulls can be, including the mixed ones like myself and Kayna!