Dog Organizations
There are many places to find Westie merchandise, but before you make a purchase for yourself or your Westie, consider first a retailer or non-profit organization that uses sales of Westie merchandise to benefit the breed. WestieMed, Inc. is a non-profit organization that specifically targets rescued Westies that are injured or ill.
There are many places to find Westie merchandise, but before you make a purchase for yourself or your Westie, consider first a retailer or non-profit organization that uses sales of Westie merchandise to benefit the breed.
WestieMed, Inc. is a non-profit organization that specifically targets rescued Westies that are injured or ill. Along with donations, WestieMed uses sales of Westie merchandise to pay for medical care for these special-needs dogs while homes are found for them. Westie merchandise that can be purchased from their gift shop includes clothing, novelties, home and garden items, greeting cards, and Christmas ornaments.
They also benefit from sales of Westie merchandise purchased through their affiliation with Westie Breed Store when the buyer uses the link at the WestieMed website. They can be found at http://www.westiemed.com/.
The West Highland White Terrier Club of America, Inc. also offers a small selection of Westie merchandise in their fundraising effort. Their merchandise includes limited edition collector plates with images of Westies, and a few articles of clothing. Their National Rescue Committee, which is responsible for rescuing older Westies and placing them in new homes, has a larger collection of clothing and small items of Westie merchandise for their fundraising efforts.
They can be found at http://www.westieclubamerica.com/. There are also links at the site to affiliated Westie clubs that are using sales of Westie merchandise for fundraising.
In addition to non-profit organizations, there are a, pet, number of retailers who have Westie merchandise available, from which a portion of the proceeds is donated to dog and animal welfare organizations. Michelle’s Bark-n-Purr Toy Store is one such retailer, and offers a selection of specifically Westie merchandise, including clothing, toys, bedding, pillows, and greeting cards.
Their website is at http://www.micheleswesties.com.
by ELIZAH LEIGH, Contributing Writer
For the 314 million visually impaired people in the world, carrying out their daily routines without aid may be challenging. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infectious disease is the leading cause of worldwide blindness. Sadly, 90 percent of those who have compromised eyesight live in developing regions that lack access to preventative treatment options or rehabilitation plans. Furthermore, WHO estimates that 120 million individuals have sight issues that cannot be corrected through modern medical techniques and in just 10 years, the number of people with low vision or complete blindness is expected to double.
Those staggering statistics highlight the need for more well-trained guide dogs that can help humans safely navigate the daily course of their lives. Evenly tempered canines with high intelligence, sound health and a gentle disposition are trained to help visually-impaired individuals achieve a greater level of independence. This practice became popular after World War I as a method to give greater mobility to blind war veterans. With numerous guide dog schools around the globe, breeds as diverse as German shepherds, boxers, border collies, standard poodles, Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers are generally used. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, puppies around the world are transformed into a highly specialized and well-disciplined working animals.
Step One: Understand what the commitment entails.
Being an animal lover is a good quality if you’re considering getting involved in guide dog training, but you’ll need a lot more than just an appreciation for animals to work with these dogs. Simply put, it is no small task to be able to train a dog from the tender age of seven weeks so that they may ultimately graduate as an adult animal able to respond to the needs of someone with compromised vision.
In addition to educating a dog throughout every phase of their guide work, which can often take up to one year and require a great deal of personal focus, you must be prepared to part with the dog to send them off to a permanent owner. It’s important to recognize from the start that you will eventually need to say goodbye to the dog, to keep yourself from getting too emotionally attached to the animal. Other important questions to ask yourself include:
• “Can I treat this commitment with as much dedication as I do my full-time job?”
• “Will I be able to deliver the necessary obedience training without caving into their puppy cuteness from time to time?”
• “Do I have enough energy and motivation to stick to the plan by consistently socializing them and giving them constructive reinforcement while out and about in the real world?”
Step Two: Make sure that your heart is in the right place.
There is far more to training a guide dog than just enjoying the benefits that the whiskered creature under your care will undoubtedly attract while out in public. Guide dogs shouldn’t be used as a chick magnet or a way to gain a social edge and no matter what, they will always require a great deal of your personal attention, so you have to be sure that working with them for over a year will be compatible with your lifestyle. You must be able to offer them a secure, loving environment, in which everyone in your household must be on board with the ultimate goal of producing a dog that will be the saving grace to someone with compromised vision. That in itself is an honorable task that should be treated with absolute commitment and unwavering dedication.
Step Three: Ask your local guide dog training organizations the right questions.
If you are certain that getting involved in guide dog training is right for you, then exercise your internet research skills and align yourself with a legitimate organization in your area. The International Guide Dog Federation is a good place to start, or if you’re a U.S. citizen, then you might want to refer to the National Federation of the Blind’s guide dog school resource list or the Guide Dog User, Inc.’s list of U.S. schools. Try sitting in on a class, so that you’ll be able to determine whether their teaching methods are compatible with your personal philosophy on interacting with dogs and see firsthand if the dogs seem happy and healthy. Let everyone know that you’re new to the program and ask them for their honest feedback on how it all works and what kind of requirement is necessary for you to do the best job possible.
Step Four: Puppy raising time!
If puppies are in sound health and are a good size, they will usually be placed with individuals or families who have agreed to offer them a loving, nurturing foster home for an average of 12 to 18 months. During that time, caretakers are responsible for feeding the dogs a nourishing diet, taking them out for regular walks, socializing and bringing them along on all normal errands like trips to the grocery store, post office, school, library, etc. Despite whatever bond has been forged, the guardian must then release the dog they’ve been caring for to a training center where their obedience skills will be further refined, such as being taught how to guide their owner in a straight line and avoid obstacles.
Step Five: Repeat!
After successfully raising a guide dog for a year, you can keep the ball rolling by becoming a regular volunteer and raising more puppies into disciplined adult dogs.
If the rigors of raising a guide dog aren’t compatible with your lifestyle, you can still make a donation to support guide dog organizations in your area. Whether you become a volunteer or prefer to offer your financial support, supporting guide dog training is deeply rewarding and incredibly beneficial to the final recipients. Guide dogs are most commonly used to assist blind individuals, but they can also be specifically trained to aid those who lack the ability to hear, those who suffer from seizures, are wheelchair-bound, have complicated diabetic issues or are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. But wait, there’s more. Canines are also used to help locate humans who have been buried alive following devastating natural disasters (like the Haiti earthquake). Dogs are also needed in nursing homes and to help hospitalized patients. Considering all the comprehensive ways that well-trained dogs (and even miniature horses!) can enhance the lives of human beings, you can make a tremendously positive impact for those in need by training guide dogs or donating to those who do.
Photo by adactio, flickr.
