Thursday, March 3, 2011

Can you spot a heart shape here? Hint: it's upside-down. Guest Heart Thursday meme. Official (from the Post) maximum card/ maxicard/ dorincard with Boxer Dogs, from Suomi/ Finland.



"White Boxers

Boxers with white markings covering more than one-third of their coat - conventionally called "white" Boxers - are neither albino or rare; approximately 20–25% of all Boxers born are white.[5]Genetically, these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat color. Like fair-skinned humans, white Boxers have a higher risk of sunburn and associated skin cancers than colored Boxers. The extreme piebald gene, which is responsible for white markings in Boxers, is linked to congenital sensorineural deafness in dogs. It is estimated that about 18% of white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears,[6] though Boxer rescue organizations see about double that number.[7][8] In the past, breeders often euthanized white puppies at birth; today, most breeders place white puppies in pet homes with spay/neuter agreements. White Boxers are disqualified from conformation showing by the breed standard, and are prohibited from breeding by every national Boxer club in the world. They can compete in non-conformation events such as obedience and agility, and like their colored counterparts do quite well as service and therapy dogs."

Temperament

The character of the Boxer is of the greatest importance and demands the most solicitous attention. It is renowned from olden times for its great love and faithfulness to its master and household. It is harmless in the family, but distrustful of strangers, bright and friendly of temperament at play, but brave and determined when aroused. Its intelligence and willing tractability, its modesty, and cleanliness make it a highly desirable family dog and cheerful companion. It is the soul of honesty and loyalty, and is never false or treacherous even in its old age.
— 1938 AKC Boxer breed standard[9]

"Never false or treacherous even in its old age"...compare that with grumpy old pets, especially males. Ungrateful pets...
Compare that with dubious or dangerous pets such as Travis The Chimp, possible posthumous spokeperson for U-Maul Company
To stop him, it wasn't enough a simple stabbing with a kitchen knife, by her desperate female owner who had been taking care of him with food-and-beverage-including-wine-and-bathing(!)-and-sleeping(!)-accomodations(?).
It took police firepower, after Travis ripped apart the side-view mirror of a police cruiser and then he (it?) lunged to assault a police officer, too.
How hard would have been for a big, muscular male chimpanzee to also rip apart a human's head?
Not hard at all. A specialist said that a male chimp can be 10 times stronger (especially in the upper torso) than an average human male.
"Travis walked up to the police car when it arrived and tried to open a locked passenger door, instead smashing a side-view mirror. Then he went calmly around to the driver's-side door and opened it, at which point Officer Frank Chiafari shot him several times. Travis retreated to the house, where he was found dead next to his cage.[8]"
"He [Travis] was adopted by Sandra and Jerome Herold when he was three days old.[2"
"Jerome died from cancer in 2004, and their only child died in a car accident; as a result, Sandra Herold considered Travis as a son and pampered him.[8][14] Sandra slept and bathed with Travis saying, "I'm, like, hollow now. He slept with me every night. Until you've eaten with a chimp and bathed with a chimp, you don't know a chimp.[16][17"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_(chimpanzee)
How well did SHE know a chimp, mauling and all?



Moral: you want a house pet? Don't take a chimpanzee, tiger, etc.
Take a good breed of dog or cat, or so.



Please visit and join The Guest Heart Thursday meme!



Welcome to Guest Heart Thursday -
A place to share YOUR hearts!