Qualified Versus Unqualified Dog Owners Video 1

What you have said in this video is very true. I own two Bischon Frise dogs and they have been very loyal and loving companions and helped me through a very bad time in my life. I don’t understand how anyone could be cruel to any animal and it hurts to know how many animals are mistreated and neglected. I am working on improving my dogs’ diet and they seem more content with it.

I just have to say the fact that you realize you use to be average and now understand how to take care of your dogs and cats so much better is a big plus. One can see the remorse in your eyes about the loss of your Noble. If you have learned from his loss then he was a good teacher for you and all is not loss. You have memories and the fact your friend taught you a valuable, even though painful lesson. I lost a cat in 2000 to kidney disease. He had it nine years and made it to 18years old. I made some foolish mistakes, but through it all Shadow was the real hero. I now can read the blood panel for my cats and tell exactly what is going on. I read all the stuff and know more than the vets. Animals are great teachers and we must never forget that.

You have learned well Andrew and also learned how to teach well.

Cheryl

Thank you for opening my eyes!!! I am in that average group, and want to work toward being a better pet parent. Thank you for all your hard work.

Thank you for all your diligent work in teaching about better ways to care for dogs. The video is good; keep up the good messages. I adopted a 6 yr old rescue lab named Angel nearly 6 months ago and have spent over $1100 in the past 3 mos on medical bills. The vet discovered she had a giardia infection at her first exam, and with the antibiotic treatment she started to go downhill. Specifically she has liver disease but I can’t afford all the tests to make a more specific diagnosis. We have been cooking for her the kind of food we like to eat with guidelines from holistic vets: brown rice, vegetables, chicken. I don’t know if she’ll recover but I want to do the best I can. She is a member of our family and sleeps in our bedroom with us and has free run of the house and yard while we’re gone. She’s a very well-behaved dog. Except for the illness, we have been very fortunate in our adoption of Angel.

Hi Andre, Thanks for the video. I’ve had my puppy for 3 days now, so this is very timely. I’m sure that my handling of thre previous animals fell short as you described in the “average” group. Have lots more info this time and will try harder.

Dogs are a mans bes friend, mine is 100% a family member

Andrew, Even though I think I am a great dog owner. I realize now I need to change my old habits. My wife and I have always had dogs. She and I differ on feeding. I believe in free feeding. She believes in feeding the dogs no matter what age twice a day. We have on heavy dog and as much as I tell her this is not good from everything I have read she thinks this is a reward. We lost 3 dogs in 13 months. 2 to cancer and one to an obstruction. After losing the last one is when I subscribed to your online document. I now have 4 dogs again. One I rescued the other 2 I bought.
Thanks for the education.

Saw this video the first time & now again > the updated, spiffed up version.
When I got Zuma (the Chihuahua), she was being sold at a grocery store by the kids in the family. She was much too young ~ 4 1/2 weeks old ~ she had a lot of learning to do & I, as her new Mother, got to do the training ~ she still had trouble with going potty but with a lot of work, it all worked out!
She was also COVERED with fleas ~ a whole group was “camped out” behind her head ~ I couldn’t believe a puppy could have so many fleas. Took her to the vet on the way home to take care of the fleas.
She is now 3 1/2 years and the love of our lives. She loves to run & play. Hard to believe a dog that small (4 1/2 lbs) can run faster than I can!!!
After the massive vet bills from our last dog, who had fistulas & then, in her last years, Cushings Disease ~ we got insurance for Zuma. I would rather pay the ins payments & not ever need the care that it covers than have to scrimp & save for the bills like we did for Mercedes (the German Pinscher). We never regreted having to pay for Mercedes care, only that she had such horrible things happen to her ~ I still believe now that it was the food we were feeding her!
Thanks to you, we have good food to feed.

The video was a reminder of the things that a dog owner should know but doesn’t.

I am saddened to really be faced with the knowledge that I do not know enough about raising and training a puppy. This is my first time with a house dog and it is entirely different than raising a dog outside. I love him dearly and we have definitely bonded but I fear I am too easy with him and he is the alpfa dog, not me. I have looked up and printed a lot of material on the Havanese Breed. I just need to make it a priority to get it read and learn the right ways of handling situations that arise. We love, we play, I have spent a great deal of time trying to find the best foods and treats, but I need to learn so I can teach him. I am anxiously waiting for the next video.

Nine months ago we bought two Miniature Schnauzers, a male and female, six days apart in birth, from an older couple who had them about five months. Just last month we learned that the male, a stiking black and white with a big bark and an even bigger heart, may have a liver shunt. We’ve had three previous Schnauzers, two of which lived 15 and 12 years respectively. I bought these dogs because of the loss of our black Schnauzer (just 12 years old) who had to be put down due to cataracts from diabetes. The liver shunt is devasting since the tests and surgery will supposedly cost 10 – 12 thousand dollars, maybe more. That’s more than this retiree can stomach! Needless to say, we’ve done what we can such as changing the type of food for him, and will make him as comfortable as possible until we have to put him down.

