Dog sport: one of the best decoys works

About dog's loyalty to a died owner

Loyal dog continues to attend mass at church where owner’s funeral was held

By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Sideshow 

A loyal dog whose owner died late last year has apparently been showing up for Mass every day for the last two months at the church where the funeral was held.

Tommy at Santa Maria Assunta church (Nikonarte Fotografia/Daily Mail)

Tommy, a 7-year-old German shepherd, used to accompany his owner, Maria Margherita Lochi, to services at Santa Maria Assunta church in San Donaci, Italy, according to the Daily Mail, and was allowed to sit at her feet.

After Lochi died, the dog "joined mourners at her funeral service" according to locals and "followed after Maria's coffin" as it was carried into the church.

Tommy, a stray who was adopted by Lochi, has been showing up "when the bell rings out to mark the beginning of services" ever since.

"He's there every time I celebrate mass and is very well behaved," Father Donato Panna told the paper. "He doesn't make a sound."

None of the other parishioners has complained, Panna said, and villagers give the dog food and water and allow him to sleep nearby.

"I've not heard one bark from him in all the time he has been coming in," Panna added. "He waits patiently by the side of the altar and just sits there quietly. I didn't have the heart to throw him out—I've just recently lost my own dog, so I leave him there until Mass finishes and then I let him out."

Examples of this type of extreme canine loyalty are incredibly common.

In 2011, a fallen Navy SEAL's Labrador retriever lay down next to his owner's casket at a funeral service in Rockford, Iowa, refusing to leave.

A dog lies near the casket of a fallen Navy SEAL in 2011. (The Atlantic)

The heart-wrenching photo of the scene, taken by the SEAL's cousin and posted to Facebook, soon went viral.

And on Tuesday, a 60-year-old man's dog watched and waited for 30 minutes as the Fire Department rescued his owner after he fell through thin ice into the freezing waters of the Colorado River:

Nearby hunters witnessed the accident and called 911. But while they waited for help, the man's dog refused to leave the scene. Like a worried relative in the waiting room, the dog paced back and forth, trying to reach the man, who repeatedly waved the dog off, fearing for its safety.

"This is simply who dogs are," Dr. Karen Overall, an Animal Behavior expert, told Yahoo! Shine. "We have had a close, cognitive, emotional and working relationship with dogs for tens of thousands of years, and we have both been changed by that history. Dogs are heroic to us because they live up to that relationship."

Canine loyalty extends beyond humans.

Last year, a male pit bull refused to leave the side of a female pit bull who had been dead on the side of a road in Phoenix. According to local news reports, the male pit bull stayed with her for more than 14 hours.

How to teach ANY dog to COME!

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Anniversary of a Youtube channel - 100 videos.

A year and half ago we launched our Youtube channel Elena JNHelen. The idea of the title emerged just on the spot:  our dogs became the first actors of the first video – first letters of their names Jay and Nijel – were chosen for the first letters of the title of the new born channel. Now we celebrated a kind of an anniversary  – as it includes  100 videos. 
Our everyday life gave us a lot of ideas and topics for  films: various dog’s training – obedience, defense, jumping; dogs’ behavior – in various situations; sport competition – mondioring championship in Nieuwpoort (Belgium), Mondioring World Cup in Lyss, national championships. It is no easy job – to shoot animals, particularly so speedy as malinois who are the key participants of mondioring competitions.  The most difficult thing is to trace the movements of the dog and keep him in the cadre.   

Now we are preparing a set of videos about the  street training to show and teach dog owners to implement the knowledge and skills of their dogs, accumulated on the training grounds, in the real life.

We use the channel as a considerable storage of various videos for our website www.kosmaj-dog.com to illustrate different trainings and methodic  as the team training, which is based on the pack's behavior (pack training).

Making films about nature is exciting - to show Autumn colors, Winter frozen forests, or thunderstorm in mountains.  Music makes those films alive. Classics or neo-classics: Wagner, Paul Mauriat are preferable.

Each video has its own history, as “Christmas sounds”. It’s not too popular, however it’s of great value for us. Last Christmas we made a three day trip to Rome to attend Pope’s Christmas congratulations on the St.Peter Square. His speech full of trust into human intellectual and spiritual potentiality , reaction of the people, the whole friendly and solemn atmosphere were unforgettable. From the St.Peter square people dissipated into streets, cafes, parks. We made a video which, we hope, expresses the light mood of that day, with street musicians, performances on the Place Nova and sounds of fountains by Bernini.

There are a lot of other videos made during our travels : Toledo, Alhambra, Munich…

We are glad if some of them got “likes”. We are grateful to all our viewers.

Welcome to our Channel and please share and comment.

Are there many dog-friendly cafes in your city?

     Los Angeles has a reputation for being one of the best places you and your pooch can call home (or visit). There’s lots you and your dog can do together in L.A., like visiting one of its dog-friendly beaches, going for a hikein the “Hollywoof Hills” or dining at one of the city’s wet-nose welcoming restaurants or bars.

It’s no surprise then that L.A. is also home to several dog-friendly coffee shops that serve both hot or cold coffee bliss that are perfect for enjoying all year long.

1. Intelligentsia Coffee – 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice              310-399-1233      

With three locations in Venice, Silver Lakeand Pasadena that are each only a few blocks away from a dog-friendly park, Intelligentsia has prime locations close to where you and your pooch will already be walking. With blends like El Gallo, which features hints of silky milk chocolate; a tart Honey Badger espresso; and a premium Santuario Geishi blend that combines jasmine, orange and black currant flavors, Intelligentsia is serving up more than just your everyday cup of joe.

