By
cmrineer | Published
November 19, 2017
| Comments Off on PETS is a lifesaver
Thanks to PETS on N. Queen Street, we were able to get treatment for Baby Cow on a Sunday.
Baby Cow returned from the kennel earlier this month and developed a case of kennel cough. Since she started coughing on a Sunday morning, we took her to PETS for treatment.
PETS (930 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA 17603) is open when your vet isn’t – evenings, weekends, and holidays. In my most recent tenure in Lancaster, I’ve used their facility four times – twice for emergency treatment.
During regular business hours, PETS is a specialty veterinary clinic offering access to specialists like oncologists and ophthalmologists from nearby areas. Baby Cow twice went to see an ophthalmologist who travels there once a month. Without their services, I would have taken two days off work to travel to her office in Kennett Square.
Keep this facility in mind if you’re a pet owner in Lancaster County. They can be a lifesaver and a timesaver.
By
cmrineer | Published
September 25, 2017
| Comments Off on Building Character rules my world
I found this dog bed at Building Character, 342 N Queen St, Lancaster, PA 17603
A few years ago, I purchased a beautiful hand-made, wooden dog bed at Building Character, 342 N Queen St, Lancaster, PA 17603. The shop sells recycled, new, and vintage items from a variety of sellers. Since my original purchase, I’ve acquired another dog. I tried contacting the original seller, but he no longer makes furniture. Recently, Building Character posted some photos on their Facebook page of a new furniture seller who used recycled wood. The bed jumped out immediately. It was perfect. I believe the dogs agree.
By
cmrineer | Published
July 16, 2017
| Comments Off on Dogs, like people, are not perfect
In 2015, Pom suffered the indignity of the cone. Unlike our other dog, he never adjusted to the cone and sulked for the entire two weeks.
At Where’s Pom, we have two knuckleheads. One perfectly healthy one that is full of anxiety and one with numerous health problems but a stellar temperament. The former is Pom, for whom the blog is named.
Pom is a beautiful, healthy dog. At 9 years old, he can still catch a tennis ball out of the air. He’s a muscular and athletic English bulldog with none of the breathing problems that plague the breed. As you can probably tell from this blog, he’s an excellent loose leash walker. He’s an angel in the house. He never chews anything, gets in the trash, or sleeps on the couch. (Furniture is off limits to the dogs with the exception of the bed.)
He has one overriding issue, however. He’s anxious and afraid of new people. If someone is coming over, he has to be locked up. Walks require vigilance lest someone with a trigger cross our path. Backpacks, hats, a limp, men in general – they’re all suspect. Everything is suspect. If Pom were a human, he’d be carrying a gun.
We’ve worked with trainers and read a shelf full of books. In the end, we understand and manage his anxiety, but the overall problem is a tough one to crack. In addition to anxiety, he is wicked smart. He’s the smartest dog either of us has ever owned. You can always see the wheels turning, and he picks up new tricks with ease. The trainer recommended that he be given a job and challenged regularly. We hide his dinner in a kong every night, and he finds it.
I was explaining Pom’s issues this week when I took our other dog, Baby Cow, to meet a friend. My friend remarked that we frequently require our pets to be perfect when most everyone you know isn’t perfect. We all have issues whether physical or mental that require management and understanding from those around us. We shouldn’t expect our dogs, who lived with humans so long they essentially domesticated themselves, from reading our emotions and having a few of their own.
For Training, the Where’s Pom team strongly recommends Kristina Ackerman at Oscar’s Pet Resort. She’s terrific.
By
cmrineer | Published
May 20, 2017
| Comments Off on Duolingo Bulldog
How great are bulldogs? Language learning app Duolingo uses them as stand ins for dogs. If you’re not familiar with Duolingo, check out this amazing interview with Luis von Ahn on Tim Ferriss’ podcast.
By
cmrineer | Published
May 20, 2017
| Comments Off on Introducing Baby Cow
Since the last post, the site authors have acquired another bulldog thanks to Long Island Bulldog Rescue. Her name is Baby Cow. Why? Look at her! She looks like a little tiny cow.
By
cmrineer | Published
January 3, 2013
| Comments Off on No Bulldog Left Behind
Southern California Bulldog Rescue recently acquired 12 English Bulldogs from an illegal breeding operation. Help them out by donating to their fundraiser, No Bulldog Left Behind.
Southern California Bulldog Rescue (SCBR) recently acquired 12 English Bulldogs from a garage in Los Angeles County. Acting on a tip, authorities from the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) found the dogs in unsanitary conditions. They were part of an illegal breeding operation. (To avoid backyard breeders and puppy mills, see our tips on finding a bulldog.)
