Pure Parents

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->   Some respected writers join in assuring us that dogs have a short > attention-span. Is this not rampant speciesism?  My dogs make me feel > inferior as I struggle to keep up with their mental agility.  Why are > they the ones being dissed? >   My closest male friend is a "victim" of Attention Deficit Disorder. > He’s the most interesting person I know.  His lightning-quick mind is a > challenge.  I really enjoy the way he bounces from topic to topic with > no transitions, and he is the most efficient decision-maker I know. I > was pleased recently to find a book that holds ADD to be not a > "handicap", but an alternative way of thinking and often an advantage. > The author suggests that in hunting-party days, males with ADD were > probably the tribal leaders. >   Why do so many people think that dogs must adjust to our way of > thinking?  Isn’t the challenge and fun our attempts to adjust and enter > into their world?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD-ADD-Hyperactivity) is often seen in 1999 to be in the middle of a long spectrum with the Epilepsy syndrome (petit mal, absence, psychomotor, temporal lobe, complex partial) on one end and Tourette’s (tics) syndrome on the other end in my view. The movie Awakenings with Robin Williams is one of my favorite movies as it shows a very dramatic temporary change caused by the right medicine. As an adult with very mild ADHD, I experienced that same kind of temporary improvement years ago and with the help of my doctor, Anita Uhl Brothers, M.D., of Berkeley, California I was able to understand why an ADHD medicine could do this for a handful of people.  In my view ADHD is a known lifelong neurological challenge which for the vast majority of those with ADHD presents them with the same kinds of challenges which those with Epilepsy or Tourette’s face.  ADHD has its advantages and disadvantages but it is classified as a neurological challenge or difficulty and, in my view, rightly so.  Viewing an obstacle as an opportunity reflects a great attitude, like turning a lemon into lemonade but in some cases turning that lemon into lemondade with the ADHD syndrome involves finding the right medicine which can temporarily reduce distractibility a little and increase attention span/short attention-span a little (by changing the level of neurotransmitters including dopamine = human movement, memory and norepinephrine = alertness) it seems to me.  C. Thomas Wild (an adult with very mild ADHD)  ADHD resource: http://homepages.msn.com/RightWay/c_thomas_wild/  There are other good ADHD resource and homepages too.  The ADHD newsgroup is alt.support.attn-deficit Before you buy.

Response:

Hmmmm, interesting but  my grandson (diagnosed ADD and on ritilan for the past four  years) is basically an undisiplined spoiled brat who has never been taught limits. My goal-oriented  letsmakemoney son and daughter-in law never "socialized" him and fed him "treats" to make up for their lack of parenting skills. Unfortunately my dogs behave better that my grandson and, sadly, I’d rather be with them.  Joa

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>   >You think there’s some correlation >   > between ADD and owning pit bulls? > My question would be: is there some correlation between ADD and > understanding dogs?  Do you have less difficulty than the average person > in "revving up" to the speed of a dog’s thought processes?

I don’t think I could really answer that question as there is no way for me objectively compare the level of my understanding of dogs to the level others.  Paulette strikes me as someone who has an innate understanding of dogs; should we ask her if she has ADD? I always assumed my understanding of dogs was related to the fact that my dogs were better parents to me than my human biological parents : )  It was through my dogs during childhood that I learned affection, unconditional acceptance, compassion, etc. — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

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My, oh my, this is interesting.   Thinking of putting an ad in the Personals:  " Wanted: friends.  Only those with ADD need apply."    To return to the reason for my comparison: it seems to me the average owner must be really boring to dogs.  They can’t keep up with a dog’s shifts in attention.   >You think there’s some correlation   > between ADD and owning pit bulls? My question would be: is there some correlation between ADD and understanding dogs?  Do you have less difficulty than the average person in "revving up" to the speed of a dog’s thought processes?

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>The author suggests that in hunting-party > days, males with ADD were probably > the tribal leaders.

What were women with ADD.    There weren’t any.     They got rid of those in-your-face bitches right away. (Joke, people.  Joke!)

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>   Forgive my going on, but this parallel is fascinating.  I agree with > kramer; there’s an inclination in the schools to say, "I can’t put up > with that kid; put’im on drugs." >    Now, aren’t we seeing that with dogs? Find a catch-all diagnosis > (separation anxiety is handy) and zap’im.

Yes.  It is because of my trails with various meds, and there horrible side effects,  as an ADD’er that I’m reluctant to give a dog medication for a behaviorial problem. Prozac was once suggested for Lewis’s destructive chewing whenever he was left alone – erroneously labled as seperation anxiety.  All he needed was the security of a crate when left alone in the house.  Thank God I never tried meds with him. It was also suggested for Bruno’s jumping through the window behavior in the first few weeks we rescued him.  What solved the problem was sit/stay commands, followed by praise and treat before leaving the house for increasingly longer intervals. Prozac was needed for Gremlin to treat her sudden viciousness in reaction to an hysterical pregnancy she developed during her first heat cycle (the vet suggested letting her go through one heat cycle as an ovarian cancer preventive). With kids I think meds are way too often prescribed.  Really what kids with short attention spans need is an adult willing to work with them on a daily basis on the organization and structure of their studying skills. — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

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> Adriene!  We are exactly the same!  I was diagnoses with ADD when was 6 and > am now an adult with ADD. > Ever notice that when something DOES get your focus, its like GLUE!  Like a > good book…I have lost actual days to a good book…but I couldn’t get > through a class at school, or sometimes even a TV show without doing 5 other > things at once.

