The Days of Johann - an agility dog!

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The Plague Dogs - The Movie!
2007-09-15 11:40:00
We were at it again, yep, gettin' sucked in to YouTube. And guess what we found this time? An entire animated movie about us pups. It's called The Plague Dogs .The Plague Dogs is a 1982 animated film based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Richard Adams. The film was written for screen, directed and produced by Martin Rosen, who also directed Watership Down, the film version of another novel by Adams.The film's story is centered on two dogs named Rowf and Snitter, who escape from a research laboratory in Great Britain. In the process of telling the story, the film highlights the cruelty of performing vivisection and animal research for its own sake (though Martin Rosen said that this was not an anti-vivisection film, but an adventure), an idea that was only recently coming to public attention during the 1960s and 1970s. Click here to learn more about the movie.Here is the first of the 10 vids that make up the movie. You can see all the vids in order here!
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Saturday is Puppy Mill Awareness Day!
2007-09-13 18:46:00
This is Top Secret, an adult terrier who was used as a breeder at a Missouri puppy mill. Due to a lifelong lack of veterinary care, Top Secret suffered from painful and severe dental infections.All of his teeth rotted and he lost part of his lower jaw. Top was rescued and has been treated, but he can no longer shut his mouth all the way and does not have full use of his jaw.Top Secret has now been adopted into a loving home.-----------------This Saturday is Puppy Mill Awareness Day. Throughout the World there are thousands and thousands of breeding facilities that produce puppies in incredibly large numbers, with the sole purpose of selling these pups to the public through the Internet and newspaper ads, at auctions, or to brokers and pet shops.The problems with puppy mills are the extensive over- and in-breeding of these poor pups, the lack of medical care, poor food and shelter, overcrowding and sometimes killing of unwanted animals. There is much suffering occurring in these horr...
More About: S Day , Waren

PayPerPost!
2007-09-13 18:31:00
Those of you who read my blog frequently know that some of my posts are from sponsors. These sponsors pay me to post about their products and services. I enjoy posting blog ads, because 10% of the profits we make from our blog and our website, JohannTheDog.com go to dog shelters and rescues.We're also pretty selective about what we post about, and work it into the goal of our blog - which is to share my life, my thoughts, and my agility; and to meet and have fun with fellow bloggers, and bring great info to the pups out there to help with their lives.Over the past couple of months we've been much more active in our blogging and it has really paid off. We've collected nearly $200.00 from pay per post items. And that means that $20.00 will be going to a dog shelter or rescue. And that makes us real happy!
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Halloween toys!
2007-09-13 12:11:00
This is so new that we haven't even had a chance to put many of the products on the website!We signed up as a new affiliate with DogToys .com. Dog toys you say, yep and some of them start at prices around $1.50 - $3.00, in their clearance and sale sections. And they have some of the newest and most pupular toys on the market. You can't beat that!They have great toys for Halloween ! And not only do they have toys but they also have very healthy treats, gifts, cards, beds and loads more. I hope Mum's wrist will hold out putting all these great new products on the site over the next month - we're gonna be busy!Click here for info on saving $5 on an order of $35 or more! (coupon expires 9-30-2007)And be sure and check out my website and Squidoo lens on how to have a great Halloween with your pup!
More About: Ween , Allo

Be responsible!
2007-09-12 12:45:00
re·spon·si·ble /rɪˈspɒnsəbəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ri-spon-suh-buhl] Pronunciation Key -adjective 1.answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or managementHaving a dog is a big responsibility and one that should be taken very seriously. And, this month the AKC is working to help folks better understand more about this. Dog owners and dog lovers everywhere will join hundreds of AKC-affiliated dog clubs across the country to celebrate the fifth annual AKC® Responsible Dog Ownership Day in their local communities. Over 370 events will be held by local organizations across the country, with the goal of educating and entertaining all current and future dog owners. Click here for an event in your area!Can't attend? Do what I do!Join me and 'take the promise'!Find out more info!Sign the petition from the AKC!And take good care and enjoy your pups!

