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by Scottie Westfall

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« Warriors in the hollow
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Into the wilderness

October 31, 2016 by SWestfall3

When I started down this venture in 2008, there was an active blogging community that covered dogs. I was an idiot in those days and a far worse writer.

You got hits by being a pugilist. I punched. I got punched in return.

And it was okay.

But then the major blogging networks that held this fractious community together “went corporate, and all the organic aspects of this community died.

What we were left with just competition and vitriolic bellicosity.

I kept this up for as long as I could, but then I either grew up or just got tired of all the bullshit. It’s probably the latter.

I have yet to find a community in the real dog world that isn’t petty and dogmatic. Probably the only exception to this is my own Facebook group that is associated with this blog, but that is like the Island of Misfit Toys, where they are led by the ultimate broken jack-in-the-box (me).

I am never, ever going to be a super dog trainer. I don’t have the skills, and I’m not going to pretend that I have those skills anymore. I’ve tried to learn them. I just don’t have it.

It’s the toughest thing in the world for me to admit that I cannot do something.

Not everyone can read historical documents or peer-reviewed articles either.

That’s what I tell myself.

You may have noticed that the scope of this blog has changed a lot in the past few months. I am trying to find my voice again, and I think I do better as a story teller than what my grandpa called a cross between a prostitute and an encyclopedia: “a fucking know-it-all.”

I may lose readers if they don’t see the latest story about a dog bite or something stupid that a TV dog trainer did.

That’s okay.

There still are places where you can read that stuff.

It’s just not me.

I’ve lost a lot of friends over the years. I don’t think anyone from that community still talks to me or links to me from the early days.

I have a few readers who have stayed with me for the long haul. They’ve seen my various evolutionary epochs.

And I now am the point where it I don’t think I will ever go back.

The conflict that exist because of the problems of the modern dog fancy have been solved in the grand scheme of things. In North America, the main multi-breed registries are essentially ignored. In Europe, there is just so much public pressure for reform that it will happen. It will happen as the older generations die off.

In the mean time, a lot of damage is going to be done, but because the people who are okay with the damage are so certain about their views, it is a waste of time deal with them.

Allow the attrition of the generations to take care of this problem.

I find myself falling into an anhedonic state when it comes to these issues.

But I also know the rightful place for me is in the wilderness.

The battles of dog people will go on.

I’m checking out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments

19 Responses

  1. on November 1, 2016 at 10:06 am Anita Meulstee

    Where can I find you on Facebook?


    • on November 3, 2016 at 8:55 pm retrieverman

      https://www.facebook.com/groups/canislupushominus/


      • on November 4, 2016 at 6:49 am Anita Meulstee

        Thank you!


  2. on November 1, 2016 at 10:07 am Brenda M. Negri

    Well old friend, it’s not so much about you, or me, but what is happening on all fronts. Welcome to the new world being run by, as Clint Eastwood coined it, “The Pussy Generation”: ” “That’s the kiss-ass generation we’re in right now. We’re really in a pussy generation. Everybody’s walking on eggshells.””

    It is no longer admired to shine a light on wrongdoing. There is no right or wrong in the minds of most of these spineless forum pontificators anymore – it’s only about what they feel they are entitled to do.

    The other day, I found this horrific post by some brain cell lacking hack backyard hobby farmer, who needed another livestock guardian dog – so she (who didn’t even know what to look for when a bitch came in heat) decided she was going to breed her 5 (yes FIVE) year old Pyrenees for a replacement puppy. And the throngs of ass kissers in the forum jumped in and cheered her on, but for about two people who told her to reconsider this stupid, self-centered, totally idiotic decision. Clowns like these are why rescues and shelters are on overload. Binge breeders.

    We’ve become a nation of Valley Girls, ass kissers, spoiled self entitled brats, and the dog world is being filled up with these types. It explains our current nightmare of a political election, and it explains a lot of things that are going south in this world…not just with dogs, either…it’s everything, everywhere.

    Evil will triumph, when good men do nothing, Retrieverman, so think twice about bailing out. I get as tired and disgusted as you do, but I keep carrying the torch for truth and no frills factual posting about the stuff no one else wants to touch. If they fear me, all the better. I could care less – I care about the dogs and the welfare of the dogs – when they lose their champions for justice and truth, they lose in the end. My Spanish Mastiff blog got just a hair under 13,000 hits in September; someone is reading, someone is listening. They do for you, too. Hang on.


  3. on November 1, 2016 at 1:39 pm suehusky

    Hi Retrieverman, I’ve never left a comment before but I just wanted to say that I value your blog highly so don’t disappear on me! I am a long time owner of sled dogs and wolf dogs over here in the UK and also a Director of a wolf conservation organisation that raises lots of money for worldwide conservation and research projects. Since I left University I have very much valued your blog for its intelligence and for the up to date information on what is happening in the world of canid research. I need you even if you think others don’t! 🙂


    • on November 1, 2016 at 5:49 pm retrieverman

      I’m going to write more about wild dogs than domestic ones.

      Wolves and coyotes will be in it, but people get so mixed up in domestic dogs that it’s hard to reason with anyone.


  4. on November 1, 2016 at 2:24 pm Scott

    If you feel it time I understand, you have had a long run. You will be missed


    • on November 1, 2016 at 5:48 pm retrieverman

      I’m not disappearing.

      I’m just changing what I’m focusing on.


  5. on November 1, 2016 at 7:40 pm Chris Miele

    I eagerly await the demise of the kennel club and the return to sanity in the dog world. In the meantime I take heart in the fantastic research being done to help us understand more things and I wish you would write on that every so often. I have a lot of coyotes but I rarely see them on the property. They have plenty to eat. I understand your weariness but always look forward to your insights.


