Yoga is huge.  It’s everywhere you turn nowadays – from movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall (caution: swearing!) to TV shows such as Dexter, and everywhere in between.  I love yoga.  I went to my first class about four months ago, and I devote at least 15 minutes to it every day (and sometimes up to an hour).  But doga?  Really?  Who came up with this?

Doga is exactly what it sounds like… yoga that you do with your dog.  When I first heard about it, I thought that I had to be missing an integral part of the concept.  I, for one, am frequently reminding myself to make sure I’m breathing slowly and steadily, or keeping my postures properly aligned.  How do you work on improving your own yoga practice when you’re constantly busy re-positioning your dog?  So I decided to dig a little deeper.

As it turns out, there’s quite a clash of opinions regarding doga.  Some believe that doga is trivializing the ancient practice of yoga, while others argue that yoga is about living in harmony with all beings – so having your canine companion there makes complete sense.

But does it work?  Doga instructor Suzi Teitelman, who has been teaching doga since 2002, claims that “the owners often say that they’ve never see their pet so relaxed”.  However, Lakeshore Athletic Club instructor Becky Solomon admits that dogs can’t really do yoga, and the goal of the classes is more to socialize and exercise the dogs – along with a little massage for relaxation.  Perhaps it’s just me, but the dogs in this YouTube video don’t look all that relaxed.  In fact, a number of them appear to be quite stressed out:

I didn’t want to knock it before I tried it, though, so in the name of “fairness”, I unrolled the yoga mat and invited Jack to take part in our very first (and very last) doga session.  Complete with awkward voiceover for your enjoyment.

[vimeo id="41716394" width="600" height="350"]

What are your thoughts on doga?  Is it a crazy gimmick, or is there more to this new fad than meets the eye?

(There are no certifications or requirements for becoming a doga instructor, if you were curious.  I’ll keep my opinion on that particular piece of information to myself.)

Article first published as Pit Bulls:  Vicious Killers or Much-Maligned Breed on Blogcritics.

The following post contains an excerpt from an article that I wrote for Blogcritics.org.  Please visit the link at the bottom to read the full article.

We’ve all seen it in the media—the headline reading “Toddler Mauled by Dog”, the snarling pit bull with teeth bared in a music video, the villain in the movie with menacing canine protection by his side. The majority of the images we see or the articles we read would have us believe that pit bulls are vicious, bloodthirsty animals to be feared and avoided. But is that really the case? Or, is it a matter of mistaken identity in reported attacks?

For starters, there is no such breed as “pit bull”—it’s merely a term that is often used to refer to one of several breeds of dog, most commonly the American Staffordshire Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

In reality, there are more than two dozen separate dog breeds that are commonly misidentified as “pit bulls”. Such misrepresentations make it nearly impossible to know, with any certainty, how many attacks actually involve one of the three breeds most commonly referred to as pit bulls.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/pit-bulls-vicious-killers-or-much/#ixzz1BXNQAtBc

Article first published as The Truth About Backyard Dog Breeders on Blogcritics.

The following post contains an excerpt from an article that I wrote for Blogcritics.org.  Please visit the link at the bottom to read the full article.

Recent media exposure on the horrific conditions of puppy mills has led to widespread public awareness, but far less attention has been paid to the practice of backyard breeding. The truth is, backyard breeders are one of the leading causes of shelter overpopulation, often leading to the mass euthanasia of these unwanted pets.

A backyard breeder can have any number of reasons for producing litters. Some backyard breeders are attracted by the idea of “easy money” after seeing how much legitimate breeders charge for pups. Others mistakenly believe that every dog needs to produce at least one litter in their lifetime to truly feel fulfilled. Perhaps the most common reason is the one with the greatest of intentions: the loving owners of a family pet feel that their dog is so wonderful and so loved by everyone who meets it that they should produce litters of its offspring. That way, everyone could enjoy a pet as fantastic as theirs!

Unlike puppy mill owners, who operate high-volume breeding programs in squalid living conditions, the term “backyard breeder” (or “BYB”) can apply to any number of situations. Some backyard breeders, particularly the ones operating under the goal of financial gain, share similar characteristics with puppy mill owners. They may produce high volumes of litters, generally of many different breeds, or the pups may be kept in sub-standard living conditions such as rows of small or dirty cages.

However, other backyard breeders can be difficult to spot or may seem harmless, breeding only a litter or two and keeping the puppies indoors in the family home. Perhaps both parents are even on-site and you’re welcomed in to meet them and see the area in which the puppies are raised. When you’re greeted at the door by a family pet with tail wagging and presented with a clean and spacious living area in which to meet the pups, it can be difficult to imagine that you might be dealing with a backyard breeder – the truth is, most backyard breeders have only the best of intentions and don’t even realize that they’re doing anything wrong.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/the-truth-about-backyard-dog-breeders/#ixzz1ANTHCTjA