New Guinea
Singing Dogs
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Singing dogs in Atlanta,
GA, Singing dogs in
Douglasville, GA, United
Kennel Club, Pet
Boarding in
Douglasville, GA
GA, Singing dogs in
Douglasville, GA, United
Kennel Club, Pet
Boarding in
Douglasville, GA
Aug. 2nd, 2010: Tina and I have owned a New Guinea singing dog,
Jingle, since the summer of 2006, and have also been members of the
New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society for nearly that long.
We took on a second singing dog, Murray, just before spring break
this year, which means we have about 1% of all the singing dogs
known to exist. That's right, they're that rare. Many of you have
seen Murray here at the Lodge and a few of you have been here
when we would have Jingle up here for a brief visit.
Believed to possibly be extinct in the wild, there are around 200
living in zoos, with research scientists, and a few of us, normal,
not-so-normal people. Murray came to us from a nice couple from
Tennessee, who purchased Murray as a puppy from an exotic
animal dealer in Servierville, TN. Due to family medical issues, and
the fact that singers aren't your average, every day house pet, Tim
and Barbara did the smart thing and contacted the Society to locate a
qualified home for Murray. Tina and I being in the "neighborhood",
we were contacted by the folks who run the NGSDCS to see if we
would take Murray. Of course we jumped at the chance! Murray is
different from Jingle, in that Jingle was raised at a research facility
and never received the socialization she needed to become a better
pet. Murray, on the other hand, was raised as a much loved, cute as
a button, family member. It hurt Tim and Barbara tremendously to
give Murray up, but singers really aren't meant to be house pets, and
the dealer in Sevierville should be ashamed of themselves. There is
no telling how many of their puppies have ended up in animal
shelters, or because singers are escape artists, and the average family
isn't prepared or equipped for the job of keeping a singer safe. And,
too, because if their natural, predatory nature, keeping any small
dogs or cats nearby, safe.
The NGSDCS has determined that it's Jingle's turn to be bred this
year. They carry out a carefully determined breeding program,
meant to keep the world's rarest dog alive and well, hoping all along
to find that new, wild singers still can be found. Even though all the
singers in captivity today are descendants of a handful of dogs that
came from the island in the late 50s and early 60s, they pick the best
breeding pair each year, trying to separate them genetically as much
as possible. This year Jingle will be bred with a young singer,
approximately a year old, that is being flown from the UK later this
week to Atlanta airport. Tina and I will pick him up and bring him
back here to Beechwood Trails to be mated with Jingle. Who knows,
he may become our third singer! And, of course, I can't imagine us
not keeping one of Jingle's kids. Once you've become a singer
owner, it becomes a part of you I don't think you would ever get
over. Although Jingle has, amazingly, become part of our family at
the house, living shoulder to shoulder with a number of
greyhounds, whippets, Carolina dogs and strays, she is still very
unique and will never become a normal pet. And, too, she has
taught all our dogs to howl... which they do many times throughout
the day.
Later this year or early next year the NGSDCS will fund an
expedition to Papua New Guinea hoping to locate and possibly bring
back new singers to give the captive population a much needed shot
in the arm of new DNA. The big question, though, is whether they're
there to find!
Jingle, since the summer of 2006, and have also been members of the
New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society for nearly that long.
We took on a second singing dog, Murray, just before spring break
this year, which means we have about 1% of all the singing dogs
known to exist. That's right, they're that rare. Many of you have
seen Murray here at the Lodge and a few of you have been here
when we would have Jingle up here for a brief visit.
Believed to possibly be extinct in the wild, there are around 200
living in zoos, with research scientists, and a few of us, normal,
not-so-normal people. Murray came to us from a nice couple from
Tennessee, who purchased Murray as a puppy from an exotic
animal dealer in Servierville, TN. Due to family medical issues, and
the fact that singers aren't your average, every day house pet, Tim
and Barbara did the smart thing and contacted the Society to locate a
qualified home for Murray. Tina and I being in the "neighborhood",
we were contacted by the folks who run the NGSDCS to see if we
would take Murray. Of course we jumped at the chance! Murray is
different from Jingle, in that Jingle was raised at a research facility
and never received the socialization she needed to become a better
pet. Murray, on the other hand, was raised as a much loved, cute as
a button, family member. It hurt Tim and Barbara tremendously to
give Murray up, but singers really aren't meant to be house pets, and
the dealer in Sevierville should be ashamed of themselves. There is
no telling how many of their puppies have ended up in animal
shelters, or because singers are escape artists, and the average family
isn't prepared or equipped for the job of keeping a singer safe. And,
too, because if their natural, predatory nature, keeping any small
dogs or cats nearby, safe.
The NGSDCS has determined that it's Jingle's turn to be bred this
year. They carry out a carefully determined breeding program,
meant to keep the world's rarest dog alive and well, hoping all along
to find that new, wild singers still can be found. Even though all the
singers in captivity today are descendants of a handful of dogs that
came from the island in the late 50s and early 60s, they pick the best
breeding pair each year, trying to separate them genetically as much
as possible. This year Jingle will be bred with a young singer,
approximately a year old, that is being flown from the UK later this
week to Atlanta airport. Tina and I will pick him up and bring him
back here to Beechwood Trails to be mated with Jingle. Who knows,
he may become our third singer! And, of course, I can't imagine us
not keeping one of Jingle's kids. Once you've become a singer
owner, it becomes a part of you I don't think you would ever get
over. Although Jingle has, amazingly, become part of our family at
the house, living shoulder to shoulder with a number of
greyhounds, whippets, Carolina dogs and strays, she is still very
unique and will never become a normal pet. And, too, she has
taught all our dogs to howl... which they do many times throughout
the day.
