The American Working Dog Museum

01/22/2022

Since I haven't yet shut down this page, I had to share this.

11/23/2021

You may have noticed that this page has not been active for quite a while. I am sorry to announce now, with a heavy heart, that we will not be creating the American Working Dog Museum. City Hall has recently moved out of the building, but we are nearing retirement and no longer want to create something that will require so much of our time. Instead, we are renovating the building to establish a co-space/private office membership community. If you would like to follow our progress, please go to our new page for "CoMingle" in Colfax. We will be posting photos of the renovation as it progresses. Thank you all for your support through the years. I will be selling the freight dog sled, if anyone is interested. Please message me if you are.

11/23/2021

This is the freight sled for sale. It must have been converted to a snowmobile sled at some point in its life.

02/25/2019

I wrote this for a friend a few years ago. Now I find it is meant for me:

How?

How to say goodbye when you fear that it’s forever?
How to be yourself when he is gone?
How to find another when you think that you could never
Be able to replace him and go on?

How to feel a brush against your leg and not remember
How he used to shadow you each day?
How to find another with those eyes so sweet and tender--
That puppy love that never went away?

God sent him as a gift for the briefest span of time
To teach you how to love with all your heart.
Give him back for now to the One who is divine,
And know that souls like yours can never part.

02/24/2019

A EULOGY

Yesterday morning our oldest Sheltie, Toby, gave in to pancreatic cancer. He began having seizures in the morning, which only became worse over the next hour. We decided to do the humane thing and help him cross the Rainbow Bridge. He was my animal therapy partner, canine soulmate and best friend for 14 years. He was also a loving family dog to my two sons. As a therapy dog, he brought comfort to hospice patients, joy to nursing home residents, and confidence to young readers. He was on the stage in two different productions of “Annie,” playing Annie’s dog Sandy the second time. He worked with Santa as a “reindog,” helping children overcome their fear of the big man in red. He had a wonderful life, and I am privileged to have spent it with him. I believe that our loving God knows how happy our animal friends make us, and will let us see our beloved pets again. I rest in the faith that Toby is waiting in Heaven for me to join him someday. Run fast and free, my sweet, beautiful Toby, until that day. I love you.

01/21/2019

This could have been written by a Military Working Dog, if dogs could write.

12/05/2018

Here's a fun working dog, helping Santa as a "tiny reindog" a few years ago. Trooper enjoys working with Santa whenever he is invited. It helps parents get that coveted Santa photo when their kids are afraid of him. If children can pet a cute, fluffy dog, they will put up with the big man in red long enough for mom and dad to get the Christmas card shot.

11/15/2018

I found this at a thrift store a few years ago, and fell in love with it. Who knows us better than our dogs, in all the ways that really matter? They love us even after a hard, stinky day of physical labor. I sometimes think they must love us best when we smell the strongest. After all, who else will lick our dirty feet?

09/28/2018

A working dog....

07/14/2018

We recently took a road trip to see other small museums in the Midwest, looking for ideas. We accidentally found the "Jim the Wonder Dog" museum in Marshall, Missouri. It is a very small museum in the Marshall welcome center, with a lovely garden, dedicated to Jim, attached. Jim was purported to be psychic, as he could obey complicated commands in any language, including Morse code. He flushed a record number of quail, and always knew exactly where the covey was hiding without ever casting about for them. He might get a spot in our PERFORMING DOGS exhibit!

06/10/2018

Toby and Trooper went to Tulsa with us on a business trip last week. Needless to say, they were a hit everywhere they went! Lots of oohs and ahs, and requests to pet the "little Lassies." They obliged with tricks and doggy kisses. Great ambassadors for therapy dogs everywhere. (This statue celebrates the Rotary Club's dedication to digging wells to provide clean water in third world countries.)