Agility, Wubbas, bird herding, it just doesn't get any better!
2007-09-11 23:01:00
We had a great time today. Started out early this morning just after 7:00 AM as we left for Trainer J's house for our 8:00 AM class. After what seemed like forever in the 90's turned into 60 degrees this morning! WaaaaHoooo! My favorite type of weather for agility. And to make it even better, it was drizzly, yummm.Gracie went first in training this morning and she had the 'cool bug' just like me. She did an Exec level jumpers course, with no running off, and, accept for Mum's fault on a few things, was incredibly focused throughout the course. She ran it again, and was flying through the straight away of jumps, so much that Mum just couldn't get in that cross she wanted to. But was really happy to see Gracie with so much speed and enthusiasm.Then Gracie was off to practice the standard course. She had five jumps in a straight line to a tunnel, so Mum led out. She went flying through those jumps and into the tunnel with amazing effort. She did the rest of the course like a pro,...
More About: Bird , Agility

Remembering the K9's of 9/11!
2007-09-11 11:27:00

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Another fun YouTube vid, Happy Monday!
2007-09-10 12:17:00
Thought I'd start your day off right and share this fun vid we found on YouTube!Enjoy!
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My ABCNews segment submission!
2007-09-10 01:46:00
The nice folks at ABCNews contacted me recently asking if I would submit a vid segment for the upcoming online program "Talk Back". They are working with 20/20 correspondent and dog trainer Tamar Geller on this new program. We submitted our vid today, hope they pick it up!BTW - Mum really needs a new video camera, yuck! She's been using the vid function of her digital camera and the quality isn't so good. But here you go!Hope you like it!
More About: Submission , Missi

I'm a millionarie blogging star!
2007-09-10 01:40:00
My great human friend Tish, over at ChattieKat, gave me a great award the other day. She says I'm a blogging star, now is she Sirius?! Wow!And my friend Barrett at Huma~B gave me the Blogging Star too, (I just have to give it back to him, 'cause he is a star, Siriusly!)Now I need to highlight those I think are Blogging Stars and I pick:Sammy over at Queen of the Surf Pirates - Sammy recently was hit by a drunk driver, but thank DOG he is gonna be OK. Whew! You're a star in our book, Sammy!Pacco de Mongrel - Pacco is into agility, just like me and he has some 'top secret' moves, I'm tellin' ya! And to help them out over there, please stop by and sign the Online Petition - 'cause the Selayang Council (Malaysia) is advertising to hold a "dog catching competition' where lucrative prize money is being offered to individuals who could catch the most dogs! They say it's to help reduce the number of strays in the area. But this sure isn't the way to do it, with the consequences p...

My Squidmercial!
2007-09-09 23:30:00
Recently the good folks at Squidoo asked some of us Lensmasters to send in a 10 sec vid to use in a Squidmercial - that's a commercial about Squids and Squidoo'ers! So we sent one in. Around the end of September they will mix the vids and then let us know about the final cut. Hope we make it in and hope you like it!
More About: Merc

Can you say sheep?
2007-09-09 21:00:00
Most of you who know me know I love sheep. Since I've been concentrating on agility, I haven't been able to see sheep much recently, accept the eight or so grazing out at Trainer J's house, that Mum has to pull my attention off of to do agility. And whenever Mum starts talking about herding lessons I end up with one of my November injuries, and am in recovery all winter. (Which isn't going to happen this November, right?)Mum and I were perusing YouTube the other day. (Do you peruse YouTube, or get sucked in?) Anyway, we found this vid described as "Join the'border collie' herding dogs and cute pups of Kings Green Farm at work and play in this collection of short clips from our DVD movie: Border Collie Shee p dogs - Off Duty!"So we just had to check it out. Well, I went nuts seeing the sheep of course, and Gracie went nuts seeing all the pups and BC's and sheep. So it was quite an exciting six, or so, minutes at our house. Wolfie and Wiggy, the cats scrambled, 'cause they didn...

National Pet Memorial Day!
2007-09-08 13:21:00
A day to honor the memory and celebrate the life of a companion who once shared their life with you - today is National Pet Memorial Day .Every year the second Sunday of September is National Pet Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember our departed companions. Most pet cemeteries across the country observe this day and there are events being held by individuals, humane societies and rescues organizations throughout the country. Check your local pet organizations for an event year you.The death of your companion can be one of life's most difficult experiences. To help you through, there are so many meaningful ways to memorialize and remember your beloved pet.One of our best blogging buddies, Oscar, passed recently. Oscar was a very young pup, wide eyed, full of life and adventure. Oscar's Mum and Dad have done beautiful things to remember and celebrate Oscar's life.They purchased this incredibly simple, elegant and natural stone to put in their planter with lovely flowers for the...

