The Dog Blog

Dog Designer to the Rescue

I finally took down the "LOST" poster I'd hung at my daily coffee hangout. I'd created the poster about 3 weeks ago after rescuing an excited puppy from the middle of a busy road. I'm not sure why I was compelled to leave the poster up for this long. Was it out of pride, a trophy for a good deed done? Or was it out of a longing for the pup I'd grown so close to in less than 24 hours.

As some of you know, I have three dogs; Barley, a Soft-coated Wheaten, Posh, a Maltese and Sk8r, a Yorkie. All are rescues and have grown very close and comfortable with me and one another.

Three weeks ago we were on our way to the local dog park and there she was, stranded in the middle of a busy road at 5:45, the height of traffic hour. I made the block and screeched to a stop at the edge of someone's yard, (actually in their yard!) jumped out and grabbed the pup.

She was full of youthful ignorance, not knowing how lucky she'd been. I quickly put her in the back seat and took off, careful to keep my bunch at bay, as they were not quite sure what this meant, but they were sure to express their discomfort with a new dog in the pack. So keeping them apart was a bit tricky, but I figured once we got to the dog park, we could all get to know one another.

Short a lead, I removed the strap from my gym bag, clipped it to her collar, and off the four of us went into the park. The rescue, Prada as I later found out her name, was full of puppy joy and fit in well at the park. My three settled down and got to know Prada well enough to relax, and we all had a great time.

Prada appeared to be a female mix, probably pit bull and Labrador. She's tan in color and aside from being a little skinny, she appeared to be in good health with no issues.

I wasn't ready for a fourth dog, but quickly found myself hoping nobody would claim her. I vowed to stay focused on the process of finding the owner, picturing a sad little girl crying her eyes out over the loss. Spend enough time with any dog and it's easy to fall in love!

That evening, we took a few pictures, picked one and created a simple "LOST" poster and sent it to the local Fedex/Kinko's for printing.

Early the next morning, I took Prada to the vet to make sure she was clean; no worms or other problems that would affect my dogs. Then off I went to the copy shop to pick up the flyers; bright green paper with black print.

At about 10:00 am, armed with a stapler, tape and the flyers I set out to poster about an 8 block area around the location where I picked up Prada. I'd posted flyers facing both directions. I had made it  halfway through my intended route when a pickup truck at a stop sign across the street honked at me and the driver yelled, "Are you Mike?" I returned "Yes!"

"I think you found my dog," he says. I cross the road and he describes her and her collar, a black and white collar with skulls and crossbones, something I'd not mentioned in the poster.

He seemed a bit panicked and relieved at the same time. The puppy had jumped out of his truck in the middle of the road, and by the time he'd made the block, I'd already rescued her. Yeah, I know. I know. Who puts a puppy in the back of a pickup truck! He wasn't too proud of that, he admitted.

I explained I'd taken Prada to the vet and that I didn't have her. So we planned an exchange a few hours later. It seemed he was a bit worried he might not get her back, or something like that, as he called me about 30 minutes before our meet to ask if I'd had her yet. A good sign, in my opinion.

We met at my office soon thereafter for the reunion. I was pleased by his reaction. As soon as I was in eye-shot, he started talking to Prada in babytalk - another good sign :-)

Moments later as I handed her to him, he was kissing all over her and it was clear a wave of relief came over him. He couldn't seem to get out fast enough, seemingly afraid I might change my mind or something.

My fear was that Prada's owner was a self-centered loser that had carelessly and seemingly with disregard lost track of the dog. But it was refreshing and pleasant to see someone who loved their dog as much as I love mine. It still makes me smile to think about the reunion.

Nonetheless, I still miss Prada.

So, I suppose that the poster was my leash on the experience. I am proud that I reunited a man and his dog, especially these two.

But I will miss seeing her face on the bulletin board at the coffee shop every morning.

