Kevin Patrick Robbins - Latest Comments

Re: Pupdate #10: Everything Changes

Stephanie Etherington Harper — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:21:44 -0000

Wow. You and Winston have both done an amazing job. Off leash around the whole block is a huge deal. Congrats!

Re: The Golden Ratio and the Quest for the Perfect Body

Vlad Asus — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:10:21 -0000

Go for it man! I'm aiming for the same goal, don't let lazy people talk you down.

Re: Welsh Corgi (Pembroke), Jack Russell Terrier Mix

Kevin Patrick Robbins — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:57:03 -0000

He is pretty amazing!

Re: Welsh Corgi (Pembroke), Jack Russell Terrier Mix

Cynthia — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:14:09 -0000

Ahhhhhhhhh! I want your dog he is so cute, lucky you.

Cynthia

Re: 52 Dates with 52 Women

CTS — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:07:25 -0000

Good luck with this one. It ain't easy...!

Re: Pupdate #4: The Big Indecision

Brenda — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:17:31 -0000

Damn. ** work requirements.

Re: Pupdate #4: The Big Indecision

Brenda — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:16:28 -0000

Hey Kevin,

I appreciate you going through this. Being a commuting single parent that has 3 cats and a dog (albeit a very small, mostly indoors chihuahua) and of course. a small human can often be a challenge. It's an adjustment and takes time. Remembering that most requirements demand logic and being a parent (pet or child) demands heart. It's a different kind of coping. You're worried Winston won't adjust, but remember, he's likely more adaptable than you think. All of my pets have adapted well to my crazy life. Dog and kid included :)

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Steacy Curry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:28:53 -0000

Honestly, what did you expect? If you did all of this research and waited until you knew you were really ready-- what is the big surprise? I think the responsibility could do you some good. Don&#039t give up so easily- and you are.
You really are.
You don&#039t deserve this dog. If you agree, then by all means. Just say that.

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Kevin Patrick Robbin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:24:50 -0000

I never suggested life was easy. As far as the lapdog thing goes, he&#039s always beside me, in my lap or by my feet. It is more inconvenient for me than I expected. It is more time consuming than I expected. Is it fair to him that I cannot devote the time to him that needs?

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Steacy Curry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:59:01 -0000

Go through it for more than 72 hours and then tell me how it really is. If you knew what to expect you wouldn&#039t be so quick to pull the trigger like this. Things take more than a weekend. I know you&#039re making it look like you&#039re doing this for him- but really you feel he is just an inconvenience to you because he hasn&#039t become an immediate lap dog to accommodate your lifestyle in the matter of a weekend.

Give him a break. I guarantee you wouldn&#039t regret it in the long run.

Life isn&#039t easy, dude.

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Kevin Patrick Robbin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:20:02 -0000

Actually, I did a lot of research and spent a year waiting until I felt sure I was ready. The issue is you just don&#039t know until you go through it. Winston is loved, but he is also capable of loving and being loved by more people than me.

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Steacy Curry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:48:33 -0000

You&#039re right. Your dog deserves someone better than what you can offer because you really should have thought more clearly about what it takes to have a dog before you got him involved and let him fall in love with you. I&#039m not even going to comment about the rest because it will fall on deaf ears. I agree with Anna. Get a cat.

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Anna Silman — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:05:01 -0000

Get a cat!

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Jennifer Matotek — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:55:04 -0000

I&#039m sad it didn&#039t work out. I hope you maybe find another dog that will be a better fit for you, or maybe a cat or two? Having pets is a great comfort, and also great for personal growth - which seems to be something you are looking to work on?

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Patti Pokorchak — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:54:19 -0000

I"ve rescued and foster a few dogs, you really need to look at the breed and their characteristics low/high energy/maintenance. There are couch potato dogs out there and my big husky is one of them. The bigger the dog, generally the less work in looking after them. Also I live in an apt. after living on 100 acre farm and as long as they get their two walks, they&#039re fine. Terriers are notoriously high energy, yappy and destructive. Apparently rescued greyhounds are true couch potatoes. Hope you try again once you find a great home for Winston. They are so worth it and yes, they are chick magnets too.

Re: Pupdate #3: The Big Decision

Deejay Dayton — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:41:50 -0000

well, that&#039s sad, and I will miss playing with him, even though that only happened once. still, your reasons are legitimate, and you have his best interests at heart.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Megan Wills — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:16:05 -0000

You might be able to get a crate off Craigslist or Freecycle for free...

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Nicholas Corkigian — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:13:24 -0000

Kevin Patrick Robbins Well, a lot of human psychology can be applied to dogs since they have very similar developmental states. If by pack placement, you&#039re referring to the concept of Alphas and Omegas, and dominance theories, then that was disproved some years ago since it was all based on poorly controlled experiments in the 50s. I&#039ll admit that all I&#039ve personally seen of Millan&#039s stuff is from a few episodes of the Dog Whisperer, and I&#039m not the expert. However this is my wife&#039s field of expertise and she denounces the majority of his techniques. Of course, if you are getting results, then that&#039s great - but hopefully it&#039s not at the expense of your dog acquiring learned helplessness. If you&#039d like to hear her views of it, I can put you in contact with her? It never hurts to hear both sides of the equation after all.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Kevin Patrick Robbin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:04:34 -0000

Nicholas, I&#039ve been applying Cesar&#039s techniques for a couple of days and they are not built on negative reinforcement, but pack placement. It&#039s likely you think it&#039s horrible because you&#039re applying human psychology to an animal. What I&#039ve experienced in the last couple of days is pretty amazing. Winston is becoming a very calm, relaxed and wonderful dog.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Nicholas Corkigian — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:50:40 -0000

Obedience classes should be a must. A dog will learn a lot of be better adjusted if they are taught socialization at an early age. Even if you can&#039t do obedience classes, you should at least do puppy drop-in classes. That way they get to interact with other puppies and learn proper behaviours - something you will not get at a leash free dog park.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Nicholas Corkigian — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:47:05 -0000

Eew... Cesar Millan is a horrible dog person. His techniques are all old school negative punishments. A dog that &#039behaves&#039 after his training hasn&#039t learned anything expect to stay still for fear of getting mistreated again - effectively shutting down. Positive reinforcement is a much better way to go as the dog will learn good behaviours.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Emily Schooley — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:09:29 -0000

This may be a stupid question, but do you speak dog? I find a lot of people who haven&#039t been around pets for awhile forget how to communicate with them. Words only go so far - their body language and behaviours say a lot more. Also, yes. Jack Russells are one of the highest-energy breed dogs and REALLY need a lot of attention/playtime/space to run. The good news is, High Park has an off-leash area for dogs... it may help to take him there for awhile each day.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Billie Akman — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:08:06 -0000

Thank you for your honesty in this whole process. I dream of the day of owning a dog and I know my life currently could not accommodate it but your posts have shown me that it takes more than a steady job and residence to own. And I thought those were my only real obstacles.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Kevin Patrick Robbin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:25:04 -0000

Right now I can&#039t afford a crate or obedience classes. As this post states, I&#039m learning from watching and reading.

Re: Pupdate #1: A Little Help From Cesar Millan

Maria Hajigeorgiou — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:43:59 -0000

I had a feeling when you mentioned in rehearsal last night that you&#039d left him in the kitchen/living room that you&#039d have an unpleasant surprise when you got home. This isn&#039t Winston, it&#039s most dogs. I once found my (new and expensive) sofa pulled 7 feet from its place and all the fabric on one side chewed off. This time we crate trained. No stress and no surprises!