do our girls need doll-people dog dolls?

When I was pregnant with my first child, a couple of my friends gave me some lovely gifts in a beautifully-lined wicker basket that was about the size of a laundry basket. I deemed that the toy basket for my newborn son and vowed that he would never have more toys than could fit in that basket. My children would not be spoiled. They would play with blocks and other unbranded toys that would challenge their imaginations and grow their minds. And then I became an actual parent, not just a hippie fantasy parent.

We outgrew the basket immediately, and soon we couldn't live without Transformers, Diego, and Superman. Things felt a bit out of control, so I had to draw the line. No guns. Absolutely no guns. Then came friends. And they had guns. Water guns, Nerf guns–you name it. So then, the things in my house that were not guns became guns. Sigh. And then we got a Nerf gun as a gift, and now we have a gun collection and a glass jar full of various ammo.

You might think I have no backbone when it comes to my kids. You might be right.

I do my best to get all of these things from our favorite kids' consignment store, and my kids swap toys with their friends all the time, so while we consume and consume, we try to be as conscious about it as we can.

I thought all this toy stuff would get even worse with my daughter, but it didn't. She was surprisingly happy to play with the blocks and Hot Wheels we already had. At four years old, she's now into anything dress-up, including makeup, jewelry, and tattoos. I'm cool with that. She's expressing herself by making up all types of scenarios about going to work and being royalty ad being a dancer/rockstar/doctor/teacher. With tattoos and lots of lip gloss.

She has a couple of beloved stuffed animals, but, aside from that, she's never really been drawn to anything doll-like.

I have never been so happy about that until I saw the commercial for Pinkie Cooper and the Jet Set Pets.

I'm not versed enough in child psychology or feminine perspectives to write a Pulitzer Prize-winning article about all of the negatives or positives this toy can do for a child's self esteem, but I will say that my gut reaction was, "WTF?"

So here we have dogs–no humans–no, dogs! Oh, I don't know...I'm so confused. They don't look like dogs or humans. What do I know?

They are dolls targeted toward young girls. They have Barbie-like bodies, fashionable clothes, dog-like heads that are not proportionate to the body...Oh, what am I saying?! How do you make a out-of-proportion dog head proportionate to an out-of-proportion female body. And then there is the hair/ears. I mean, if it's a dog head, it should have ears, right? But, no. In place of dog ears, we have long, silky hair (oh, and you can switch out the hair with the other dolls, ensuring consumer purchase of the whole collection of dog-people dog dolls).

They seem to have makeup on, don't they? Does makeup apply well to fur? Because it is a dog head, right?

Okay, so it's a toy and doesn't have to be realistic. I've often been accused of not being able to let go of my adult brain and go-with-the-fantasy-flow. So I ask myself, what's my problem with these toys? And why did I tell my daughter "no" before she even had a chance to say she liked them?

Is it the sex part? I mean, these dog-girls are sexy. But then, they have these big baby eyes. So now they're child-like and sexy at the same time. Why am I semi-okay with Barbies and okay with dog toys, but am having a visceral reaction to these toys? If not the sex part, then maybe it's the creepy part. They are creepy, right?

What message are we sending...that's always the question. I'm not claiming to know. But I know that our little girls need not be this sexy, and our dogs need not be this sexy, and they definitely need not be sexy and babyish at the same time. I guess their creative aspect is that they can switch their hair. But what do they do? At least Barbie has a career or two. Maybe the uplifting self-esteem affirming message to our girls in all this is that it's okay to be sexy even if you have a face like a dog?

If you expected this to be some in-depth psychological study, I'm sorry do disappoint. I have none of the answers. What I feel, however, is that this toy is insulting to dogs and to young girls, and I'm not buying it.

Wordless Wednesday: catnapping coco

using melaleuca oil for natural pet first aid

Melaleuca (alternifolia) essential oil, aka tea tree oil, is a staple in our family's medicine cabinet for the pets as well as the humans. I use it primarily for its antiseptic purposes, but it also benefits the skin, in general, and supports immunity. Best of all, it is completely natural and highly effective, which, in my book, makes it a much better choice than traditional over-the-counter topical medications. I don't know what I'd do without it! One challenge in treating pets with topical solutions is that if they can reach it, they'll lick it. And it feels like they can reach just about every part of their bodies. You know what I mean?

