Doodles: Could these be the Perfect Family Pet?

Golden Doodle and LabraDoodle: Could these be the Perfect Family Pet?

by The Car Family

All types of zoology lessons

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/zoology/

We can’t help but be amazed at Man’s creativity when it comes to canines. Dogs were the first animals domesticated and with that came the ability to control cattle, goats, sheep, as well as being a hunting partner and protector.

Since all dogs come from the much maligned wolf, one has to wonder how this transformation from wild animal started. Research done in Russia on foxes revealed that some were more inclined to interact with humans. Those were bred and over time these animals gradually became less fearful of humans and even wagged their tail, among other things, showing how domestication might have evolved.

Today, the world’s largest dogs weigh over 300 pounds and the smallest just a few pounds and yet they are from the same wolf stock. Indeed, Man is still at it and within the last couple of decades a new breed has emerged that combines the traits of three of the most popular and intelligent dogs. The new breed can be called a Labradoodle or a Golden Doodle, depending on whether a Labrador Retriever or a Golden Retriever was bred with a poodle. They come in three sizes with a weight range from about 20 pounds to over 100 pounds. The breed started in Australia as breeders attempted to find a guide dog for blind individuals who had allergies. The result was a success and has so quickly caught on with the public that in ten years its has gone from number 159 on the list of most popular breeds to number 31, according to the AKC, which, ironically, does not recognize it as an official breed.

Doodles are very affectionate and gentle dog and are usually highly social and get along well with everyone. They can be good good watchdogs, but not guard dogs,as they usually are into tail wagging as opposed to growling. They are exceptional service dogs and have been listed as one of the best breeds with children.

The Doodles are called designer dogs or hybrids because you never know which characteristics from the two parent dogs will be exhibited. Those variables include coat color, type of hair, and size. The two traits they appear to all have is that of an exceptional intelligence and being people friend1y. The Doodle are easy to train and respond well to positive reinforcement. They usually love to swim, and are good retrievers to the point that you may end up with a dead gopher or bird on your doorstep. Good dog.
Another valuable aspect is the fact the Doodle can be a non-to light shedders and thus may do well with those who have allergies as they have less dander.

The Doodle coat be wavy or curly or both and they need to be have their hair trimmed regularly. Coat colors can be caramel, white, red, black or a combination .The cost of trimming and maintenance can be dear, but if you aren’t fussy, you can do it yourself if the Doodle doesn’t mind being laughed at on visits to the dog park.

The Doodle appears to have the traits people are looking for with its possible reduced allergenic traits, smarts,cheerful disposition and attractive look. But perhaps the greatest reason this dog is one of the fastest growing in popularity is the fact that owners can proudly claim that have a Doodle and enjoy the reaction. And yes, several have been named, Yankee.

Before you consider a Doodle, do your homework. The Doodle has a tremendous number of positives going for it, but it all depends on its parents and the reliability of the breeder. There are also Doodles in need of rescue. http://doodlerescue.org/

 

Wolf Mountain Sanctuary: Saving Wolves from Slaughter

  Wolf Mountain Sanctuary: The Saving Place

Note: Idaho has apparently joined Alaska in the use of aircraft to rundown wolves and shoot them from the air. There is also the possibility, according to the Defenders of Wildlife, of the pups being gassed in their dens. It is my hope that wolves shall be placed back on the Endangered Species list of Interior Secretuary Salazar. Meanwhile, I have cancelled my trip to Alaska this summer and refused to attend any conference in Idaho or Montana.

 by Alan Haskvitz

The door swung open and I stood looking into the enclosure of the legendary wolf. The antagonist of Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs and other works of fiction stood before me. I was entering the world of an animal that has created such fear in humans that they were hunted into extinction in the lower 48 states. Before me was a large wolf with vivid yellow eyes that followed my every move. I sat on a nearby picnic table and wondered what was going to happen next.

Licked by a Star

I caught a glimpse of the wolf as she moved towards me. Effortlessly she jumped on the table. I sat still, arms folded against my chest, breathing a bit fast, with my senses on high alert. What happened next was magic. The yellow-eyed giant started pushing against me, rubbing her nose in my hair, and…was that a kiss? No, it couldn’t be. Maybe a lick. Either way, this was the first time a movie star had ever, ah, kissed me. Yep, movie star. This was one of the wolves featured in the Twilight movies and several other films and television productions. .

During the rest of the visit with these great animals I was enthralled with their actions. They pushed against me, walked around me, and in general they were, well, good wolves. Little Red Riding Hood be damned. I left an hour later not only with a new appreciation for these endangered animals, but feeling that this was the best $35 I had ever spent. I wonder how the the Inland Empire Tourist people had missed promoting this gem.