I suppose I'll just have to plan a visit soon. Thank God for dogs and the people who love them :-)

HELP DESIGN THE DOG DESIGNER T-SHIRT

I love t-shirts. All types of t-shirts. I never really thought about t-shirt appeal until now. I just buy what I like. But now I have to think about what makes a great t-shirt.

We're designing a Dog Designer® t-shirt and would like to enlist your help. Here's the plan. We'll post design concepts on this blog as they are developed (at least the ones we think are any good ;-) ). You comment. When we've decided we produced enough concepts, and one stands out as the best, we'll send it to press.

Here's how you can participate. Simply offer your feedback in the comments of each post. At the end of the process we are going to draw from the pool of people who've commented and give the winner a t-shirt.

In case you've just found this blog, I am Mike Spears, the Dog Designer, an artist that loves dogs and loves to make cool stuff for dogs. Part of our objective is to build a designer brand in the pet industry around the Dog Designer and our designer label Molle Tache. Currently, we design custom luxury dog beds, dog houses, couture dog clothes and clothing.

If we're going to build a high fashion, cool brand, it seems like a cool t-shirt for dogs and people is an essential. What do you think?

Thanks for the help! I look forward to your comments.
Mike, the Dog Designer

CONCEPT 1 DESIGNS:

 

Follow-up to "Chained Dog Survives" Post

More than week has passed since Hurricane Gustov has come and gone here in central Louisiana. My previous post on this blog told the tale of a dog pictured on the cover of the Lafayette, LA daily The Advertiser. The dog stood amid the splinters of a hurricane ravaged block, standing in water, chained to something outside th photo frame.

The cover photo prompted reader concern and inquiries the day after the tornado, concern that drove a series of follow-up stories in the publication. In my efforts, I exchanged several emails with the photographer of the original front page photo. It took nearly a week for the newspaper to wrap up the story, although it was never clear what happened to the dog.

Two days following the tornado, still without news of the dog's fate, I drove out to the Mamou, LA site where the dog was pictured. The devastation was far more shocking than photos could depict. It turned my stomach. On the other hand, I was relieved to see the dog was no longer on site.

The irony of the situation is the dog survived a hurricane and tornado, helpless and chained outside, while tragically, the two owners inside of the home were killed. The dog was apparently, although not confirmed, rescued from rubble by family members the day after the tragedy.

Still, I'd like to know exactly what happed to this dog, but I am consoled to know it was not left on site, and the know that enough people inquired about the dog to still a series of follow-ups. Finally, Lafayette Animal Aid also visited the site to help locals and displaced animals in the vicinity.

If you're a dog lover, there are so many contradictions and ironies in this story. How could people leave a dog chained up outside in a storm? Yet, had the dog been inside the home, it too may have perished! The newspaper followed up a story due to reader concern, yet failed to take the investigation to an end in which we could feel relieved the dog found a new and safe residence.

Certainly there are more important things in the world to worry about. Yet, these are matters of the heart, and no matter how insignificant they seem, the conscience still stirs.

Chained Dog Survives Gustov, Subsequent Tornado

Hurricane Gustov moved through Louisiana September 1st and 2nd and storms trailed. The damage is substantial. Some, like me and the residents near me in Lafayette, LA where I live, were fortunate and had little damage and no disruption in utility service. Others, even many who were close by, were devastated, including one spot on the map in Mamou, Louisiana where at least two people lost their lives. As noted in a local news article, neighbors said it appeared the residence exploded when a tornado hit it on the day after the hurricane. It was tragic.

Photos can't depict such a tradgedy, especially when it comes to destruction of property. It's too vast a landscape. So it's easy to detach oneself from what's really happened; especially in a world where we hear reports of death daily.

So how does it happen that a photo of a dog, on a chain, at the scene of the devastation, rile compassion and concern for the dog? My initial thoughts followed; "what happened to that dog on the chain?", "oh my God, look at the size of that chain?", "who leaves their dog tied up in the back yard on a chain in a storm?", "Did the reporter or photogropher unleash the dog?", "Is the dog still on the leash?"