Melaleuca oil is a great fix for this problem because it won't harm them if they lick the  treated area. It also tends to "soak in" and stay where is is supposed to, so even if your pooch or kitty decides to take matters into his own paws...er...tongue, the treatment can still be effective.

Though melaleuca oil is a natural way to heal and care for pets, it is strong, so it usually needs to be diluted. Any carrier oil will work, but I would highly recommend coconut oil for it's lightness and innate benefits to the skin. Some applications recommend another type of carrier oil, such as olive oil or jojoba oil.

Always be sure to test a small area of your pet's skin with a highly diluted mixture to be sure he is not sensitive to melaleuca oil. Cats tend to be more sensitive to it than dogs, so start testing felines with a very diluted mixture.

The following solutions can be used as a guideline:

So how can melaleuca oil help your dog or cat?

Arthritis: Though your arthritic animal should be evaluated by a veterinarian, you may be able to provide some immediate relief by combining 1-2 drops of melaleuca oil with 1 teaspoon of jojoba oil. Gently massage the affected area, and, if your pet will tolerate it, apply a heating pad (on low setting to prevent burning). You can also use this method for minor sprains.

Cuts and minor skin abrasions: Melaleuca oil can be applied ("Recommended Melaleuca Oil Dilutions for Pets") 2-3 times a day directly to the wound to aid in healing. This also helps prevent infection. If the wound has already become infected, keep applying the oil for seven days.  Alternatively, your pet's wound can be bathed with an antiseptic wash. Just add 2-3 drops of melaleuca oil mixed with 3 drops of the carrier oil. Add to a warm bowl of water and stir well. The wash can be applied with a cotton ball twice a day.

Flea repellant: Mix 3-5 drops of melaleuca oil with 1 1/2 cup of carrier oil (jojoba is recommended so that it doubles as a coat conditioner). Store the mixture in a dark glass container in a cool place. In between bathing, sprinkle a few drops over the coat, especially around the neck and either comb through or sponge over the fur.

Dermatitis: Small areas of dermatitis can be treated with the solution mixture recommended above, ("Recommended Melaleuca Oil Dilutions for Pets").

Ear infection: Mix 1-2 drops of melaleuca oil with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Warm the mixture (be sure it's just warm...not hot), and, using a dropper, apply 1-2 drops inside the ear (do not insert the dropper in the animal's ear). Massage the affected ear, and try not to let your pet shake his head, or the drops may come out. Do this twice a day until the infection is gone.

Ear mites: Mix 1-2 drops of melaleuca oil with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Using a cotton ball, apply a couple of drops by wiping the inside of the ear. This can be done once a week for ear mite prevention, if you pet is prone to ear mites.

Hot spots: Hot spots can be effectively treated with the solution mixture recommended above, ("Recommended Melaleuca Oil Dilutions for Pets").

Insect bites & stings: If a stinger is present, carefully remove it. Apply the solution mixture recommended above ("Recommended Melaleuca Oil Dilutions for Pets") with a cotton swab.

Mange or rash: Apply the solution mixture recommended above ("Recommended Melaleuca Oil Dilutions for Pets"). This will help with itching and inflammation. Apply twice a day.

Matted coat: Should your pet's coat become matted, which can often happen in animals with long, fine hair, wet the matted hair with 1 drop of melaleuca oil mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of carrier oil. Rub the solution into the matted area and try to de-matt with a comb. Try to gently pull the matt away from the skin so it can be cut without creating a bald spot or damaging the skin.

Mouth sore: Combine 3-6 drops of Melaleuca oil with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and warm water. Apply directly to the sore for faster healing and to alleviate pain. This is most effectively done with your finger, in my opinion.

Warts: If your animal tolerates diluted melaleuca oil, you can apply 1-2 drops of straight oil directly on a wart with a cotton swab. This can help with pain and itching, if it is present. This can be done for several weeks...patience is required. Some types of warts will not respond to melaleuca oil, but if the wart is bothersome, it's certainly worth a try.