Not all the wrong being done is by the dog owners! I believe that the vetinary business has spiraled out of control! We love dogs, but wisdom, patience and good judgement must prevail with every dog owner! I just can’t buy your arguement that cooking all the meals is the great cure-all! Humans get sick from their home-cooked food, too, you know!

Hi Andrew,
I agree with you and oops although I love my dog as if I birthed them myself, I am average. This will change Thank you sooooo much and keep up the great work.
Thanks Connie Storm Zoie and the Wolf

Having a strong affinity with animals makes it easier to be a qualified pet owner. Someone that can look into a dogs eyes and claim to see nothing should never own one. I think if everyone who bothered to reply to this video, and everyone who would have responded if they saw it, would become lobbyists for animal rights…there would huge changes in this country.

Thank you for the education. I wish I could get my daughter-in-law to view this.

Andrew,
The enhanced version has improved the presentation for this first video. I’m ready to see how you improved what makes a qualified dog owner and in particular a highly qualified dog owner.

Hello Andrew.

We viewed the first version and this updated version is much better. The only comment is the sound quality. Perhaps,it needs a little more work.

We have always considered ourselves loving and responsible pet owners, watching their diets, regular exercise, TLC, socializing, training and updated vaccinations, but two years ago, we lost our beloved 10 year old golden retriever, Bailey, to a tumor on his spleen that had ruptured. We thought his symptoms were related to his hip condition and delayed seeking medical help until it was too late. Your video helped us be more proactive with our two other canine “kids”, Rocket and Rayna, as well as our two cats.

Maybe the cost of veterinarian services hold people back from seeking help sooner. We just spent over $700 to rule out any serious conditions in our older girl, Rayna, that turned out to be an intestinal infection, easily cured by antibiotics. Thank goodness we had the money saved. Many people today are busy trying to adjust to high gas prices, food prices, and general cost hikes in all aspects of their lives so they may delay getting regular vet care. We have decided to obtain pet insurance on our young dog and cat after this last experience.

Vet fees have increased so much over the last 10 years, it is scary. It is sad to see that many well meaning and loving pet owners are now in the situation that they may decide to put their pets down because they are unable to pay the sky rocketing vet fees. Only an observation.

Thank you for educating us. This should be required viewing for anyone considering pet adoption before making the commitment. All animal shelters, adoption agencies, and veterinarians should provide this link to their clients.

Love all the info that you give.And most is a wake up call for all dog oweners.

This video was extremely compelling, its scary that I probably fall right in to that Average group; but, its great that Andrew is there reminding us that a dog is precious and deserves to be treated the same way a human would hope to be treated. Where I feel the biggest issue takes place is, even though I may have prepared with the treats and toys and grooming supplies and I crooned and teared up looking at my daughter when she first came to her home, over time there was more and more of “Well, I’m busy now, it’s not something that evolution has provided her the ability to do without me, it must be able to wait.” And even though she doesn’t know what it is, I’m hugging her right away!

Well presented, however the sound quality is very poor. The information in this video is sure to make people think about their responsibilities as a pet owner, and they’ll be less apt to take things for granted. Correct the sound problem, and you’ve got a winner.

Hi Andrew, I agree with your video, it is however so hard to make people understand. To most people it is still “it’s only a dog”. We had changed to cooking our own dog food before we bought the gold package. But we will now be able to give more variety. We live on a property with horses so our dogs get a lot of exercise, as we are hardly ever inside if it is daylight and good weather, or even in rain and wind. Mind you if the weather is bad they(our three dogs) often opt to stay inside with the woodstove.
I am in Australia, do you know if they put the same rubbish in our pet food?
I stopped the bought food, because I was worried about food chemicals, preservatives and food-coloring etc etc. I saw your package for sale on a Newfoundland website and was amazed. We do have a brand of dry food which guarentees only meat products and no chemicals etc, but now you have me wondering as to wether they can be trusted.
Thank you for your caring of dogs and providing insight for us all.

Thanks for including me with your videos. I just watched video #1 and do think it should be published for all owners to see. Thanks, Donna and Chief (my Great Dane)

Andrew,
It is very refreshing to find someone who is helping all of us “average” dogowners become more aware of what is really in our dog food. I have always been very aware of the other aspects of dog ownership that you talk about, but was unaware of the food issues. My dogs have always been such a part of me, can’t imagine life without them. I thank you for educating me and in turn loving and caring about all dogs!!

Denise

I agree with you completely. I am a dog groomer who has taken courses in dog behavior and training. And i cannot tell you how many people think its cute or funny or not a problem when a dog misbehaves, is aggressive towards people or other dogs. My Rottweiler Heidi is the sweetest dog. Everyone who meets her is amazed how sweet and well trained she is. All its takes is 15 minutes a day to train your dog. And for God’s sake let your dog be a dog and not a mini human! And then when people screw up their dog so badly, they end up dumping them at a shelter where they dog will be killed. Euthanize or “put to sleep” is a nicer term, but the dog is killed. Also that people will feed their dogs food that contains by-products or other non-human grade ingredients and think nothing of it. My feeling is if you won’t eat it, why should your dog. I have a Rottweiler and two Schipperkes, and they only eat Promise dog food. Which has nothing but human grade ingredients. It costs a little more, but they are worth it. Ok now ill get off my soapbox. But I say this out of love and concern not for just my dogs, BUT for all dogs. They will be the ones who will be there to love you not what you look like or what you do. And when all have turned their back on you, they will be there for you.