The dogs join 70 other English bulls that are currently in the care of SCBR. As a result of their owner’s neglect, the 12 additional dogs will require rather extensive medical care. SCBR estimates it spends $15,000 a month caring for the dogs it currently has.
Now the good news, these dogs are adoptable, “One of the tragic things about backyard breeders is the manner in which they house and keep their animals. It is often times very inhumane and their primary goals are financially driven,” County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control Deputy Director Aaron Reyes said. “These animals do need care and do need to be socialized and exercised. We’re happy to say they’re a very well-mannered bunch, just unfortunately, a neglected bunch.”
You can help by donating to the SCBR through Crowdrise. All donations are tax deductible. Here at Where’s Pom, we’ve already donated. We can’t leave a bulldog behind.
By
jdfulmer | Published
January 2, 2013
| Comments Off on ASCII Bulldog
ASCII art is a computer drawing technique that was first utilized in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Its popularity increased in the 1980s as bulletin boards connected people across the globe. In order to convey imagery on text based terminals, creative minds “drew” pictures with the ASCII character set.
While the most popular example remains the humble emoticon, some ASCII art can be quite elaborate. There are plenty of characters with which you can draw lines and shapes. And the busiest characters can be packed together to create elaborate textures. At Where’s Pom?, there’s really only one piece of ASCII art we care about. The English Bulldog:
By
jdfulmer | Published
January 1, 2013
| Comments Off on Dogs and Toy Helicopters
A Facebook friend bought a toy helicopter and posted pictures of it flying through his house. My first thought was this: That’s quite an engineering marvel. Too bad we don’t apply that type of technical savviness to the conquest of humanity’s most pressing needs. My second thought was this: That will really mess with the Pom’s head. I bought a helicopter.
The Syma mini RC Helicopter takes about 40 minutes to charge. A single charge provides 15-18 minutes of messing with the dog’s head. It’s like a big mosquito buzzing around the house. Imagine that you’re a dog and there’s a big mosquito buzzing through the house…
When Pommie first encountered the helicopter, he didn’t know what to think. He kept his distance as well as a vigilante watch. If the helicopter drew near, the Pom backed away, his eyes fixated on the flying machine. A steady stream of barking let the neighbors know something was up.
In time, Pommie grew more daring. That stinkin’ flying contraption was becoming ever more annoying. He started to cop an attitude. After a couple days, the Pom had had enough. He was determined to take it out. When the copter grew near, he seized the moment and attacked. The copter won. It’s plastic blades clipped him in the snout.
Do you remember in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when the knights retreated? “Run away! Run away!” That was the Pom when he was clipped by a plastic rotor. I’ve been clipped myself. It’s far more startling than painful. In fact, it doesn’t hurt at all. The rotors are hinged to minimize their impact and protect them from breaking.
In the wake of his failed assault, the Pom and the copter have reached a mutual understanding. If the copter flies on the first floor, he leaves it alone. If it flies on the second floor, he’s gonna bark at it. He won’t attack it, but it’s gonna get a good barking. And maybe a fake attack just to see if it will flinch.
The Sunday Times Magazine focused their coverage on the English Bulldog this week. If you missed it, click the link below for more. The initial focus of the article is the UGA line of bulldog mascots at the University of Georgia. I have a good friend who once worked for the university, and he told me that the dogs couldn’t be rolled over because they couldn’t breathe. They’re cared for by the school’s veterinary program.
University of Georgia Mascot UGA VI, 1999–2008.
It’s no secret that the English bulldog has some serious health issues, and their current popularity clearly isn’t helping the breed. As the article mentions, bulldog clubs in the breed’s homeland of England are changing the breed standard in hopes of creating healthier animals. However, the American Kennel Club has been unwilling to bend their standards to breed dogs with larger hind quarters, longer noses, and fewer wrinkles.
At Where’s Pom, we’re behind any effort to make the English Bulldog healthier and more comfortable. While the exaggerated features of UGA are beautiful to me, I was heartbroken to learn that the latest UGA (UGA VIII) only lived to be two. He passed away in February 2011 of lymphoma, which the article mentions is becoming common in the breed.
To all those who would like to own a bulldog, please read our advice on selecting a dog.
Our first bulldog passed away just six months shy of his 13th birthday. He had few health problems, but he did have a few “bulldog” related issues that had to be managed including keeping his wrinkles clean and his eyelashes trimmed. The Pom has longer legs, the larger hind quarters, and the slightly longer nose that the article mentions as good improvements to make for health. He does, however, have a tight screw tail that requires careful attention.
One thing I would add to this article is the caveat that all dogs need to be managed, exercised, and cared for. Veterinary care should be an expected expense when you’re purchasing any dog. You should also expect to spent time cleaning, grooming, and exercising your pet to keep them in good health. After all, they’re yours for a lifetime.