High-quality Melaleuca oil is available from most reputable herbalists and natural health stores, and anywhere quality essential oils are sold. I purchase the highest-quality T36-C5 oil from Melaleuca, the wellness company, where excellent discounts can be had with a preferred customer membership. Many of the recipes I use regularly come from R.M. Barry's Melaleuca: The Wellness Guide.

Though I don't shun traditional medicine completely, holistic healing is the first route I take for my family, including my pets. Melaleuca oil is at the foundation of our methods, and is something I recommend to my friends and pet sitting clients with confidence.

How have you used Melaleuca oil to help heal your pets?

On the second Wednesday of each month, I contribute an article on holistic pet care at Hybrid Rasta Mama, a fantastic blog that offers information and insights on conscious parenting, natural living, holistic health, real food, and coconut oil. This post was featured last month.

Please visit me there today to read ThunderShirt Helps Dogs Find Anxiety Relief the Natural Way. Leave me some love! XO

Disclaimer: This article is not meant as a substitution for veterinary care or professional holistic animal care. Please consult your veterinarian or pet care health professional before embarking on any new treatment plan.

The Animal History Museum: Understanding and Celebrating the Human-Animal Bond

The grand opening date may still be in question, but the mission is not.

The Animal History Museum is the first museum dedicated to understanding and celebrating the human-animal bond. Its purpose is to serve and educate the public through the creation of a museum in Los Angeles County, California, for the collection, preservation and exploration of the history, culture, science, and law relating to the relationship between human and non-human animals; by presenting exhibitions, lectures and other activities that are consistent with, and supportive of, the museum's educational goals and purpose.

I spoke with Amy Breyer, Executive Director and President of the museum's Board of Trustees, about how the museum was conceived, what it's all about, and what the status is on the grand opening. Ms. Breyer has spent most of her career in Chicago practicing animal law, and I got the feeling from her that however stressful working on a museum opening may be, she feels like it's a breath of fresh air. She said that though she didn't wish to practice litigation any longer–after opening and running Illinois' first animal law practice–she wanted to "bring up these concepts in a non-confrontational setting." Her passion for the project is insatiable, and she's humble as can be. Though the museum is her brain-child, she was much more comfortable talking about the elite team of "pioneering individuals in all disciplines related to animals" that she has surrounded herself with. "It's a privilege to know these people," she said.

Ms. Breyer began working on the Los Angeles-area (a specific site is still in the works) museum with her founding board, and though the museum is not yet a physical building, after speaking to Breyer and looking over their online exhibits, I feel as if I've already visited it. Breyer is warm and smart and informative, which is exactly what I imagine the Animal History Museum to be.

So what's the scoop? Breyer and her team are in various stages of discussion regarding pinning down a site for the physical museum. She's not exactly sure when it will open, but projects that we won't have to wait much longer. In the meantime, the online gallery her team has curated is nothing short of spectacular. The online gallery currently has six exhibits including fine art, historical photography, and even art and stories culminating from social media.

I asked Breyer about these non-traditional exhibits that were curated from social media. She explained that the exhibits Breaking Stereotypes: America's Pit Bull Rescues & the Human-Animal Bond and Single, Experienced Animal Seeks Mature, Loving Relationship: Stories of Older Animal Adoption were a surprising result of Facebook contests. The Animal History Museum received such an overwhelming number of quality submissions that the sensation evolved into a community, of sorts, from which the exhibitions were born. I found this fascinating both in the role that social media can play in the development of such an exhibition and how open Breyer is to taking advantage of societal trends to create exhibits that people will not only be naturally drawn to, but that they can participate in, all in the name of animals.

Both these innovative exhibitions and the museum's more traditional exhibitions will be featured online and in the museum, some on a rotating basis, and some permanent. Even when the physical museum opens, Breyer plans to continue to grow the online gallery, both as a support to the museum and as its own entity with separate, unique content. Upon entering the online gallery, the museum's Web site states:

The Animal History Museum plans to make its online gallery an important part of its mission–both as a way of giving you, our guest a taste of what the brick-and-mortar museum will offer once it opens–as well as growing along side it once the museum opens its doors as a vibrant, integral complement to our physical collections.