Hi Andrew,
5 Stars to you for the well presented information on educating dog owners on how to love, treat, play, feed and care for your dog. I have 4 dogs. Shadow, a husky is only one of them as I have 3 female German sheppard. I have always fed my dogs home made food. Your books and video’s confirm that I am doing the right actions for my 4 family members. They are the best and we are loved unconditionally. They are with us always any where we go. They love the home made biscuits and cookies from your books. It is a priviledge to have a dog and not a right. Thank you so much for teaching us how to look after the BEST friend any one can have. Bless you and your dog team.

I definitely think of my doggies as members of the family and that’s how I grew up. There’s nothing like “dog energy.” They give their love unconditionally.

I too have known too many people who simply have dogs as possessions. It is very disturbing to me. Last time I adopted a dog from the pound, I was very glad about the interrogation I was put through to make sure I was OK to take her home. She eventually died of cancer which is why I’m reading up on your information.

Thanks for the info!

Tracy
Ryer Island
California

Thanks a million for the video, Andrew. I have the good fortune of having two rottweilers in my family…a nine year old female and a two year old male. I have always done the best I knew at the time, but now I know better and consequently, Do better, thanks to YOU!!

Sharon Willemze,
Orangeville, Ontario,
Canada

My Lady von Danemark, GS spayed female originally a rescue whom I was fortunate enough to acquire from the rescuer who could not keep her, is the “best dog in the world.” She’s not perfect because she has such an intense drive to take care of everyone and everything in her world and that sometimes causes problems due to her size, at the max of 100 pounds. I would have been in the middle group also had I not already found your site and spent a lot of time learning before I found her. We pre-qualified with the GS Rescue group in our state so that when I spotted her online, I immediately telephoned the owner. This dog was so mistreated and mishandled by the original owners who purchased her for $1200 as a puppy that it took a huge effort on her rescuer to socialize and train her. Such an intelligent dog could have been so easily ruined forever by someone who should never ever have been allowed to have her. They were physically and emotionally abusive to this animal, who is such a beautiful dog physically and emotionally! With two young children, not toddlers, we do have to be vigilant and use good sense with playtime. I’m just so thankful to have her and agree heartily with your remarks about the responsibility one must accept when getting a dog. I’d recommend anyone considering getting a dog study your work first and certainly anyone who already has one should also. Interestingly, I think that much of it applies to most any animal, such as horses, donkeys, and mules, too; while they don’t usually compare in the level of bonding (please note the “usually”) they also need responsible, committed owners who recognize the ‘person’ in the animal and care about that intellect.

better than the original.

one comment. the “old” style of dog ownership (food, exercise and a pat) worked partially because dogs ran free (in most places) and socialized with each other. they met other dogs daily. in the evenings in the summer, when the house was hot, the family spent their after-dinner time socializing with each other on the porch and with their neighbors who took evening strolls. the dogs lay on the porch with them or went with them on their strolls and met each other. the had their hierarchies, their packs, their own games. during the day, they might hunt for mice, rabbits etc to supplement the diet they got (which was usually table scraps, not the new fancy ‘scientifically formulated’ dog foods that are making them sick).

today, they usually live alone, and spend hours alone while their owners work. they are kept on leash when they go out. they sometimes are taken to dog parks where they have to be nice to all other dogs, not matter how nasty the other dog is. they are no longer given the life of a dog, but of a slave and a slave to owners who know little of what they need. although the “old” style owners might also have known little, at least the dogs were freer to find what they needed. to mate whom they wanted to mate. yes, to die under the wheels of cars sometimes, but at least to have the lives they evolved to have. they no longer have this in most parts of the country and it’s getting worse.

so yes, we need to change the way we live with our dogs, because we have forcibly changed the way they live with us.

I have a poodle and have had them all my life. They have all lived a pretty long life considering the food they ate. A friend of mine wanted a puppy from my dog and I told her that poodles need alot of attention. Well the bottem line is the first year she had him she was never home with him much. Now he is out of hand. He is not well trained at all and her and her daughter are always getting bit by him. I made the mistake of letting her have a puppy and now I don’t know what to do about it. Do you have something in writing that I can give her about being a good pet owner? She does not have a computer. I feel helpless and at the same time responsible for that dog. Her sister is a vet and has know idea. It was a great video and I am looking forword to the next one.

Thank you. The video is very interesting. I am sorry about Noble.
Noble has saved many other pets’ lives through you. You were brave to talk about Noble and very smart to learn and share your informantion on doggy care. Good job!