05/24/2018

05/23/2018

Yesterday we attended a Copyright workshop, held by the Iowa Museum Association, at the Des Moines Art Center. Afterward we took a tour of their amazing storage vaults and a couple of galleries. I spotted this sculpture in a side gallery, and was struck by its resemblance to the Egyptian god Anubis. Just had to share it with you!

05/18/2018

I wish I could do this for my dogs. A little crazy, but look how much fun!

05/17/2018

I'm working with Trooper on this. I'd be happy just to get him to put the dirty kleenex back in the wastebasket after he tips it over. Or return his toys to the toy basket. He'll get it eventually. His mantra is WILL WORK FOR FOOD! As long as I have treats, he will keep trying.

05/17/2018

According to this quiz, I speak fluent dog. I think my own dogs might disagree, because I don't always give them what they want (a whole bag of treats, chicken bones, ice cream, etc.). If they can have selective hearing, so can I!

How much do you know about dogs and their body language? Take our quiz to find out if you're truly a dog whisperer. We'll share the correct answers at the end so you can see where you could use a little more training.

04/24/2018

Hello faithful followers! Sorry to go so long without a post. I have been very busy researching such things as sled dog races (Iditarod and Yukon Quest), reading about military working dogs, watching Lassie videos (yeah, I know that's more for fun than research), learning how to scent train a dog, and acquiring display items for the museum. (It's amazing what you can find on Ebay!) We have lots of plans for the museum, but the space is currently occupied by our City Hall, which is in the process of deciding whether they want to renovate their old building or construct a new one. In the meantime, I can move forward with the things mentioned above, and work with my own dogs. Trooper, seen protecting his bone in the photo here, has a keen nose (he can spot my sons' uneaten brown-bag leftovers a mile away, in a plastic container inside a backpack), boundless puppy-like energy (he's eight years old!), fantastic prey drive (he will chase a ball for hours), and a VERY high level of curiosity and mischievousness (think wastebaskets full of soggy used tissues spread all over the bedroom - yuck). He still barks at other dogs (we're learning the QUIET command), so can't pass a therapy dog test yet, but he needs a job! I think he has a future in scent work. I am looking for a useful, practical application for this training before I just ask him to find unimportant things like dried catnip and scented oils. Any suggestions for what he should learn to detect with his super schnoz?

03/03/2018

My retired therapy dog (Sheltie) Toby has begun to show sign of dementia, so I have been doing some research. Thought I'd share this.

Want to know what the best natural treatment for a dog with dementia is? This article has quite an extensive list of natural options to help you care for your pup.

12/26/2017

After spending a little too much time at Ye Olde Watering Bowl, Trooper and Toby were two sheps to the wind.

12/16/2017

I am selling this occasional table on Craigslist to raise funds for the museum, and Toby volunteered to help me market it as a hideaway dog bed. If that furry face can't sell it, nothing can!

12/08/2017

I just discovered a 2002 series called "Sue Thomas, FBEye" on YouTube. It is about a deaf woman who joins the FBI and uses her lip reading skills to help a surveillance squad solve cases. She has an endearing hearing dog named Levi. This series is made even better when you discover that it is based on a real person, Sue Thomas, who is also a prominent Christian speaker and author. (The real Sue Thomas appears twice in the series, when she meets the star and jokes the viewers by introducing herself as the actress who plays her in the series.) I highly recommend checking it out!

09/15/2017

Kinder World

I know there aren't many dogs on this video, but it touched my heart to see how animals and humans can bond so deeply.

So beautiful ❤

05/07/2017

Military Working Dogs

Bomb detection dogs save lives and protect our soldiers.

SSgt Christopher Lamy is a Military Working Dog handler (MOS 3PO51A), from 822nd Base Defense Group out of Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, who is currently deployed at Forward Operating Base Lagman, Afghanistan. Produced by Army Sgt. Mark Jachlewski.

05/07/2017

Military Working Dogs

Did you know that dogs can get PTSD? Watch this video.

The story of a four-legged Soldier suffering from PTSD.

