SongoftheFrog

Someone asking about getting their axolotl high when they smoke weed around it.

I instantly was pissed beyond words. People actually talked about blowing pot smoke at their dogs and cats.

If you guys haven’t noticed from my endless bitching, it’s hot as fuck in Australia right now (thanks climate change).

These are a handful of resources I’ve seen floating about. The first one is my favourite - I have this one printed and on my wall at home for quick reference. It came handy on one night when I got home and was genuinely concerned about my dogs, so it helped me tick off if I should go to the vet or just focus on cooling everybody down. (And there’s always the option to just call my vet and have them run me through my concerns a la the avocado incident)

This informational post is linked as it has photos of what can happen to your dogs feet when walking on hot asphalt (tw: injury warning).

I didn’t see reference to these in any of them as a touch niche but keep in mind:

Dog booties are a double edged sword. They prevent blistering from asphalt but they also reduce the efficiency of dogs cooling via their feet.

Dogs CANNOT sniff and pant at the same time. Dogs cannot cool themselves while doing scent detection/tracking/search and rescue. 

Some links:

Running with dogs in the heat (things to consider)

Assorted information on heat management across a range of domestic species (dogs, cats, birds, birds etc) 

Also hey don’t leave your dogs in cars in summer (what to do in Australia if you see a dog in a hot car):

This is my car - it’s set up to have the boot open, has a traditional thermometer and emergency contacts clearly displayed, covered in a reflective cooling mesh, a water bucket, and has both cooling mats and portable fans that blow cold air. Still not leaving my dogs in this car once it goes over 25c.

(we have a cooling coat for when we compete but once it hits 25c the dog stays out of the car with me between trials. Getting up to 30c? We go home. Ribbons can wait, dogs come first.)

Bonus - Vegan Dog Heatstroke Chart:

I am reblogging because on facebook there’s some imo over the top paranoia that some person is gonna break ur car window because u left ur dog unattended on a hot (or mild) day. Or that someone might be concerned about their dogs and comment about it.

So here’s some mitigation steps for those who are worried this may happen:

1. Contact details, people notice little white signs with “If dogs are in distress pls ph xxxxxxx”. Put one on each side of ur window. Now if someone thinks ur dogs in distress they may be more inclined to call u than break a window. Also, ur dogs might actually be in distress.

2. Little mercury thermometers at viewing points are useful for both u and passerbys. I’ve got 4 because they’re like $5 each. I’ve noticed a 5 celsius difference between the boot and the front seat, even with my car boot popped and windows down (with barriers to prevent jumping out/hands going in).

3. Worried the media article is focussing on smash first ask questions later? Just comment pointing out the law is (ur locality may vary) contact emergency services first, smash second only with their say so. Doesn’t need to be an over dramatic theoretical essay of what about if the dog is aggressive and bites the person then leaps out of the car and runs away only to be hit by a car and it may or may not have been fine all along but u should never have looked at the dog. Just a simple “Hey remember to call emergency services first because they have the tools to open the car without scaring the dog and also you need their permission” or some variant of that. Something that tells them what to do, not something that discourages them from being vigilant.

4. Promo the media articles that do give the right info. Comment on them, like/upvote them, share them. Spread the information that does tell people what to do if they are concerned about a dog in the car.

5. Spread the posters and flyers from your locality that helps people recognise when it’s just plain too fucking hot to have ur dog out and about. Or ur dogs in distress. We literally just had a police dog die on a nice mild 23c day from heat stroke because he worked too hard. There’s nothing romantic about dogs that work beyond their physical health. Promote the posters and signs that share how to identify heat stress/heat stroke and what to do.

6. Being an above average dog owner is not a free pass to push the dog health boundaries. Refresh your knowledge on the limits of dogs and the signs of heat stroke or lose that knowledge.

What you really need is to use a good repellant made for use in tick heavy areas. I’m not talking citronella essential oils, I mean a real repellant like Deep woods OFF that uses DDT. Spray it on your shoes and inside your shoes. You would be surprised how many ticks start in your socks and work their way up. I have had waaaaaay fewer guests on me after spraying my shoes as well as my legs.

ALWAYS check yourself after a hike, or any trip outside. Wear bright clothes so it’s easier to see ticks on you, and make sure to do a full-body check when you’re done. This includes checking your hair line and under waistbands or underwear (last tick I found on me was on my butt, and I had been hiking with pants and a long shirt on…trust me, check under your underwear).

Remove ticks as soon as you find them, and keep them in a small container or bag (heads completely squished) for identification purposes just in case your bite looks iffy later on. Clean the bite site thoroughly. Be on the look out for any flu-like symptoms, rashes, or red rings around the bite site like a bulls-eye (note: a slight red ring right afterward is normal, see below for what “bad” looks like). Usually if you get a tick off in the first 24 hours you’ll be ok, so long as you didn’t agitate the tick, but if you notice anything abnormal go to the doctor ASAP. If your tick was engorged when removed, be especially on the lookout. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the nasty diseases ticks can carry.

