What I learned from the vets
Posted At: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 8:00 PM | Posted By: Jon Katz
The Love Dog, last September
Some things I heard from vets in Orlando.
- They are having difficult economic times, like most people. They do not make a lot of money.
- They see few trained dogs. Many that are overfed, infanticized.
- They see rising problems and intensity with animal grieving.
- More behavioral problems: barking, biting, chewing.
- More people seeking medication for separation and other emotional issues – “anxiety,” “aggression.”
- Too many people buying dogs on impulse – for their kids, to rescue something, because he or she is “cute,” rather than thinking through what they want from a dog, and how they wish to live with one.
- People do not know what dogs are like. That they smell, chew, dig holes, mount things, squabble, bark. They want “Disney Dogs” that are sexless, cute and clean and quiet.
- They are concerned that they are not trained to deal with the emotional/psychological issues cropping up in the human-animal bond.
- The find the Internet a mixed blessing. Better informed animal lovers, also people who read a lot of ignorant junk and don’t know it. They caution: everything you read on the Internet about shots and nutrition is not necessarily true.
And of course they see a lot of love and wonderful relationships between dogs and people and cats.
Daily meeting. Notecards online
Posted At: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 6:24 PM | Posted By: Jon Katz
Notecards can be seen and bought online
The Daily Meeting was called this afternoon, at dusk to greet my return from Orlando. Maria and I had a great time there talking to vets and readers of my books and blog. We had a full house in the Miami room at the invitation of Eli Lilly and the Perdue University Center for the Study of the Human-Companion Animal Bond. The dogs were glad to see us, but a bit racuous. I told them to settle down, which they have.
My photo notecards – an effort to sell the photos more cheaply – are no online at the Redux Art Gallery website. They can be viewed and purchased on the site. (I am not selling them, so please don’t try and order them here, thanks). Small unframed prints are also for sale, as well as some framed photos that are larger.
I had a lot of great conversations with vets. They see many people with anxious and poorly trained dogs gotten impulsively for without much information and understanding. They are wrestling with economic and other issues that I hope to write about in the next few days. Very good chance for me to learn a lot from people who are right on the front lines of the deepening relationship between Americans and dogs and cats.
Farm Truck, waiting for me
Posted At: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 6:13 PM | Posted By: Jon Katz
Farm truck, Rte. 197
Home again, home again
Posted At: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 5:15 PM | Posted By: Jon Katz
Dog greeting (barn cat fleeing)
Maria opened up the back gate and all four dogs – Frieda in the lead, charged out to see me. Minnie the barn cat, who was also saying hello, looked up and saw this mob of dogs thundering down the steps and ran and hid between my legs.
January 19, 2009 – Back from Orlando, where nearly 300 vets, techs and readers came to the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) to hear my talk about the intensifying relationship between Americans and their companion animals. I talked to vets and also about human attachment to dogs and cats, hospice work, my new novel, “Rose In A Storm,” out later this year. It was nice to be warm. I will post more about the trip later.
Thanks to the many readers of my books and the blog who showed up as well, some driving long distances. I will write about it later, once I settle in. I didn’t bring my camera after all, too much grief getting it all through security. I’ve been asked if Rose can help acclimate some labs for herding and it will be fun to get back to work with her. I got a LOT of great ideas for my short stories, and a lot of excitement about the children’s books. Good to be back.
