The pagan rant.
Ok, so i am pagan, i love my religion, i love the open-mindedness of this religion. i love the freedom from guilt (Guilt people, not responsibility). i love the fact that my religion acknowledges that it is not the only path for people to find the Divine—and that every religion is valid as mine is.
What i can't stand? The pagan “I Am More Persecuted Then You” crap. Especially when joined with the “My Religion Is Older Then Yours” load of BS. Ok, so i am very clear that i don't think Wiccan and paganism is an Ancient religion. i just don't. But if you do, that is fine with me. i am not really going to waste my time arguing about things that neither of us can prove. However, when pagans start getting all self-righteous about how hard it is to be pagan, and how they are oppressed and discriminated against, and how their religion is more valid JUST BECAUSE it is older then Christianity... That i have to take exception with.
First of all, even if Wicca, in it's EXACT form was practiced before the dawn of time, that doesn't make it more valid then any other religion. If you are going to get on the pagan Party Wagon, understand some key freaking concepts—like respect for other's religions. You want respect? Give it. Drop this oh-woh-woh POOR ME crap and get to know your religion. Makes me wonder if some people just get into this religion so they can justify their need to play the victim or just feel sorry for themselves. Wow, so NOT the point of being pagan.
And further more, stop using my freaking religion as an excuse to scare your parents. This is my life here, not just your own personal melodrama. What is it with people who know nothing about the complexities of paganism (or really, any other issue, for that matter) who have this undeniable NEED to talk the loudest about stuff they don't understand?? Is that human nature at its worse or what?
Grumbly!!
Ok. So i worked in a grooming shop. i deal with a lot dogs, a lot of dog owners, and some overall pretty strange and/or scary personalities. You know, dogs are pretty sensible animals, right? So people who own dogs should be pretty sensible people, right? WRONG. Wow is that wrong. So here are my rant points, in no particular order.
#1. Starting from the beginning, if you are looking for a purebred dog, Do your damn research on breed personalities. Yes, i know Lhasa Ahpsos are absolutely adorable little dogs—but they are also bad-tempered, nasty little buggers if you don’t raise them right, and there are way too many people who don’t.
#2. DO NOT BUY A DOG AT THE PET STORE. For Chrissake, people. i know you have heard of puppymills. Don’t support them. Half of the petstore dogs sold are either poor breeding or not even the pure dog you are paying for. Even if you have papers, if it comes from a puppymill, it’s probably not completely pure. If you are going to pay $800 for a purebred dog—at LEAST do your damn research and go to a reputable breeder who breeds for health and personality, not just looks. Very important. A dog’s personality is about 50% environment and how you raise it, but it’s also about 50% genetic—and if the dog’s parents are freaks, the dog will most likely have at least a freak-side to it. Read up on bread standards so you can have some idea of what you are paying for. Go to a breeder who shows and look for a pet-quality dog.
#2A If you MUST buy from a pet store DO NOT BREED A PETSTORE BOUGHT DOG. Don’t you freakin’ dare. i don’t care how cute, sweet, beautiful or amazing that dog is—don’t breed petstore dogs unless you are a damn expert in that breed and this dog’s health.
#3. A backyard breeder is not the same thing as a “reputable breeder” when you are looking, even if the parents are right there.
#4. It’s ok to say “NO.” to your dog. It is ok to discipline your dog. i am not advocating animal abuse, but the word “no” and a scolding—or even a small smack on the rear in bad cases—is not abusive. Dogs are social animals. They need some sense of structure in their lives. If you let your dog walk all over you, and behave like Top Dog, and then turn around and scream at him when he gets on the couch, he will have no idea where his place in the pack is, and aside from being hard to manage and huge pain, he will be one confused puppy. Dogs don’t deal well with confusion.
