Hello and welcome to my insane ramblings!
I thought I might start with a little bit of an introduction. Who I am, what I do, why I'm making a blog, what you readers can expect to find here, that sort of thing. I think I should start by saying that I'm not a professional writer of any sort. Which explains why sometimes I start sentences with "And" or "But", and why some sentences are just thought fragments that wandered away from me as I was typing.
As the title may suggest, this is a pet-related blog. I have a lot to say on that subject, and this seemed to be the best outlet for it. I'm going to try and touch on a little bit of everything, from training tips to care advice and everywhere in between. I'll warn you all ahead of time, I'm quite opinionated and not afraid to say (bluntly) why I feel the way I do on certain subjects. I do try to make an informed opinion, though. Most of the hands-on experience I have comes from a year and a half of work in an animal shelter. I wasn't there long in the overall scheme of things, but I got to work with a HUGE variety of dogs, cats, and rabbits. All sorts of breeds, temperaments, and behavioral issues, plus on-site vet and behavioral departments gave me a lot of experience in a short amount of time. I've also done a lot of reading into things like canine behavior, training methods, pet care, and some common medical issues (*Disclaimer* I am also not a vet, and so the writings here should not be used to make any diagnoses!)
Alright, so we've established already that I'm not a writer and I'm not a vet (or tech). What I am is a passionate pet owner, an aspiring dog trainer, and a rescue supporter who sometimes gets tired of seeing so much misinformation and misconception about pets and pet ownership. I'm sure anyone with a job in the pet industry knows what I'm talking about. For every amazing, awesome, informed, knowledgeable owner out there, there's another who has no business owning an animal. Ever. Seriously, it seems like some people aren't even *trying*.
So much of that is just not knowing any better. Believing what they see in the media, or on television, or doing things "how they've always done them", or trusting without question things a "professional" tells them. Don't believe everything you see on TV, kids! So while there will inevitably be a lot of ranting going on here, I'll try to make it *informative* ranting as often as possible, and maybe change some minds in the process. At the very least, I hope to provide some food for thought. If I can make life better for even one animal out there, I'll consider it a victory.
Finally, a little bit (more) about me. Right now, I manage a stable of 12 horses, and I'm laying the foundations for getting my certification in pet dog training through the CCPDT. I discovered my interest in animal behavior while working at the previously mentioned shelter, and my ideal job would be working with "problem" dogs who have trouble finding forever homes because of their issues. At home, I have a menagerie of my own. The current count is two mixed breed dogs, eight 'mutt' cats, two degus (think over-sized gerbils), and a horse (who doesn't live at my house).
Thanks for stopping by! Tune in next time for the first installment of my top Pet Peeves.