Yes!  The ability to hyper focus (or go from ADD to OCD) on something that really grabs your interest.  Dogs, this newsgroup, etc. — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

Response:

Oh my god…I meant when I got OFF of it my carreer shot upwards!!!  What a mess I am!  :-) and yup, there has to be some ADD/pitbull correlation! Merissa

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Interesting…I am a female with ADD…and I never read anything truly > positive about it (so I think I will!  But seriously, I found that once > I stopped taking ritilin (I was put on ritilin at the gae of 6 and took it > all through school, my career has shot upwards!  I am a computer security > engineer and sometimes I think it helps to take advantage of my > scatterbrainedness!  :-) > I become psychotic on Ritalin, Dexedrine, etc.  So does my boyfriend (would > you believe the coincidence in having a boyfriend that also has ADD).  So > basically I take nothing.  Gingki Biloba helped for a while, but then I > started getting a stomach reaction to it. > BTW, don’t you own pit bulls also.  You think there’s some correlation between > ADD and owning pit bulls? > — > Adrienne > Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau > John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog"

http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… _dog.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

Response:

  Forgive my going on, but this parallel is fascinating.  I agree with kramer; there’s an inclination in the schools to say, "I can’t put up with that kid; put’im on drugs."    Now, aren’t we seeing that with dogs? Find a catch-all diagnosis (separation anxiety is handy) and zap’im.

Response:

heeheehee…the REAL leaders! Merissa – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> The author suggests that in hunting-party days, males with ADD were > probably the tribal leaders. > What were women with ADD.

Response:

> Interesting…I am a female with ADD…and I never read anything truly > positive about it (so I think I will!  But seriously, I found that once > I stopped taking ritilin (I was put on ritilin at the gae of 6 and took it > all through school, my career has shot upwards!  I am a computer security > engineer and sometimes I think it helps to take advantage of my > scatterbrainedness!  :-)

I become psychotic on Ritalin, Dexedrine, etc.  So does my boyfriend (would you believe the coincidence in having a boyfriend that also has ADD).  So basically I take nothing.  Gingki Biloba helped for a while, but then I started getting a stomach reaction to it. BTW, don’t you own pit bulls also.  You think there’s some correlation between ADD and owning pit bulls? — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

Response:

> how old is your closest male friend?  Just thought I’d let you  know that > when ADD is diagnosed in adults, it’s ADHD, attention deficit hyper > disorder.  Don’t mean to be pedantic, but I had to point that out.

Actually, this is not true.  How do I know?  Well, I’m an adult with ADD (no hyperactivity).  Generally females are more likely to have ADD without the H component. > Chatting with ADHD people can be fun because they will never beat a subject > to death.  However, as you know by now, it’s extremely frustrating to make > them stay on topic and focus.  I have no problems with ADHD people aside > from the fact that they are mostly addicted to video games.

I hate video games.  Don’t have the patience : ) >  Notice how > they’ve got great hand/eye coordination?

My hand eye coordination is horrible.  Even after private tennis lessons as a child I could never manage to hit the ball. — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

Response:

>  My closest male friend is a "victim" of Attention Deficit Disorder. > He’s the most interesting person I know.  His lightning-quick mind is a > challenge.  I really enjoy the way he bounces from topic to topic with > no transitions, and he is the most efficient decision-maker I know. I > was pleased recently to find a book that holds ADD to be not a > "handicap", but an alternative way of thinking and often an advantage.

Actually, I’ve always thought this myself.  I was diagnosed with ADD as a child and never felt my way of thinking to be a handicap.  I just attribute it to an "artistic temperament."  The most difficult part, in terms of adjusting to a world of non ADD people, is having absolutely no concept of time. > The author suggests that in hunting-party days, males with ADD were > probably the tribal leaders.

What were women with ADD. >   Why do so many people think that dogs must adjust to our way of > thinking?  Isn’t the challenge and fun our attempts to adjust and enter > into their world?

I’ve always thought so. — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

Response:

114.iap.bryant.webtv.net>: <snip> >   Why do so many people think that dogs must adjust to our way of > thinking?  Isn’t the challenge and fun our attempts to adjust and enter > into their world?