So, out comes the iPhone and quickly I send off an email inquiry to Leslie, the photographer, credited below the photo, including her email. I was very pleased to get a quick response and to discover that I was not the only reader concerned for the dog. She promised she and her editors were working on finding out what happened to the dog and posting a followup on their website.

Now, anyone that knows me will happily tell you I'm not patient...and that I may be a bit compulsive. So, I politely asked the photographer for the address where the photo was taken. She offered some direction, but prudently, she urged caution (due to the high waters) and sensitivity to the people in the area (picking up the pieces to their lives). In other words, she kindly suggested it wasn't a good idea to go out there in rescue of the dog.

So, here I arrive at a familiar paradox. How am I focused on the welfare of a dog, when the human tragedy is so great? Why do I feel compelled to save a dog, and spend so much energy considering his plight, and so little thought on the people who lost their lives, their property and their loved ones? What does this say about me as a person?

With every bit of introspection, a bit of nausea sets in. I don't like it. I don't like it because the human loss begins to set in as well. And ultimately, there's nothing me or anyone else can do to change the outcome. The more I think about it, the more helpless I feel. The more helpless I feel, the less alive I feel.

Yet, when I see a sad dog, chained down, amid an open field of debris, suddenly, I feel alive! Suddenly, I feel like there's some hope. Suddenly, I feel useful. There is something left to save, and if you love animals, there's something precious left in the wreckage!

But then my mind returns back to the paradox. "Lots of people need rescue, help and support," I think. Many have been impacted. So many people will now have to rebuild their lives. And again I begin to slip into that dark spiral of helplessness. "That's way too much to comprehend, to fathom."

I have three very happy dogs. I rescued each of them. From what, exactly, I don't know. I don't know their past and I know very little about their stories before I adopted them.

Despite the frustration and work they require each day, I cherish their companionship, and it warms me to know that they will never be chained and left out in a terrifying storm.

I still can't say I fully understand why my mind works this way...why I fight with this paradox. I can say I don't like it when I consider what it might mean or say about me, and I certainly understand how it perplexes others.

What I can say is that loving animals and treating them with kindness and compassion is good for the human condition, and its goodness spills over into society. It washes over us and hopefully spills into the way we treat one another.

There's still no end to the story of the chained dog in Mamou. But I hope and pray, at least that part of this story has a happy ending.

See the photo and news story "Tornado in Mamou" at http://www.theadvertiser.com/

Adventures in Potty Training

What amazes me is how different dogs think than humans. No matter what I learn, I still find myself trying to relate to my dogs in a human way. Even when I try to put myself in their paws, I find myself thinking like a human for them.

So, for me, it's puzzling, when I try to figure out what's going on with Posh, my little Maltese. She's about 9 months, and still not fully potty trained. Her brother and sister, Barley and Sk8r, a wheaten terrier and Yorkshire terrier, are doing pretty well. They are both potty trained and will go outside when asked. Posh is doing pretty well, but there's no rhyme or reason to why she still potties in the house, on occasion.

I've learned, the first thing, before anything else, when I wake in the morning, take the kids out. The first trip is good for a tinkle from each. I walk them back inside, brush my teeth, and then back out again. No more than 10 minutes have passed, and guess what, they do the second half of their business. Why they won't do it all in the first trip, I'm not sure. But no problem. I can deal with that. I don't understand. But I know what to do.

So, everything has been going well in the potty training category. Then two days ago, I wake up and there's poop and pee on the bedroom floor! I know who's to blame, but why? We were doing so well?

Instead of trying to make sense of it, as I would normally attempt, I just make up a story. No use in trying the impossible...to give a dog a human sense of the world. Here's what I think happened:

Posh wakes up in her playful mood. She nudges Sk8r and says, "Hey! Don't say anything, but I think I'm gonna potty on the floor."

Sk8r says, "You better not, he's gonna be upset and I'm gonna have to go and hide somewhere for a while, cuz I don't like it when he fusses."

Posh responds, "OK. Well you better go and find a good hiding spot!"