Interacting with the Wolves

Wolf Mountain Sanctuary is located in Lucerne Valley, about an hour drive for 909 readers. This is truly a saving place dedicated to preserving the lives and legacy of this nation’s few remaining wolves and to educating the public about them in a way few have ever dared. Unlike nearly any facility in the world, Wolf Mountain Sanctuary provides visitors with the opportunity to directly interact with the wolves, look into their eyes, and perhaps develop a fresh perspective on an animal that continues to be hunted for sport.

Tonya Littlewolf, who is part Apache, developed this remarkable facility as an extension of her life’s calling. As a youngster she would hide in wolf dens to escape the adult world. Seeing this unique ability to be at ease with these ancestors of the domesticated dog, her grandparent told her that working with wolves was her summons in life and believed she had the the spirit of the wolf about her. A lifetime later that prediction has proven correct. Littlewolf established the sanctuary in 1986 and never looked back despite huge meat bills and the rising cost of veterinarian visits. She has nearly single handled carved out a safe place for the public to go meet these noble creatures and to learn the truth about an animal that is again being pushed into oblivion after being removed from the endangered species list by the Interior Secretary.

I am part of he wolves they are part of me toghter they are one, we walk together, spiritial. healers.

Adopt a Wolf

At present there are 14 wolves sheltered at the Sanctuary and two pups are scheduled to arrive later in the fall. She takes in wolves from Alaska and other states. Typical of them is the wolf adopted by Suzanne Middle School in Walnut, California as part of meeting the State curriculum. The students had stared a wildlife club in honor of Wolf 527 who was killed just outside Yellowstone. This famous wolf was featured in a documentary showing how the wolves helped restore balance to the national park. The wolf was killed as it wore a radio transmitting collar. The students saw the need to get involved and asked Ms.Littlewolf if there was a wolf that needed adopting. She described a young, clumsy one that needed some love. The students arranged to provide ten dollars a month to sponsor this wolf named Denali. Over the years the students have watched Denali grow into an older, mischievous, and still clumsy wolf. They love to hear about his escapades such as nearly flooding his enclosure by opening the water spout or falling off a ledge when he misjudged his jumping abilities. It was a win-win for the students as they learned about wolves and their fund raising helped off-set the food bills for this clownish wolf. Others wolves need adopting, too, and Ms. Littlewolf supplies adoption papers and a biography. 

Wolf Mountain sanctuary is a non-profit facility and all funds go to the care of the wolves and are tax deductible. Several groups have tried to help, but it is the general public that is needed most, said Ms. Littlewolf. For $35 a person, half of what it would cost for Disneyland, the visitors get an explanation of what wolves are like, an introduction into how they are cared for, and an opportunity to enter their world. No extra charge for kisses from the stars. 

For more information go to

http://www.wolfmountain.com/

For reservations and directions call 1-760-248-7818

 

The Killing of Wolf 527: A list of Environmental Organizations

Animal Rights and Environmental Organizations: In Honor of Wolf 527

by The Car Family

One sure fire way to get students interested and involved is through using lessons and issues related to the environment and animal rights. I started a 527 Wildlife Club. It was named for the dominate female Yellowstone female wolf that was killed by Ryan Counts of Pray, Montana. The wolf was wearing a radio collar and shortly thereafter most of her group was also killed. This an major kills in Idaho were the result of the gray wolf being removed from the endangered list by the Secretary of the Interior. After reading the story of 527’s life the students were eager to take action. They wrote letters, send petitions, sponsored a wolf at the Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, and sent money to Defenders of Wildlife. They were empowering themselves. They were motivated to learn and to use the system appropriately.

When they came to class the regular lessons were waiting and they gulped down the material eagerly after checking what was happening on the current events board and what emails have arrived. This motivation not only rolled into the classroom, but they started to get their parents involved. Clearly, this issue was controversial as many feel that the wolves threaten their livestock and some claim wolves are causing the elk population to fall. Thus it is important to show both sides of the issue. That being said, there are less controversial issues students can adopt, but this issue and the way that 527 was killed stirred a fire under them as few other issues have ever done. Using the teachable moment ideas here, ( http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/teachable-moments.html) I was able to integrate the curriculum, and keep the fires burning while still following the required course of study.

Should you want to see more about what happened here are some articles that may be of interest. Also listed are a variety of environmental links to all types of educational related sites. Very worthwhile and true to the goal of education, which is to provide lifelong learners and good citizens. We even used them to bring in guest speakers to help bring new information to the students.