Like our brick-and-mortar plans, the online gallery will feature both permanent collections as well as rotating ones. We believe it to be the first permanent, virtual museum collection dedicated to all things animal anywhere in the world.

Throughout my conversation with Breyer, she was reluctant to toot her own horn, and quick to highlight the efforts of her contributors, scholars from all over the English-speaking world. "No one person is a museum all to themselves," she stated. Aside from being pioneers in their chosen field, these initial contributors–now two dozen individuals–"didn't have a place to put their work in front of a mainstream audience," Breyer explained. Some of these individuals are highly specialized and are doing groundbreaking work, so to have them contribute to this collection and to be able to see all of their efforts come together is quite special.

Breyer holds all of her contributers in high regard and mentioned Piers Locke as an excellent example of the pioneering work these people are doing. She explained to me that Locke is instrumental in creating a new field, that of elephantology. Though Breyer is well-versed in Locke's work, she spoke about this emerging field like an excited little girl as she shared information with me regarding these studies in human/elephant interaction, including the elephant's role as worker, protector, and companion. Her passion shone. As a New Zealand-lecturer in Anthropology, Locke has found a new audience with the Animal History Museum. The museum Web site describes that Locke

is pioneering the nascent field of elepantology, through his efforts conducting historical and ethnographic research involving elephant and human communities in Chitwan, Nepal since 2001. This research raises issues in: apprenticeship learning and expert knowledge, practice and identity in total institutions, human-animal intimacies and the ritual veneration of elephants, and the role of captive elephant management in nature tourism, protected area management and biodiversity conservation.

It's no wonder Breyer is so excited about the work contributors such as Locke are doing.

What's next? The museum is currently working on an exhibit of Seth Casteel's Underwater Dogs, scheduled to open this month in the online gallery.

In it's quest to open the facility, the Animal History Museum is offering the public opportunities to contribute. An especially exciting and attainable opportunity is to become a "Founding Member." By joining for as little as $30 per year, you can help this museum and receive gifts available to only to members who join during the initial fundraising drive. And your annual membership won't begin until the doors open. Large donor opportunities and corporate sponsorships are also available.

I, for one, can't wait for the Animal History Museum to open! Until then, my family and I are enjoying all that the Web site galleries have to offer.

Follow the Animal History Museum on Facebook and Twitter for information and updates.

silly state law saturday: alaska

Happy Saturday...er...Sunday. Did I say silly animal laws by state would be coming to you on Saturday? I meant one of the "S" days. Silly me! In any case, sorry to keep you waiting on pins and needles for this week's installment: Alaska.

What I've learned from this research on Alaska is that they take their moose seriously. Mooses? Meese? You know what I mean. Without further delay, in Alaska:

Alaska

• It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane. Not to get morbid on you, or anything, but I guess this means pushing a dead moose out of an airplane is fair game. And a live moose out of a moving train is cool, too.

• Moose may not be viewed from an airplane. So when you're taking that aerial tour of the Alaskan countryside, close your eyes the whole time in order to remain in full compliance with the law.

What is it with moose and airplanes?

• In Fairbanks, it is an offense to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose. But what if it's just one of those teeny-weenie bottles of booze that you get on an airplane? If you're really going to go all outlaw, at least get the guy drunk before you push him out of the airplane.

• It is illegal to whisper in someone's ear while they are moose hunting. Next time I go moose hunting in Alaska, I'll be sure to shout to my partner, "LOOK, there's a MOOSE!"

• No moose is allowed to have sex on city streets. Good luck preventing that.

• It is perfectly legal to shoot bears, but waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited. So if you do want that great photograph, just don't go for the kill shot.

• In Anchorage, no one may tie their pet dog to the roof of a car. Well, that's a relief.

• In Juneau, flamingo owners may not let their pet flamingo into a barber shop. So what do the flamingos do when they need a haircut? Now we have all these hippie long-haired flamingos running around town. They're going to have to pass a law about that.

• It is illegal to eat live eels in public unless you shout "warning! Idiot eating eels!" beforehand. I can't. I just don't know.

Thanks for stopping by!

An InLinkz Link-up

Law information source: stupidlaws.com and dumblaws.com.