#5. Crate train and socialize your dog from an early age. Yes, yes, i know, the idea of caging a dog isn’t lots of fun—but hear me out. If you have a dog that needs to be groomed, chances are, he will be caged at least part of the time. It makes things a lot easier if he doesn’t panic as soon as one puts him in the kennel. Also, if, gods forbid, you or someone in your family is hurt or ill, and your dog must be shipped or kenneled, you are doing your dog no favors by not teaching her that she will be ok in a kennel. being left alone or shipped or at the vet or at the groomer’s’ is stressful for your mutt. Don’t add to that by making the kennel scary too. A properly socialized dog is a heck of a lot healthier, less likely to get into fights, attack other animals and even les likely to bite. For your dog’s health and safety, and the safety of others, socialize them. And for the LOVE of gods....spoil your dog and love your dog and coo over her all you want—but don’t make your mutt into a neurotic mess. Teach them to be alone without panicking, shredding the kennels (that groomers have to pay a lot of money for), or barking/howling/whining/screaming for hours on end.
#6. COMBS! They aren’t just for people anymore!! If you don’t want to brush your dog or get him groomed regularly, get something with really short hair or no hair, or get a robot dog. Do not get a sheepdog, sheltie, poodle, Bichon, or even a Shih tzu if you don’t plan to take care of it—and the includes taking care of it’s coat. Grooming isn’t JUST for the silly fru-fru stuff, brushing especially is very good and sometimes essential for skin health, and grooming your dog means you are more likely to find any problems—bites, lumps, cutes, skin issues, etc before they become BIG problems.
#6A If you DON’T brush your dog, and then come to the groomer with a matted mess on 4 legs, do NOT ask your groomer to “leave her long.” First of all it’s your own damn fault if your dog hasn’t been brushed, so don’t make your groomer suffer thru it, and secondly, don’t ask your groomer to torture that poor dog! Get it shaved. Start over. And don’t be so lazy this time—or keep him short.
#7 Don’t give me that “He won’t LET ME brush him” bullshit line—especially if your dog is under 10 pounds. For crying out loud, people, have some backbone. It’s a Yorkie, not Cujo. And i’m sorry, but if your dog tries to bite you when you brush it, either someone else has ruined that poor dog and now you have to live with it, or you didn’t do your job as an owner while raising him..
#8. Take your dog to obedience classes. If nothing else, a good obedience class will teach you how to communicate better with your pooch. That in and of itself will make life easier and happier for both of you.
#9. If you bring your dog to a grooming shop, keep him or her under control while waiting. First of all, letting your dog just walk around and maybe get into other dogs’ faces is a bad idea. Could be dangerous. The dogs are all upset and nervous, they’re stressed, they may not like little Benji bouncing up on them. Secondly, respect a shop. Now, in a grooming shop, accidents happen. Dogs pee and a another dog smells it and thinks it’s ok, and so he pees—and it’s a vicious cycle. Groomers understand that. Part of the job is cleaning up after dogs. That Doesn’t Mean It’s Ok To Let Your Dog Mark All Over The Walls And Furniture. If your dog craps on the floor, at least ask for towels to clean it up. We may do it for you, but it’s damn rude just to let your mutt mess all over the shop someone works hard to keep clean without even having the grace to be embarrassed about it.
#9A WALK YOUR DOG BEFORE GROOMING.
#10. Even with a great shop, dogs don’t like to be at the groomer. Fact. They want you to come and save them. Yesterday. That’s fine. Some groomers have a window or an open shop where you can see the tables and the grooming being done. If your groomer is like that, and your dog is still on the table when you come to get her, don’t run over to the counter and start excitedly baby-talking your dog. It makes the dog all excited, she starts wagging, bouncing around and having fits—this makes it a hell of a lot harder for the groomer to finish, takes longer, and can be very dangerous fro the dog—as we are often using scissors around their toes or faces. Just come in and wait quietly. That does include your children, also.
#10A Don’t come early to pick up your dog without calling. We know, generally, how long a grooming takes, and unless someone didn’t show up, or went a lot easier then we expected, if we say your dog will be done at 2:30, we mean 2:30, not 2:15, to 2:00. 2:30. And we do run behind sometimes. If you’re not sure, call. We appreciate that.
WHEW. Ok, Well, i feel better. Thanks. :)