Later this year or early next year the NGSDCS will fund an
expedition to Papua New Guinea hoping to locate and possibly bring
back new singers to give the captive population a much needed shot
in the arm of new DNA. The big question, though, is whether they're
there to find!
Sunday, Aug. 8th, 2010: After spending Friday evening and all of
yesterday morning at Atlanta Airport, just to pick up one dog being
flown from the U.K. to Atlanta, we now know there are easier,
quicker and less expensive ways to get this done.
Hagen arrived Friday evening around 7:30. We were told to be at the
airport, pick Hagen up and bring him back to the Lodge, where, at
least for a time, he will be part of our family. As simple as that
sounded, we should have known there would be more to it... a LOT
more!
What we didn't know was, there would be a whole line of people
and organizations that would be holding their hands out for their
share of getting Hagen from point A to point B. And, if they didn't
have a part to be played in the import of Hagen to the U.S., well,
that's okay, they would have a role created for them to play. That's
where our good ol' Uncle Sam comes in. There is no one on Earth
who can come up with more ways to remove money from your
pocket than Uncle Sam. So U.S. Customs enters the game. After they
made their entrance, several more entities now have a role to play.
Oh well, don't get me started.
Anyway, Hagen, after having to spend the night trapped in his cargo
crate at the kennel the airport has a contract with for just such
situations, was finally picked up around 10:30 or so Saturday
morning, after I spent the morning dancing through tons and tons of
red tape, defined as: nonsense.
The reason Hagen was "trapped" in his crate from the time he was
prepared for loading for his departure Friday morning from
Heathrow in London to the time Tina and I released him Sunday
around noonish, was because the risk of him getting away was too
great to take the chance of letting him out. Remember that little
Whippet, Vivi, getting away from the airline people at JFK Airport
after the 2006 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? They never
found her. Never. And if a well-handled show dog made itself
impossible to find, imagine what a wild breed, NGSD could do.
I was warned by our colleagues in the New Guinea Singing Dog
Conservation Society that Hagen may very well be, and rightfully so,
frightened out of his mind, after the flight over in the cargo hold of a
777, and after the runaround the poor guy had to endure since his
arrival Friday evening. But, thankfully, Hagen, like our Murray, is a
good natured and happy little guy. Even after everything, when he
was brought back from his overnight stay at the other kennel, he was
still wagging his tail.
And I want to say that Dennis with Dandie Scottie Kennels in East
Point, GA saved me! He was great! He knew the ups and downs of
importing dogs and was extremely helpful, keeping me from
spending, what I was afraid was becoming, the rest of my life,
dealing with Customs. I couldn't have done it without him... well, I
probably could have, but I'd been in one sour mood had he not
helped. Thanks, Dennis!
Here are some shots of Hagen!
yesterday morning at Atlanta Airport, just to pick up one dog being
flown from the U.K. to Atlanta, we now know there are easier,
quicker and less expensive ways to get this done.
Hagen arrived Friday evening around 7:30. We were told to be at the
airport, pick Hagen up and bring him back to the Lodge, where, at
least for a time, he will be part of our family. As simple as that
sounded, we should have known there would be more to it... a LOT
more!
What we didn't know was, there would be a whole line of people
and organizations that would be holding their hands out for their
share of getting Hagen from point A to point B. And, if they didn't
have a part to be played in the import of Hagen to the U.S., well,
that's okay, they would have a role created for them to play. That's
where our good ol' Uncle Sam comes in. There is no one on Earth
who can come up with more ways to remove money from your
pocket than Uncle Sam. So U.S. Customs enters the game. After they
made their entrance, several more entities now have a role to play.
Oh well, don't get me started.
Anyway, Hagen, after having to spend the night trapped in his cargo
crate at the kennel the airport has a contract with for just such
situations, was finally picked up around 10:30 or so Saturday
morning, after I spent the morning dancing through tons and tons of
red tape, defined as: nonsense.
The reason Hagen was "trapped" in his crate from the time he was
prepared for loading for his departure Friday morning from
Heathrow in London to the time Tina and I released him Sunday
around noonish, was because the risk of him getting away was too
great to take the chance of letting him out. Remember that little
Whippet, Vivi, getting away from the airline people at JFK Airport
after the 2006 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? They never
found her. Never. And if a well-handled show dog made itself
impossible to find, imagine what a wild breed, NGSD could do.
I was warned by our colleagues in the New Guinea Singing Dog
Conservation Society that Hagen may very well be, and rightfully so,
frightened out of his mind, after the flight over in the cargo hold of a
777, and after the runaround the poor guy had to endure since his
arrival Friday evening. But, thankfully, Hagen, like our Murray, is a
good natured and happy little guy. Even after everything, when he
was brought back from his overnight stay at the other kennel, he was
still wagging his tail.
And I want to say that Dennis with Dandie Scottie Kennels in East
Point, GA saved me! He was great! He knew the ups and downs of
importing dogs and was extremely helpful, keeping me from
spending, what I was afraid was becoming, the rest of my life,
dealing with Customs. I couldn't have done it without him... well, I
probably could have, but I'd been in one sour mood had he not
helped. Thanks, Dennis!
Here are some shots of Hagen!