  6. on November 1, 2016 at 11:10 pm casdog1

    I think your wildlife stories are stunningly, poignantly beautiful.


  7. on November 3, 2016 at 12:13 am Claire R.

    I’ve been here since the beginning, without saying much. I’ve always loved your scientific and historical writings, I think it’s where you really shine. You are right, not everyone can read journal articles and find primary sources, translate and synthesize them for a lay audience. Science communication is a much-needed field. All I’m saying is don’t hide your light under a basket. Keep writing about whatever interests you now. We will be here.


  8. on November 3, 2016 at 7:59 pm Suhail

    Yes, continue to write on wild dogs and working dogs. That working dogs category can be great too. Like really lesser known working dogs – lgds, sledders, cart pullers, service dogs, military and police dogs, herders, so on and so forth.

    And to take time off, you can write about NCAA Football, NFL, may be NBA and NHL too. But college football and college basketball make sense because you may be able to associate with Mountaineers.

    :-)


    • on November 3, 2016 at 8:55 pm retrieverman

      I actually know nothing about any of those things. I just learned that Chicago has two baseball teams just the other day.


  9. on November 4, 2016 at 5:14 am Sylvia Andrews

    Everybody writes in their own style. I love the articles that you write about dogs. You don’t have to be a professional dog trainer to give us your vision about dogs.

    Please don’t stop writing.


  10. on November 4, 2016 at 8:38 pm nebbie916

    Here is some more information related to anything wildcat (one word).

    Have you heard of a cat breed called the Dragon Li? This stocky muscular cat is said to have decsended from the Chinese Mountain cat (Felis silvestris bieti), a subspecies of the wildcat. This has been neither proven or disproven as of yet. In fact, considering that the three known areas where agriculture has sprung are the Middle East and China in Asia and Peru in South America, this seems feasible and mirrors the self-domestication of the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) in the Middle East.

    1) Chinese Cat Breeds: http://cat-chitchat.pictures-of-cats.org/2008/10/chinese-cat-breeds.html
    2) Dragon Li: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Li


  11. on November 6, 2016 at 2:04 pm Elle

    Hi. I’ve never commented before. I just wanted to tell you that I found your blog at a time in my life when I got interested in researching dogs (this was inspired because I adopted a dog and was trying to learn everything I could), and I feel like you are one of the few voices of reason in this topic and while I can understand your desire to step back from it, your blog completely changed my perspective and I am so grateful I could read your point of view. A lot of the things you wrote about clarified things that just initially seemed weird to me in the world of dogs and gave me a much much wider perspective on a lot of issues (especially breeding and genetics), and I just wanted to tell you that in my humble opinion, you are way ahead of your time and thus subject to judgment by the upholders of the status quo, but you were inspirational to me anyways,thank you for being a defender of dogs, not many people seem to be able to think as rationally as you seem to on the subject.


  12. on November 7, 2016 at 2:30 pm Laura

    I think you’re a fine naturalist and writer– sensitive, intelligent and astute. Though I don’t reply often, I appreciate and enjoy what you write, and your reader’s replies… and your photos. Especially like the trail cam.
    Some years ago after adopting a mutt and wanting to learn about Newfoundland dogs, i came across your blog and have been reading ever since. It’s unique and well-done. Thanks for all you’ve written.
    Sounds like you feel that you’re letting readers down by shifting your focus away from the contentiousness of the ‘dog world’, breeds, training, etc and towards nature, wildlife, etc. The potential for contentiousness and toxicity on the internet is not going away. If wading into this morass is what makes for more hits, impacting what you earn (?)… well, i don’t know, but my two cents is it’s your blog and you have every right to take care of yourself. Like working a job that’s bad for your health, you have a right to quit, to do something else. Seems reasonable that your readership will change along with you and your blog.


  13. on November 7, 2016 at 2:36 pm Laura

    I think you’re a fine naturalist and writer– sensitive, intelligent and astute. Though I don’t reply often, I appreciate what you write, your reader’s replies, and your photos. Especially like the trail cam.
    Some years ago after adopting a mutt and wanting to learn about Newfoundland dogs, i came across your blog and have been reading ever since. It’s unique and well-done. Thanks for all you’ve written.
    Sounds like you feel that you’re letting readers down by shifting your focus away from the contentiousness of the ‘dog world’, breeds, training, etc and towards nature, wildlife, etc. The potential for contentiousness and toxicity on the internet is not going away. If wading into this morass is what makes for more hits, impacting what you earn (?)… well, i don’t know, but, if I may, my two cents is it’s your blog and you have every right to take care of yourself. Like working a job that’s bad for your health, you have a right to quit, to do something else. It seems reasonable that your readership will change along with you and your blog.


  14. on November 7, 2016 at 4:21 pm Jen Robinson

    Have you ever considered writing fiction? Far less fractious than blogging; and there’s a big audience for dog stories, including historical ones, and ones with a lot of natural history.

    For example, I would love to see someone with your depth of knowledge have a go at trying to reconstruct the circumstances in which the Lesser St. John’s dog came to its exceptional qualities, both for retrieving, and for emotional intelligence. I so wonder how dogs were wintered over when the cod fishermen went home. Presumably there were dog specialists who stayed the winter. Presumably these guys were also breeders and trainers, who brought on the next generation of pups. Were the pups whelped indoors in tiny cabins by lonely individuals who braved the climate of the Bay of Fundy? I also wonder what sort of characters the dog dealers were, and how they interacted with the British dog fanciers who came to buy dogs.

    Just a thought. A bit selfish. A book I’d love to read, but I doubt it will ever be written. It seems a waste that you retreat from the dog world when you’ve accumulated so much wonderful information.



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