September's JohannTheDog.com newsletter!
2007-09-07 16:35:00
The September issue of the Johann TheDog.com newsletter is out on the newsstands, well the Internet newsstands anyway!This month's issue features some really cool new products from Clean Run, and a new company we just became affiliated with - DogToys.com.Click here to see it, now!And if you are interested in past issues of our newsletter feel free to check 'em out!
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Rest well Luciano!
2007-09-06 19:28:00
Mum is sad today. Her absolute favorite opera singer in the world has passed, Luci ano Pavarotti. And he succumbed to the same horrible disease that my Mum's Dad passed from - pancreatic cancer.Mum has listened to Luciano for years, ever since she became involved in classical music as a flutist at the age of 12, and she has followed his career every since.Nessun dorma was her favorite aria sung by Luciano. Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot. The aria, whose title translates from Italian as "Let no one sleep", follows the proclamation by the Princess Turandot that no one shall sleep. They shall all spend the night attempting to find out the name of the unknown prince, Calàf, who has set the challenge. Calàf sings, indicating his certainty that their effort will be in vain.It has been a signature song of this wonderful Italian tenor and has been associated with him ever since. Here he is singing live in Paris in 1998. Enjoy!
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Can you say 'swamped'?
2007-09-06 14:24:00
This week Mum has been absolutely swamped with work. First she worked for her clients helping them out with marketing stuff, now she's working on my monthly newsletter (which is late, BTW).And she decided she and I should create a bunch more Squidoo lenses, because Squidoo was having a kind of 'contest' for GiantSquid status. If you make 50 real good lenses before the deadline (which was September 4) you would achieve GiantSquid status and receive all sorts of real cool stuff - like preferred lensmaster status and some advertising. So we went for it and got in 51 lenses by the deadline! Yeah!We made lenses all weekend and some of this week. Some of the subjects we wrote about are:Animal blessings and dog holidaysA great lens on keeping your canine athlete fit, healthy and happy, for the serious competitorSeries of lenses on positive pup trainers that we admire and likeAlso a few lenses on health related subjects, like dogs with disabilities, dog blood donation, cpr, massage, acup...
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Don't forget to vote!
2007-09-06 14:22:00
On August 25th, I was honored to receive the Cool Dog Site of the Day from DogMark.net!Now I'm up for Cool Dog Site of the Month. If you get a chance, be sure and go vote for me, K? You will need to provide your email address in the voting process.I sure would appreciate it!
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It's my Gotcha Day!
2007-09-03 12:14:00
Today is my Gotcha Day! On this day in 2004, my Mum woke up and decided that she wanted a dog, "a friend and someone to do stuff with", she said.Mum had been looking at pups on Petfinder.com for quite a few weeks. And on that morning when she logged in, she saw me and my brother. Back then they called me Ben and my brother Jerry. (That's me on the left). She made a call to see if we were still available and we were! So she ventured to the Southside Animal Shelter, about a 45 minute drive.It was a beautiful, hot, fall type of day. And I remember hanging with my brother in the kennel where they were keeping me. The nice shelter folks had rescued me and my brother, sisters and birth Mum from the streets, a few weeks before.Suddenly one of the shelter folks picked up my brother and handed him to a lady who was to be my future Mum. Well, my brother, being as he was back then, squirmed all over Mum. So she asked to see me!I settled right in. She held me for a while, talked to me, looked ...

Gracie agility photos!
2007-09-01 04:20:00
You may remember my little write up about Gracie at the CPE trial this past weekend. We got her photos today! Yeah!This is an historical moment - Gracie's first photos of her doing agility. And I have to say she looks pretty darn serious about it, don't ya think?Interesting to see how different she jumps than me. I am 15.5" and jump 16", Gracie is 18.75" and jumps 20-22", depending upon the venue.Any experts out there have comments on her jumping style??? Sure would love to have it critiqued!
More About: Photos , Agility

Gracie attacks!
2007-08-31 13:01:00
Gracie absolutely loves the sprinkler. She could play with it for hours, jumping and biting and howling at the darn thing.Since it's been so hot here this year, she's gotten in a lot of practice, and continues to perfect her technique, and she gets a great bath at the same time!Now all Mum has to worry about is getting those darn hoses back in the Garden Hose Reels.Note: This is a sponsored post.
More About: Gracie , Attacks , Tacks , Attack , Atta

Training this week!
2007-08-30 13:46:00
Gracie and I went for training this week and I wanted to report that it was GREAT!!!! We had another private with Trainer J and got to work on some good stuff.Gracie went first and was kind of sniffy and unmotivated at the start, so unlike her trialling speed. When she's like that it sure is hard to get a handle on directing her because it's sooo different than at a trial. So Trainer J recommended we rev her up! Now Mum has to admit that she never thought of revving Gracie up, 'cause she's so wacky and wild at trials. But when they did rev her up, Gracie took those obstacles just like she was at a trial.So that helped her and Mum get some rhythm and timing down; and allowed them to focus on commands for certain situations, like turning tight and turning wide. It really helped them. My sis took those obstacles like a pro, and was speedy and accurate with her weaves, contacts and turns. Way to go Gracie!Then it was my turn. Mum tried out some rear crosses with me since I'm really...
More About: Training , Week , TRAI , Raining