Dogs are allowed outside at each of its three locations, where Intelligentsia’s internationally recognized baristas will brew you a made-to-order cup of coffee or hand-craft you a spectacular espresso drink. Intelligentsia even has its own iPhone app that allows you to view their current, in-season brews. Hours vary by location, so be sure to check their app before you go.

2. LAMILL Coffee – 1636 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake              323-663-4441      

Named one of Bon Appetit’s ”10 Best Boutique Coffee Shops,” LAMILL’s boutique location in Silver Lake not only offers finely-crafted cafes, but phenomenal food as well. For foodies who want to enjoy breakfast or lunch with their pooch, this is the place to go. Their menu includes warm brioche donuts topped with ice cream or poached eggs for breakfast and speciality sandwiches for lunch. The coffee is brewed in a Clover machine, or as Bon Appetit calls it, “the Ferrari of coffee makers.” Some of their signature beverages include the crème brulee; an espresso and caramel concoction; and an orange-infused cappuccino that’s topped with cacao.

Dogs are welcome on the patio and the Silver Lake dog park is less than a 10-minute walk away. LAMILL is open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. everyday, except Fridays and Saturdays when they close at 11 p.m.

3. Fix Coffee – 2100 Echo Park Ave.               323-284-8962      

Just a short walk away from dog-friendly Elysian Park, Fix Coffee proudly serves an assortment of L.A.’s finest foods and beverages. Brewing Intelligentsia coffee, tea from Art of Tea and sandwiches from BreadBar, Fix is a great place to sit with your pooch and enjoy different foods in one spot. Featuring free Wi-Fi, a fire pit and spacious outdoor seating for you and your pup, you’ll want to get your coffee fix here.

4. CoffeeBar LA – 600 S. Spring St.             213-327-1157      

Nested in Downtown L.A.’s burgeoning Old Bank District, CoffeeBar is where you can grab a cup among the city’s coffee aficionados. CoffeeBar meticulously creates each cup it serves, making sure the detail is up to par down to the very last drop. The downtown location is perfect for those who want to grab a quick bite or mid-work-day pick me up. Dogs are welcome to accompany their pet parents on the outdoor patio. CoffeeBar opens at 7 a.m., Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and closes at 6 p.m. daily.

5. Alcove Cafe and Bakery – 1929 Hillhurst Ave.  323-644-0100      

Located near Griffith Park, Alcove is a great spot to grab brunch after a morning hike with your pooch. Housed in two historic bungalows and with a dog-friendly garden patio, Alcove not only serves hand-roasted coffee, but also teas, artisan baked goods and cocktails. The Alcove menu has delicious selections for breakfast or brunch, including a shrimp and crab omelette, brioche french toast, crepes, grilled paninis and a great salad selection. Be sure to check their hours before you paw on over to this cafe.

PHOTOS: Michael Fraley, Intelligentsia Twitter, 

http://www.ilovedogfriendly.com/2012/12/dogfriendly-coffee-shops-los-angeles/

How to socialize your dog in the city - dog's street training

What does it mean “street training”? Why train dogs in the street if there is a training ground?

About the term “street training”. We know about street sculpture, street installations, street poster art, video projection and so on encompassed by the general term “street art”. This art is developed in public spaces, mostly urban, and  communicates with our everyday life.

It is the very idea which drove us to develop our course of street training – to teach a dog to behave properly in a complicated environment, created by humans. Urban - in particular.

Follow on http://www.kosmaj-dog.com/training-obuka-pasa-1/street-training/

What is a sentimental value of a pet? A judicial approach

By MARIA NIKIAS

Jan. 11, 2013

A case that may reflect a pet owner's worst nightmare has made its way to the Texas Supreme Court, which must decide if a family can place sentimental value on a pet that was accidentally euthanized.

Approximately three years ago, Jeremy and Kathryn Medlen's family dog, Avery, escaped from their yard during a thunderstorm.

Days later, the Medlens were happy to hear Fort Worth Animal Control had found their beloved pet and they could come by to pick him up.

"When Jeremy and his two small children went to go pick up Avery, they were told they accidentally killed him the day before," said Medlen's attorney, Randy Turner.

Fort Worth Animal Control had labeled Avery's cage "hold for owner," meaning don't euthanize, Turner said. But a worker at the facility apparently euthanized Avery anyway.

"She went through and picked the dogs that needed to be euthanized and accidentally picked Avery," said Turner.

It was then the family decided to hire Turner, who took the case free of charge, to sue the worker, Carla Strickland, for negligence and accidentally euthanizing Avery.

The Medlens, Turner said, "wanted to know if there's anything they could [do to] stop this from happening to anyone else."

In 1963, Texas adopted a "sentimental value rule," which provided that if property is wrongfully destroyed and that property had no market value, then the parties involved could sue.

"Problem is, they never applied sentimental value to dogs," said Turner. "You can sue and recover the sentimental value of a photograph, but not the dog itself."

Originally, the case was dismissed after a judge ruled the Medlens could not recover damages for companionship with their dog. However, an appeals court ruled in favor of the Medlens and the case went to the Texas Supreme Court.

Carla Strickland's attorney, John Cayce, said his client feels terrible about the situation.

"Ms. Strickland, from day one, has been devastated by the unfortunate accident that occurred that led to Avery's death," Cayce said.

However, he added, assigning sentimental value to pets would have broad implications.

"This case really goes beyond the dispute between Strickland and the Medlens," said Cayce. "It would have an adverse impact on just the average citizen in the state that might accidentally run over a dog on the way to work. With that kind of liability, the insurance rates would go up."

Furthermore, Cayce said, "They have proved that the emotional sentimental value of a pet could be as high as the national debt."

Turner said that the Medlens are not looking for money, but rather, "We're simply asking the court to recognize the value society places on animals, now."

The court will rule on the case sometime in the next nine months, according to both attorneys.