I like to think my dog has me trained fairly well.  :)

Response:

Interesting…I am a female with ADD…and I never read anything truly positive about it (so I think I will!  But seriously, I found that once I stopped taking ritilin (I was put on ritilin at the gae of 6 and took it all through school, my career has shot upwards!  I am a computer security engineer and sometimes I think it helps to take advantage of my scatterbrainedness!  :-) Merissa one extra note–Do not get ADD confused with ADHD.  ADD is the dreamy kid with the short attention span who will go from doing 12 things at once to getting "lost in space".  The ADHD kid adds hyperactivity to the mix.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->   Comin’ up, Joa. >   Do you notice the similarity between dogs and many adolescent boys. > They can’t "sit down and pay attention" until they have been exercised > into relaxation. >    Our schools are "male-unfriendly".  They make no provision for the > fact that males learn best while doing something. >   I’ll email you a short list.  The book I referred to is: "ADD: a > Different Perspective" by Thom Hartmann (1997).

Response:

Adriene!  We are exactly the same!  I was diagnoses with ADD when was 6 and am now an adult with ADD.  I too can’t stand video games, but strategy games are interesting…I can keep putting them on hold and coming back to them. Ever notice that when something DOES get your focus, its like GLUE!  Like a good book…I have lost actual days to a good book…but I couldn’t get through a class at school, or sometimes even a TV show without doing 5 other things at once.  I also have abysmal eye-hand coordination.  That was one reason my Mom bought me a pony when I was 6 and got me into lessons–to build eye hand coordination. Merissa (the terminally scatterbrained!)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> how old is your closest male friend?  Just thought I’d let you  know that > when ADD is diagnosed in adults, it’s ADHD, attention deficit hyper > disorder.  Don’t mean to be pedantic, but I had to point that out. > Actually, this is not true.  How do I know?  Well, I’m an adult with ADD (no > hyperactivity).  Generally females are more likely to have ADD without the H > component. > Chatting with ADHD people can be fun because they will never beat a subject > to death.  However, as you know by now, it’s extremely frustrating to make > them stay on topic and focus.  I have no problems with ADHD people aside > from the fact that they are mostly addicted to video games. > I hate video games.  Don’t have the patience : ) >  Notice how > they’ve got great hand/eye coordination? > My hand eye coordination is horrible.  Even after private tennis lessons as a > child I could never manage to hit the ball. > — > Adrienne > Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau > John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog"

http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… _dog.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max and Puppy)

Response:

how old is your closest male friend?  Just thought I’d let you  know that when ADD is diagnosed in adults, it’s ADHD, attention deficit hyper disorder.  Don’t mean to be pedantic, but I had to point that out. Chatting with ADHD people can be fun because they will never beat a subject to death.  However, as you know by now, it’s extremely frustrating to make them stay on topic and focus.  I have no problems with ADHD people aside from the fact that they are mostly addicted to video games.  Notice how they’ve got great hand/eye coordination? ~Carlina

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->   Some respected writers join in assuring us that dogs have a short > attention-span. Is this not rampant speciesism?  My dogs make me feel > inferior as I struggle to keep up with their mental agility.  Why are > they the ones being dissed? >   My closest male friend is a "victim" of Attention Deficit Disorder. > He’s the most interesting person I know.  His lightning-quick mind is a > challenge.  I really enjoy the way he bounces from topic to topic with > no transitions, and he is the most efficient decision-maker I know. I > was pleased recently to find a book that holds ADD to be not a > "handicap", but an alternative way of thinking and often an advantage. > The author suggests that in hunting-party days, males with ADD were > probably the tribal leaders. >   Why do so many people think that dogs must adjust to our way of > thinking?  Isn’t the challenge and fun our attempts to adjust and enter > into their world?

Response:

  Some respected writers join in assuring us that dogs have a short attention-span. Is this not rampant speciesism?  My dogs make me feel inferior as I struggle to keep up with their mental agility.  Why are they the ones being dissed?   My closest male friend is a "victim" of Attention Deficit Disorder. He’s the most interesting person I know.  His lightning-quick mind is a challenge.  I really enjoy the way he bounces from topic to topic with no transitions, and he is the most efficient decision-maker I know. I was pleased recently to find a book that holds ADD to be not a "handicap", but an alternative way of thinking and often an advantage. The author suggests that in hunting-party days, males with ADD were probably the tribal leaders.   Why do so many people think that dogs must adjust to our way of thinking?  Isn’t the challenge and fun our attempts to adjust and enter into their world?

Response:

Chris, seeing as how I have a 13 yr old grandson     who is diagnosed with ADD, could you pls  email  me the name of this book? Thanks, Joa

Response:

Do yourself a big favor and get a second opinion on the ADD.  Too often it’s lazy teachers sloughing off in the class room and not the child. Kramer – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Chris, seeing as how I have a 13 yr old grandson     who is diagnosed > with ADD, could you pls  email  me the name of this book? Thanks, Joa

Response:

  Comin’ up, Joa.   Do you notice the similarity between dogs and many adolescent boys. They can’t "sit down and pay attention" until they have been exercised into relaxation.    Our schools are "male-unfriendly".  They make no provision for the fact that males learn best while doing something.   I’ll email you a short list.  The book I referred to is: "ADD: a Different Perspective" by Thom Hartmann (1997).

Response: