contributed by Darlene on Ravelry:
This is an amazing video of one of the homeless in Santa Barbara and his pets. They work State Street every week for donations. The animals are pretty well fed and are mellow. They are a family. The man who owns them rigged a harness up for his cat so she wouldn't have to walk so much (like the dog and himself). At some juncture the rat came along, and so no one wanted to eat anyone else, the rat started riding with the cat and often, on the cat. The dog will stand all day and let you talk to him and admire him for a few chin scratches. The mayor of Santa Barbara filmed this clip and sent it out as a Christmas card.
Why can't we all just get along like these guys?
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Knitting with Dog Hair
Knitting With Dog Hair: Better A Sweater From A Dog You Know and Love Than From A Sheep You'll Never Meet (Paperback) by Kendall Crolius (Author) 
“Stop Vacuuming and Start Knitting!” Is the Read Bite on the cover of the book.
In the first paragraph of KnittingDogHair, Crolius says
After some research, I came up with a LOT of good information about utilizing dog fur. And, I am now collecting our dogs’ fur. Note picture on the left that shows results from last week’s sheering efforts of the Shih Tzu and Maltipoo.
Natalie Kestecher of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has a pod cast on www.soundprint.org. Tune in here if you are interested: radio podcast on dogs. It is fascinating and well worth a listen.
The highlights from my listening to Kestecher's show were:
1) a bit of history of how knitters used Great Pyrenees mountain dog hair for Polish and Russian peoples;
2) an Australian speaker regarding dogs, the environment, recycling and other matters pertaining to dogs at International Dog Day where about 20,000 people gathered recently in Sydney, Australia;
3) a woman’s story of Sarah Ben-David, her great grandmother born at the beginning of the 20th century in Poland. She recalls Sarah’s story of farming olive trees in order to get to her end purpose of breeding dogs for the purpose of using their fur for clothing. Her dog hair farms reached all across Europe by the end of Franco’s regime;
4) the psychic relationship of dogs with people
You are likely skeptical at this point. You might think "won’t I smell like a dog if I knit a sweater from dog fur"? The answer is NO. You wear wool sweaters, don’t you? Do you smell like a sheep? NO, of course not. It is all in the cleaning of the fur/wool in preparation of spinning.
This article found on USAToday highlights a couple who speak to the advantages of dog hair made into clothing. They espouse the advantages of dog hair as fodder as being both warm and waterproof.
As for me, I am keeping my dogs happy and groomed, and accumulating their sheerings for a new sweater.
“Stop Vacuuming and Start Knitting!” Is the Read Bite on the cover of the book.
In the first paragraph of KnittingDogHair, Crolius says
For millions of years, the human race has been living with and benefiting from its relationship with animals. We’ve relied on them for companionship, for transportation, for food - and for our clothing.What a shame that all our dogs’ fur just goes to waste each time they are groomed. Since I knit, and know a couple of women who spin sheep’s wool, I wondered if it were a crazy idea to start saving my pups’ hair for a future knitting project.
After some research, I came up with a LOT of good information about utilizing dog fur. And, I am now collecting our dogs’ fur. Note picture on the left that shows results from last week’s sheering efforts of the Shih Tzu and Maltipoo.
Natalie Kestecher of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has a pod cast on www.soundprint.org. Tune in here if you are interested: radio podcast on dogs. It is fascinating and well worth a listen.
The highlights from my listening to Kestecher's show were:
1) a bit of history of how knitters used Great Pyrenees mountain dog hair for Polish and Russian peoples;
2) an Australian speaker regarding dogs, the environment, recycling and other matters pertaining to dogs at International Dog Day where about 20,000 people gathered recently in Sydney, Australia;
3) a woman’s story of Sarah Ben-David, her great grandmother born at the beginning of the 20th century in Poland. She recalls Sarah’s story of farming olive trees in order to get to her end purpose of breeding dogs for the purpose of using their fur for clothing. Her dog hair farms reached all across Europe by the end of Franco’s regime;
4) the psychic relationship of dogs with people
You are likely skeptical at this point. You might think "won’t I smell like a dog if I knit a sweater from dog fur"? The answer is NO. You wear wool sweaters, don’t you? Do you smell like a sheep? NO, of course not. It is all in the cleaning of the fur/wool in preparation of spinning.
This article found on USAToday highlights a couple who speak to the advantages of dog hair made into clothing. They espouse the advantages of dog hair as fodder as being both warm and waterproof.
As for me, I am keeping my dogs happy and groomed, and accumulating their sheerings for a new sweater.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Crafting Good Behavior
Our older dog, Mercy, is a graduate of the GJ Parks and Recreation Beginning Dog Obedience class. My husband and I decided that we would not home school our younger dog, but instead, send her on for more advanced training. The class is described in the latest city recreational brochure as follows:
Dog Obedience training can be the beginning of a rewarding, loving relationship between you and your dog. Learn about proper equipment and how it is used, basic commands, and communication. Your dog must be at least four months old; have current distemper, parvo, and rabies vaccinations; Mesa County license, and must be under control at all times. Holly Koch will instruct sessions beginning on Wednesdays and Sundays at Sherwood Park, and Bob Simpleman will instruct the other classes at Canyon View Park.
So, after much fanfare and putting off classes for a month because of the weather, our younger 16 month old Maltese-Poodle pup, Libby, and I started this program today at a nearby city park.
Ms. Koch, instructor, is keen on a strong sense of owner responsibility. She certainly knows her area of expertise, and displays a caring attitude and good teaching
skills.
skills.Libby is the pup on the end of the red leash. Her friend and classmate Beaux looks on.
My future goal is for the older dog, Mercy, to complete the 10 steps of the AKC/CGC Test to gain her certification as a Therapy Dog. With the good weather ahead of us, I plan to heed Cesar Milan and Ms. Koch's advice of "exercise, discipline and affection" in order get a head start on this certification.
Our daughter benefited over the years from several Therapy Dogs having visited her during many of her countless hospital stays at Children's Hospital in Denver. I would like to give back some of the joy she received from being able to pet a well mannered dog.
Perhaps Mercy The WonderDog might be able to help others who could benefit from a dog visit while undergoing medical treatment.
Our daughter benefited over the years from several Therapy Dogs having visited her during many of her countless hospital stays at Children's Hospital in Denver. I would like to give back some of the joy she received from being able to pet a well mannered dog.
Perhaps Mercy The WonderDog might be able to help others who could benefit from a dog visit while undergoing medical treatment.
Monday, February 4, 2008
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