Remember: if you’re buying tick preventatives for your pets, make sure you get one that’s meant for them. Don’t use dog-specific medicine on cats, or vice-versa, and make sure you get the correct weight range for your pet. Failure to do so can lead to serious complications for your pets. If you’re not sure what you should use or what’s safe for pets, contact your local veterinarian and ask. If your pet is bitten by a tick and displays any abnormal behaviors or symptoms of sickness get them to your vet as soon as you can and bring the tick with you.

You can use ecollars for pretty much anything imaginable. One of the main things I love about ecollars is how versatile they are. They’re totally impersonal vs something like a prong or voice correction, and you have a wide range of correction options. Vs with withholding rewards, where you have far less option for tailoring consequence - you essentially can immediately withhold the reward, or put the dog up, lol. Ecollars are much more black and white, and allow for significantly more precision - you can tailor the number, and you can use them as precisely as a clicker. I use a low stim (say, a 15 out of 127 - something which I can barely feel) to “activate” Happy sometimes. If you’ve ever seen a video of someone working on heeling by gently and rhythmically popping the prancing, happy dog with a prong, it’s the same concept. Not so much anymore, since her heeling is well established. And I use stim of varying levels for all sorts of behaviors - sometimes for more complex behaviors on a fairly low stim (say, mid-20s), like trying to “escape” heel position, so Happy has to work very hard to stay IN heel position. The stim makes it crystal clear when she is correct and when she is not. Megan often follows her “back” cue in heeling with stim; there’s a lot of options here. The sky’s the limit. But I would say the 3 biggest things I use the ecollar for are the out, the platz, and blocking behaviors. The first two have been emphasized enough at this point that she doesn’t frequently need corrections, but it still happens. Sometimes whatever is going on is more valuable than the ball. With blocking behaviors, I mean both BS in the crate - like if I hear her going all escape artist, or if she’s barking for the joy of it - and for competition stuff. An integral part of PSA is performing obedience around decoys. Happy had no issue with this till recently (many more bitework sessions under her belt), and then she started releasing herself towards decoys instead of the ball 😂 Using the ecollar tremendously sped up the process of getting her to play with a ball despite wanting to bite her BFF the decoy. For Happy, there is no higher reward than getting to bite someone. Using the ecollar helped communicate to her far more quickly HOW she can get the reward she so strongly desires. I know people often think of ecollars as creating a “have to” mindset in the dog, but I don’t agree with that at all. Even when Happy has gotten some major ass corrections, she doesn’t get a sullen or slave like mindset. In the right hands, ecollars are a tool of clarity: helping the dog get the reward faster. That’s absolutely how they’ve functioned with Happy, circumventing a LOT of confusion and frustration in the process. What I’d want to tell someone who’s never used an ecollar before is first and foremost, go above and aboard to make sure your dog won’t be collar smart. I’m talking put the collar on for a couple days before ever first switching it on and finding working level, put the collar on well before you ever plan to actually use it, and be careful about the dog watching the behavior chain of you grabbing the remote. Also, the collar probably needs to be tighter than you think to make consistent, even contact. Do not waste time teaching your dog the tone or vibrate function as a “warning” for a correction… with proper training for recall, out, and other high stakes behaviors, your voice is what should be functioning as a warning that stim is imminent without compliance. Don’t let other people make you feel guilty for using an ecollar - there’s a lot of misinformation about ecollars out there, including from people who’ve never picked up a remote. I get the vibe that a lot of balanced trainers feel pressured to say they ONLY use ecollars for emergency situations, or for gentle proofing, or whatever. I don’t! 🤷🏼‍♀️ I use ecollars for a melange of stuff, and my dog is perfectly happy and thrilled to work. She prefers correction to having rewards withheld or being put up. I have much more respect for balanced trainers who use more pressure than I do, but who are fair and thoughtful to the dog, than I do for anyone who is anti aversive, but interacts with their dog out of anger.

Going to throw a few more points that are nuanced out there …

E collars are impersonal so they are often great tools for more sensitive dogs or dogs with possession behaviors. I know it sounds opposite , but you have no idea how much less stressed certain dogs get when there is no physical motion involved at all for certain feedback (and I’m not always talking LEASH YANKING OR POPPING ) . Some dogs even tense up with leash gets tight or shut down when someone approaches goes to grab the leash. This is something that obviously isn’t ideal and needs to be worked on too , but if a scenario calls for stopping/correcting/communicating something to a dog , for some dogs it’s much easier to be able to do that at a distance with your completely relaxed body language. You can subtly give a dog feedback with an e collar without hardly moving at all .

An example you have all prob experienced, your dog has something in their mouth and you need them to drop it. With a properly taught out/drop with e collar understanding layered in later , if your dog says screw you I don’t want to let go of said object and you’re 20 feet away, it’s a lot less confrontational to simply stim at a distance vs walking/running/rushing up and prying their jaws open or holding the collar if they don’t immediately comply .