Photo ffrom Tom Murphy

Home

The story of 527 and her killing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kittenclaw/4100924679/

and

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/25/nation/na-wolf-hunt25

Here is the site where we adopted a wolf from. There are other wolf adoption sites that may be closer.

The students loved the fact that these wolves were the models for the ones in Twilight-New Moon

http://www.wolfmountain.com/

Here is a good overall site with many organizations of all types offering educational materials

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/environment.html

General environmental organizations

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/index.html

Educational Sites

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/programs.html

Wolf cam

http://www.wolf.org/wolves/experience/webcam.asp

Animal Rights Organizations

Huge link site by issue, animal

http://www.webdirectory.com/Wildlife/

Wildlife organizations in alphabetical order

http://animal.discovery.com/guides/atoz/organizations.html

Worldlife Organization

http://www.worldwildlife.org/

Animal Welfare Sites

http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Organizations/Animal_Welfare/Rescues_and_Shelters/Wildlife/

Bird Sites

http://www.webdirectory.com/wildlife/Birds/

Wolf Sanctuaries

http://www.wolfpark.org/Links_org.html

and

http://www.timberwolfinformation.org/info/listing.htm

Wolf and Wildlife link site

http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/basic/resources/links_wolforgs.asp

Wolves and Bears

http://www.cosmosmith.com/wolf_links.html

Endangered Animals Worldwide

http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html

Environment Sites

Environmental Organizations

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/overviews.html

Rainforest and conservation sites

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/global-resources.html#4

Weather related sites

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/weather.html

General organizations

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/organizations.html

Oceanography

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/oceanography.html

Rainforest and trees

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/forests.html

Water resources

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/water.html

Energy links

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/energy.html

Recyling

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/recycling.html

Youth Programs

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/youth.html

Forests

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/forests2.html

Earth Day

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/earthday.html

Soil and Parks

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/environment/soil.html

Arbor Day

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/trees.html

Native Plant Oragnizations

http://www.tardigrade.org/natives/orgs.html

 

Animal lesson plans

Pets and animals

By

Alan Haskvitz

http://www.nthf.org/inductee/haskvitz.htm

The study of animals is a great way to get students interested in reading as well as opening the door for research in social studies, science, and art among others. Here are some good links to get students involved.

Using pets in the classroom

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/pets-classroom.html

Animal lifespans

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/ages.html

Zoology links

http://www.reacheverychild.com/science/zoology/index.html

Dinosaurs

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/dino.html

Butterflies and bugs

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/butterfly.html

The Discovery Channel

Lessons on all types of animals by grade level

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/animals.html

And

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Science/Animals

Large link site

Uneven quality

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/science/biology/zoo/

ASPCS

How to teach the humane treatment of animals.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=edu_home

Animal adaptions

Great printables

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=5&DocID=232

How to draw simple cartoon animals

http://www.chunkymonkey.com/howto/howto.htm

Animal diaries

http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/06-1/lesson009.shtml

Dog crafts

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/animals/pets/tributedog.htm

AND

http://kidscrafts.suite101.com/article.cfm/animal_crafts_index

American Kennel Club

http://www.akc.org/breeds/index.cfm

ESL pet lessons

http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/

Animal classification link

http://fishinsects.suite101.com/article.cfm/animal_classification

Farm animals

Primary coloring site

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/animals.html

And

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/pets.htm

History of domesticated animals

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab57

Zoo lessons

http://www.teachingheart.net/zoo.htm

What pet is best for you test

http://www.teststeststests.com/pettest.htm

Animal cameras

Always carefully check these cameras sites first. Some have ads and some may not be working or may take you to another location.

http://www.animalcameras.com/

Live animal cams

http://www.trmichels.com/AnimalCams.htm

Zoo cameras

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/WebCams/

Critter cam

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/faqs.html

 

Pro and Con of Pets as Teaching Tools

Using pets in the classroom

By National Hall of Fame Teacher Alan Haskvitz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Haskvitz

Many teachers use pets in their classrooms to good effect in reaching students, teaching responsibility, learning about biology and many more vital life lessons. But downsides exist, too, such as what to do with animals in summer, what happens if they die or if a room is vandalized, and how to handle care, feeding and expenses, to name a few. In addition, some students may be allergic to the animal. With that in mind, we found the best resources to aid a teacher or parent who might be interested in such a purchase.

One thing to remember is the feelings of the pet in this matter. It is probably going to be handled a great deal, may be left in a cold room over the weekend, and may even be treated poorly. Thus it’s vital not to rush into this decision as there is a life at stake. The best links are here including how to choose a pet, the ASPCA site, and many more with pro and con arguments

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/pets-classroom.html