Fun vids you can create - if you're a two-legger that is!
2007-08-30 13:45:00
Coke zero is on the market and the folks at Coca-Cola are celebrating with a “Life as it should be” campaign. They have created a cool website where you can utilize old B/W film clips and create your own little movie! You can even write your own script for the ending, making it original. And once you create the movie you can send it to all your friends. Cool!Coke Zero was released in the US this year. The folks at Coke say that Coke Zero has real taste, zero sugar.
More About: Vids , Create

Today is National Holistic Pet Day!
2007-08-30 13:03:00
Happy National Holistic Pet Day!As many of you know Mum and I practice holistic health methods as much as we possibly can. I get chiro, accupuncture and massage; Mum gets Reiki and chiro. And we use holistic remedies like Traumeel for skin cuts and bruises, Bach Flower remedies for stress and traumas, yogurt for my IBS and many others. And we have a holistic vet that shares our belief in being healthy.How can you help your pet be more 'holistic'?Here are just a few things you can do, starting right now:Feed your pets a more natural food diet containing the freshest ingredients you can afford and manage. Avoid foods with artificial flavors, colorings and other unnatural ingredients.Cut back on unnecessary vaccinations by doing your homework and talking to your vet about titers. Titers are tests to see if you have the necessary amount of medicine or antibodies found in your blood. You may not need all those vaccines and titers will help you know.Cut back on drugs. Seek out alternati...
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Sending vids!
2007-08-30 13:00:00
Not too long ago a friend of ours video taped a few of my runs. We were so grateful that we finally got to see a few runs on 'good quality' video, so unlike our little digital camera vids. But when it came time to email them to me, we had some figuring out to do, because the files were so large.First she tried a couple of her email accounts to send from, then sent them to a couple of my accounts, but she kept timing out. Eventually she sent them through a web service that specializes in just this type of thing and can send large files over the Internet.And yeah! I got my vids. Now Mum can study them and see what she did wrong! BOL!!Note: This is a sponsored post.
More About: Vids , Sending

Katrina remembered!
2007-08-30 00:24:00
On this day, just two years ago, one of the most horrific tragedies to befell the United States occurred in New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast areas of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the the North side of the Gulf, leaving behind a level of devastation of unimaginable proportions.Over 1800 people lost their lives, and thousands, upon thousands of animals were left to fend for themselves.Today I wanted to pause and remember, and hope that all of us have learned something from this terrible tragedy.As I was reflecting today, I visited Petfinder.com's website. I remember two years ago, blogging and posting about the needs of the pups down in Katrina, and doing whatever I could here in Indiana to help by getting the word out about crews traveling to the Gulf Coast from Indiana and helping to solicit for needed supplies. I felt helpless, as I am sure many of you did.Petfinder still maintains their Katrina (and other disaster) dbase. They have helped...

Fun video!
2007-08-29 19:16:00
I see a lot of Gracie and me in this vid from Merrill Markoe and thought you would enjoy it.If you aren't familiar with Merrill, she's been a writer for the David Letterman show in it's early years, as well as an acclaimed author of several books including the newly released paperback version of 'Walking in Circles Before Lying down', the story about a woman's confusing search for love and the divine acts of dog.
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Full trial recap - It's a long one!
2007-08-20 16:32:00
Mum likes to use my blog, not only to share info with others, but to document my life. This past weekend's USDAA trial was a big one for me. We had some real successes and some real messes, there were some milestone and we ended up pretty darn happy with the outcome. So here is the long version..... Some of you may know that I was kind of 'slow' last summer. It is not the case this summer! Mum
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Back from the trial!
2007-08-19 01:04:00
We're back from the USDAA trial, and it's late - we are sooooo tired. Have a couple of quick things to report: 1. I got a real nice Q in Masters Jumpers today to earn my Masters Jumpers title. It's my first Masters title, so we are super excited! And I got third place. 2. Had a pretty nice run in Steeplechase, despite the fact that it was the last run of the day at about 5:00 PM. It was
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My shelter was burglarized!
2007-08-17 14:03:00
I found out yesterday that the shelter who originally found and took care of me and my kittie brother Wiggy until my Mum adopted us, was burglarized recently. it's the Southside Animal Shelter , here in Indianapolis The thieves took all kinds of goods that they need to take care of the dogs and cats; things like laundry detergent, paper towels, bleach, dish detergent, newspapers, toilet paper and

The Oprah show today!
2007-08-17 04:26:00
Several folks have asked me what happened on the Oprah show today. Well, we had to DVR it, but we finished watching it a bit ago. I'm sure this was a repeat of a show that aired earlier, but we had missed it before. The sad part is it showed Oprah's Golden Retriever, Gracie (my sis's namesake) on the show. Many of you may know that Oprah's Gracie passed recently. They added a clip to the show in
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