04/29/2016

Reasons Why Dogs Eat P**p and How to Stop It

For some reason, both of my Shelties have indulged in this. I give them a daily pill that makes their f***s taste bad, so they not only avoid their own f***s, but each other's. Active ingredients in "Coprophagia for dogs" by Well & Good (from Petco): Yucca Schidigera Extract, Parsley Leaf, Fructooligosaccharide, Chamomile Flower, Glutamic Acid, Cayenne Pepper, Sodium Copper Chlorphyllin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Alpha Amylase, Lipase, Cellulose, Protease, Probiotics, and Enterococcus Thermophilus. You can buy this at pet stores. No need for the vet, unless it appears to be caused by a health problem.

Discover more things to enjoy with your dog with AKC.org. Find information on dog breeds, dog ownership, dog training, health, nutrition, exercise, care and grooming.

04/28/2016

YORKIES

Too cute not to share. This Yorkie is definitely "working" his human.

Little Yorkie petting his human

04/28/2016

Soi Dog Foundation

The dog meat trade is a travesty.

When our undercover investigators uncovered a cargo of hundreds of dogs crammed into crude cages and hidden deep in the jungle, the sight was simply impossible to take in.

James lay whimpering in one of the cages, his tiny body crushed by the weight of other dogs lying on top of him. All the dogs had been concealed deep in the jungle while barbaric butchers from the Asian dog meat trade waited for the signal to move them across the Mekong River to Laos and on to Vietnam by road. There, James and all the innocent dogs with him would be brutally tortured before being slaughtered for their meat. You can stop this unspeakable horror. Will you please visit https://savedogs.soidog.org/care to join a growing movement of voices standing up for these suffering dogs? Dogs like James are usually pets, snatched from their homes because they are so trusting and will approach humans readily. These innocent animals sustain horrific injuries on their way to primitive slaughterhouses where they are then tortured - in the twisted belief that the adrenaline released by the dog’s terror makes the meat more tender.

Fortunately for James, he escaped a fate so horrific it has become one of the largest animal welfare concerns in the world. Thanks to all those who have joined our campaign against this trade of shame, James and over 500 other dogs were rescued from that jungle.

Operations like this desperately need your support to continue. With the fight against the dog meat trade gathering momentum, will YOU take a stand for dogs like James? Will you visit https://savedogs.soidog.org/care to lend your support?

Thanks to people like you, thousands of dogs have been saved from the Asian dog meat trade. NOW WE NEED YOU. Will you keep the pressure on so that more dogs can be spared a fate worse than death? Visit https://savedogs.soidog.org/care to take action now. Because you have a voice, but dogs like James do not. Please speak up for them.

04/22/2016

Why Eye Tests Are Important For Breeding Programs

You wouldn't want a guide dog that needs a guide dog...

Warrior Canine Connection's Molly Morelli and canine ophthalmologist Dr. Nancy Bromberg discuss the importance of eye testing the service dogs used in their breeding program.

04/22/2016

New Treatment For Puppies With Parvo May Save Lives

Good news for those who can't afford a $4000 vet bill!

Two new drugs can mean the difference between life and death for puppies who are affected with parvovirus and whose owners can’t afford in-clinic veterinary care.

04/05/2016

Animal Planet

I'll bet you thought Beagles only chased rabbits and kids! Believe it or not, they also perform a very important job at airports.

NEVER underestimate the expert nose of a beagle officer.

03/02/2016

Apartment renovations are hopefully done for awhile (we did SIX last year!), so we will have some time this spring to really begin work on the museum and shop spaces. I get to try my hand at drywall. I've watched our contractors do a lot of it, and now it's my turn. (Hope I don't have to have the contractor back in to fix my work.) When that's done and painted, we may try commercial carpet squares on the floor. They LOOK easy. Guess we'll find out! I'll keep you posted on progress. Be prepared for a lot of messy pics during demolition, my teenaged sons' favorite part!