Also , if you have any physical issues that make restraining a dog on a harness , collar , whatever , difficult, e collars can be a godsend when you have less leash dependent control. I have arthritis and sometimes (not in awhile ) just holding and squeezing a leash can hurt . My dogs are obviously trained but let me tell you , it’s so much easier to have to press a button vs pull a leash if I needed . This is STRICTLY speaking in the rare event I need to correct my dog or hold them back from something . I refuse to discuss dog training like we live in a magical world where your dog will never ever leave your side or put any tension on a leash. If you have a dog , there’s gonna be at least a few times lol .

Precision behaviors like milly said , great for e collar . I’ll be skewered for this but an e collar is like a clicker - capable of being super precise and super consistent . Less clunky than your voice or a collar .

PET STORE DIALS DO NOT WORK.

All of these gauges have been sitting in my house for a week. A friend thought id need them so she brought them over. None of them are reading the same temperatures and humidity.

Why Not Cesar’s Way? 

BEYOND CESAR MILLAN

Cesar Millan, Dominance Theory and Modern Dog Training

THE DOG WHISPERER CONTROVERSY

The Dog Whisperer: Frequently Asked Questions

Modern Dog Training vs. Cesar Millan

The Dominance Controversy and Cesar Millan

From Andrew Luescher, DVM, Veterinary Behaviorist

Veterinary Behaviorists Take a Stand Against Cesar Millan

dog training gone bad - Debra F. Horwitz, DVM, DACVB

Reputable Behaviorists and Dog Trainers Speak Out, “Cesar Millan’s philosophy is not ours.”

Behind the Behavior - AVMA Conference: The Controversy

‘Dog Whisperer’ Training Approach More Harmful Than Helpful

Critics Challenge ‘Dog Whisperer’ Methods

Quotes From Experts

Here’s another wasp PSA since summer is coming: the one in the top left is demonstrating a warning posture. All the others are relaxed and going about their business, but she’s noticed someone there, and she’s turned toward them and raised her wings to ask that they back off and leave. She would rather not engage if she has to, just like the signals a dog tries to give you before it resorts to biting.

Not much in the world seeks out and attacks people with no warning.

Parasites, fire ants, and driver/army ants are the only things I can think of that do.

The two primarily carnivorous ant species don’t necessarily seek us out, they just don’t differentiate us from any other prey.

Everything else usually at least tries to evade or warn us away first.

Wasps are pollinators and rival spiders for pest control.

They aren’t just here to fuck you up.

Fun fact: Wasps’ facial recognition is phenomenal, and not just to their own species.

They learn to recognize individuals who are alert and responsive to their warnings.

They don’t hear as well, but they can learn to recognize your voice.

The more often they see a person respond to warnings by backing off until they lower their v stance, the closer that person has to get before they feel threatened enough to warn them again.

Wasps and I are pretty cool because of exactly this.

I can damn near touch my resident ladies’ nests beceause the new ones learn to recognize me, specifically, as a non-threat every year.

They REALLY like my loft porch, and for obvious reasons can’t be allowed to build there.

In the early spring, nest spaces are scouted by a young queen and two or three drones.

There are not enough of them to guard the beginning of a new nest all the time, and you will frequently find a starter nest unguarded.

I just remove them when I see them, and the lady and her attendents consider that a bad spot, too often disturbed, and try again elsewhere.

If you discover a well enough established nest for it to be guarded full time by ten or more in a place that you or a pet will need to go often, though, you will have to wait for dark (when the entire colony is home) and spray them.

Some times, there is no safe way around it.

I can leave the nests in my storage shed alone because I am the only person that goes in there that far, and I have had plenty of time to build that “Oh. It’s just you.” rapport.

My sister in law has three kids and a yard fulla chickens.

So, if you are over 165lb and under 175lb there still is a chance that Plan B will work for you, and it may be worth a try. If the pill will not work for you, you can call Planned Parenthood to find out what your options are, their contact information can be found here (x)

If you find that the pill did not work or it is too late for you to use it, look into places around you that offer ‘plan c’ (mifepristone, or the ‘abortion pill’). When doing this, please be incredibly wary of fake abortion clinics. These are typically called Family Planning Centers, Women’s Health Centers, Pregnancy Crisis Centers or something similar. This video goes over them in a lot better then I could ever hope to (here). 

You can get Plan C online here (x) or often at you local Planned Parenthood. The Mayo Clinic has a page on the general risks of abortions here if anyone would like to read it (x) and the National Abortion Federation has a page with commonly asked questions and dispelling the myths here (x). 

In the end, you deserve to have your choices respected. You deserve to get the help you need. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Do not let anyone disrespect your choice. I hope the information I have provided is helpful to anyone who may need it. 

If the links above don’t work, I am going to have them under the read more below, you have a right to information about all the options that you have in regards to your body and your health. Please reblog this so that it can reach anyone who may need this, thank you!