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The Cinnamonster | Stupid Pet Tricks | Tips, Tricks & Useful Information

Tips, Tricks, & Useful Information

I’d like to think I’ve been fairly successful at training Cinnamon - especially considering he’s my first dog. (Well, I had them growing up, but I wasn’t the primary training source...) I’ll try to add some tips and tricks of training and raising a “good citizen” dog. Raising a good dog, however, starts with the owner! I can’t stress this enough! So, to start with, here are some tips to you owners.

Soft "Bunny Fur" Coat Posted: 18 October 2007
Cinnamon's Coat
Cinnamon's Red Tricolored Chinchilla Fur
Sunny's Coat
Sunny's Red Merle Bunny-Soft Fur

Sunny was recently described to me by a golden-retriever owner as having “bunny fur” because she's so soft. I had always thought Cinnamon was particularly soft, even compared to other Aussies, and figured he was unique. I was resigned that my next dog wouldn't be as soft, and even when she was a puppy, Sunny wasn't as soft as Cinnamon. However, I've since decided it may have to do with the Biotin and Vitacoat® Plus supplements I give them.

Cinnamon had dry skin and what I suspected were some allergies, so I started putting Drs. Foster & Smith “Biotin” and “Vitacoat®” on his food each night, along with a multivitamin. The immediate results (3 weeks or so) were that his skin wasn't dandruffy anymore, and he wasn't quite so itchy. The longer-term results I saw was that he didn't shed quite as much. (That's not to say he didn't shed at all!) Also, everyone kept telling me how beautiful he was. I chalked it up to having started having him professionally groomed, but they're right - his coat went from red to brilliant, shiny “Pantene-commercial” red.

When he died, I still had a fairly large bottle (8 oz.) of Biotin and most of a gallon of the Vitacoat®. I started putting it on Sunny's food (following her weight and the dosages), and haven't really thought much of it, except that she has noticeably gotten softer! She still doesn't quite have the “chinchilla-head” that Cinnamon had, but she also doesn't have the matting problems! So now she's soft and fluffy with “bunny fur”! Other factors I thought it might have been - Grooming spray (I would spray down Cinnamon periodically when he got a bit “doggy” smelling, however I haven't used it much or at all on Sunny), regular combing/brushing (however I admit I've been less than diligent with Sunny's brushing since she doesn't seem to require it as much as Cinnamon did - although she LOVES going to the “salon” to visit the girls), and being an “indoor dog.” The last part may still have something to do with it, although I'm pretty sure the other Aussies I've met were indoor pets as well. And maybe the best conditioner of all is finger-oil! Lots of petting and attention makes a dog shiny and happy all over!

Pick up your poop! Posted: 19 January 2005
Clean up after your pet!
Clean up after your pet!

As a fellow dog-owner, I implore you — Pick up your poop!

This is not merely a rule imposed by “da man,” or the apartment complex — it can affect you and your best-friend as well as your fellow dog-owners. There’s nothing those of us who pick up our poop love more than to be responsible pet owners, out there cleaning up our dog’s schtuff, only to find we’ve stepped in someone else’s schtuff. Whether it’s dark out, covered in snow, or whatever... it’s not going to “dissolve” or disappear on its own!

Leaving your dog poop around:

  1. Makes spreading and contracting diseases and worms from dog to dog easier
  2. Worms are like grubs - even after it’s picked up, if it’s been sitting for a while, it goes deep into the grass, and it’s tough to get rid of! Prevention!
  3. Your dog likes to sniff poop - his own and other dogs - do you want that face licking you or your children?
  4. People can step in it
  5. People bring it inside after stepping in it
  6. People bring aforementioned nasties into their living space where they go barefoot...
  7. It’s unsightly
  8. It smells bad
  9. It’s unhealthy
  10. It ticks your neighbors and other dog owners off.
How much is that doggie in the window? Posted: 19 January 2005
Devil dog

Will your pet be your little angel, or a devil-dog?
Do your homework and choose carefully to find the right fit!

I unfortunately have heard too many stories of people who bought a dog on impulse, and asked me for advice as to how to make their dog behave. My first bit of advice towards the impulse buyer is: Don’t do that!

Unfortunately, too many pets and too many children are brought into the world on impulse, to parents and owners who are unprepared. Now I don’t mean “but I’ve never had a baby/dog before!” kind of preparedness of the heart - I’m talking about the preparedness of the head.

When I saw my first Australian Shepherd, it was (unfortunately) at a pet-store. I fell instantly in love with this adorable fluffy and playful puppy, and got out my wallet, went to the cash register, and purchased... a book about Australian Shepherds. I think this was probably the smartest thing I (or anyone else) could have done in a similar situation. I read that book cover-to-cover, and started my search of Australian Shepherds.

A few month later after the idea had been stewing for a while, I met one litter and the mom, and again went home empty-handed with a new experience with a grown Aussie, and the “glow of anticipation” at the thought of owning one of these wonderful dogs. I also went home $5 poorer with a newfound admiration for the destructive power of a puppy, as they’d chewed my flip-flops beyond recognition in the half-hour that I played with them.

A puppy will grow up quickly into a dog. And a dog (or puppy) is just like planning for children — you’re probably going to have them under your care for up to (or beyond) 18 years!

Puppies, like children, need to go to the doctor. Every year. Sometimes more! They need vaccinations, check-ups, licenses, teeth-cleanings, food, toys, and (like children) may destroy your own toys in the process of growing! “Why can’t I have nice things!?” My parents would yell after we broke or scratched the one remaining unchildified thing in the house... Well, it’s the same with a dog. There’s no guarantee it’ll ever out-grow the peeing, crying and chewing phase - you just hope through the proper guidance, they will!

But the (yearly and monthly) money adds up! And it ain’t cheap to keep a dog happy and healthy. And it’s even more expensive if (heaven-forbid) they end up unhealthy. (And the chances of this, of course, can also increase depending on how well you’ve been taking care of their medical needs, and how old they are). And then of course, there are all the unpredictables like cancer, accidents, near-death-by-chocolate...

Then there’s the whole, "Who’s going to take care of fluffy?" issue. You (the adult) are going to be the primary care-giver of your dog. I don’t care if it’s a child’s pet, or he is the "child" (like in my case), you’re accepting responsibility over another living being. Do you have the necessary means of exercising your pet? Are you willing to pick up his poop? Do you have a steady income and housing so that he can be well taken care of?

Further considerations:

  1. Even if your present residence allows dogs, be aware that it is nearly impossible to find dog-friendly apartments and housing in the "non-luxury" market. So if you’re in college, or in your 20’s, you may want to think twice about getting a dog.
  2. Are family members or friends allergic to dogs?
  3. What will you do with your dog when you need to go somewhere overnight that he can’t? (And this will happen.)

These things are only a tip of the iceberg to consider when considering buying a puppy or a dog. It’s a decision that will affect both of your lives forever, so don’t impulse buy! You both deserve more love and respect than that.