03/02/2016

For some reason I don't understand, I have been blocked from commenting on "Cesar's Way" articles. I have asked the moderator for an explanation, and am waiting to hear back. I may have spent too much time on the page, and they think I am Spam. (Doesn't that create an odd visual image?) In the meantime, I would really like to respond to Judy's plea (posted on Cesar's Way) for help with potty training her Cavachon pup, and hope that she sees it here. Her pup will go outside, then come back and potty indoors within five minutes. She knows he can hold it, because he never potties in his kennel. Here is my take on the subject, given the limited info offered:

Judy, it sounds like your pup is playing instead of doing his business outside, and waiting until he gets back in the house to let his bladder go. Have you made a habit of bringing him inside as soon as he potties, cutting his playtime short? If so, reward him for pottying outside, then give him a little more playtime, so he doesn't relate pottying to going back inside where it's stuffy and boring. If he won't potty when you take him out, put him back in his kennel when he comes inside. Don't give him a chance to make a mistake! Try outside again 15-30 minutes later, and repeat this routine until his bladder is so full that he does what he is supposed to do. Then reward him with praise and a high value treat, and let him play outside a little longer. Eventually he will put it all together that he will not be allowed the freedom of the house until he does his business outside, he gets more outdoor playtime after he potties, and that doing the right thing can be very rewarding. Dogs are very quick to learn things that benefit them. He'll get it!

11/03/2015

Bloat- Dog Killer. What ALL dog owners need to know.

This is just one of several YouTube videos explaining the symptoms and effects of bloat, which can result in a twisted stomach and painful death. Please take a look at this and other videos, and be aware that ANY dog can suffer from bloat, not just big dogs who exercise too soon after eating.

Bloat is the second biggest killer of dogs, after cancer. It can affect ANY dog, so EVERY owner needs to know about it and be able to recognise the symptoms....

10/27/2015

I've gotten a few messages asking about the status of the museum. We have been very busy taking care of renovation issues in the building, both in the museum area and the apartments above (it's an historic downtown building), not to mention having to switch between the two commercial spaces in order to accommodate a request by City Hall to rent the larger space a couple of years ago. (Their building next door was declared unsafe, and they had to get out in a hurry.) As a result of having to utilize the smaller space, we have scrapped the idea of having a supporting coffee shop, and will simply have a small gift shop instead, like other small museums. That's not to say the coffee pot won't be on, and goodies won't be available on a donation basis (like a bake sale). We're still researching and gathering materials in preparation for an opening sometime in the future. Sometimes dreams take a little longer than one had hoped. Meantime, I will continue to post doggy items here that I think you will like. Thank you all for your concern and ongoing interest in the project. (BTW, the photo is of an autism service dog.)

10/06/2015

I was searching Papillon breeders in the Midwest, thinking maybe I would check out the breed for therapy, and found one in Missouri. Her website showed a white dog with a brown head, brown nose and yellowish eyes, with the caption, "Rare Chocolate Coloration." It was priced at $650, $100 more than her other pups with standard coloration. After doing a bit of research, I discovered that this color is called "liver," which is a red dilute, and is considered to be a fault in the breed. Not allowed in the show ring. When I sent an email inquiry to the breeder, I received no answer. Beware of such exotic labels. Breeders will sell you a blue-eyed Old English Sheepdog as a "unique, one-of-a-kind puppy," not telling you that blue eyes are a show fault, and the dog has very little value except as a pet. Some colorations in other breeds can mean the pup is blind or deaf. Irresponsible breeding is the cause of these deviations, and is usually perpetuated by puppy mills or ignorant backyard breeders.

10/06/2015

DogStar Life launches an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the production of TailTalk

Just saw this. Jury is still out for me, but it's very interesting.

http://news.yahoo.com/the-secret-lives-of-dogs--emotional-sensor-helps-owners-understand-their-pup-s-feelings-193854377.html

TailTalk is a new lightweight sensor that sits on a dog’s tail, documents the pet's emotional journey throughout the day and transmits that data back to its owner.