Spring Break
'Collie-like dog' with service training will replace Reveille VII
Abstract:
As the semester comes to a close, Reveille VII will retire and no replacement mascot has not been decided on yet....
- Displaying 1 - 31 of 31
Tim
posted 5/05/08 @ 10:37 AM CST
I agree. This is the first sentence you read and it doesn't lead you to want to read more.
Originally posted byRaghu Jana
"...and no replacement mascot has not been decided on yet."
Folks, this newspaper represents a place of higher learning. It pains me to see such lack of care towards grammar. Please, please, raise your standards Battalion.
Kim
posted 5/06/08 @ 5:32 PM CST
Originally posted byRaghu Jana
"...and no replacement mascot has not been decided on yet."
Folks, this newspaper represents a place of higher learning. It pains me to see such lack of care towards grammar. Please, please, raise your standards Battalion.
No kidding! The grammar train wreck distracted my interest in the story. Doesn't the Batt have a proof-reader?
Abby
posted 5/19/08 @ 4:12 PM CST
Originally posted byRaghu Jana
"...and no replacement mascot has not been decided on yet."
Folks, this newspaper represents a place of higher learning. It pains me to see such lack of care towards grammar. Please, please, raise your standards Battalion.
This is what happens when you begin to eliminate the liberal arts. I'm speaking specifically to the elimination of the Journalism Department. As a Class of '86 Journalism major, I find this to be a contradiction to our vision of wanting to be world-class university.
Leslie
posted 5/05/08 @ 10:31 AM CST
I disagree about not adopting a dog from the shelter. Why does it matter if we know the exact breed of dog. If it looks like a collie who cares if it has other breeds of dog in it. Also, "the history of the dog" what does that mean? What does the history have to do with anything? I volunteer at the animal shelter and they give a few days to make sure the animal is right for you- if not, you can bring it back (I personally do not like that option but if it helps people than so be it). It is easy to determine the personality of an animal and not knowing the history does not effect anything as long as the dog is tame. If they are talking about getting a mutt, they do not know exactly everything about that dog either. I just do not understand why they will not give a sheltered dog a chance.
Tim
posted 5/05/08 @ 10:45 AM CST
This is not a dog that is going to be brought home and sheltered in a suburban back yard. This dog is the mascot for a major university representing the state of Texas. It will be exposed to thousands of fans that can be noisy and unintentionally aggressive (think about the lines of kids wanting pictures). You cannot have any unknowns that can jeopardize Texas A&M.
There are many breeds that are naturally aggressive. You don't want to find out that there is a Doberman blood line that would come out at an inopportune time.
The same for the background. The dog might have been abused in some way that is unknown until it is in a situation that provokes it to remember the abuse and then go off at the "attacker".
There are many breeds that are naturally aggressive. You don't want to find out that there is a Doberman blood line that would come out at an inopportune time.
The same for the background. The dog might have been abused in some way that is unknown until it is in a situation that provokes it to remember the abuse and then go off at the "attacker".
Originally posted byLeslie
I disagree about not adopting a dog from the shelter. Why does it matter if we know the exact breed of dog. If it looks like a collie who cares if it has other breeds of dog in it. Also, "the history of the dog" what does that mean? What does the history have to do with anything? I volunteer at the animal shelter and they give a few days to make sure the animal is right for you- if not, you can bring it back (I personally do not like that option but if it helps people than so be it). It is easy to determine the personality of an animal and not knowing the history does not effect anything as long as the dog is tame. If they are talking about getting a mutt, they do not know exactly everything about that dog either. I just do not understand why they will not give a sheltered dog a chance.
Chris
posted 5/05/08 @ 12:10 PM CST
There is actually some very accurate DNA testing that is available to determine the breed makeup of a dog, and it doesn't cost that much.
Originally posted byLeslie
I disagree about not adopting a dog from the shelter. Why does it matter if we know the exact breed of dog. If it looks like a collie who cares if it has other breeds of dog in it. Also, "the history of the dog" what does that mean? What does the history have to do with anything? I volunteer at the animal shelter and they give a few days to make sure the animal is right for you- if not, you can bring it back (I personally do not like that option but if it helps people than so be it). It is easy to determine the personality of an animal and not knowing the history does not effect anything as long as the dog is tame. If they are talking about getting a mutt, they do not know exactly everything about that dog either. I just do not understand why they will not give a sheltered dog a chance.
Paula Bojsen
posted 5/29/08 @ 11:51 AM CST
Originally posted byLeslie
I disagree about not adopting a dog from the shelter. Why does it matter if we know the exact breed of dog. . . It is easy to determine the personality of an animal and not knowing the history does not effect anything as long as the dog is tame. If they are talking about getting a mutt, they do not know exactly everything about that dog either. I just do not understand why they will not give a sheltered dog a chance.
I have worked with an animal rescue group for a year, personally rescuing about 30 dogs of all breeds, and I can tell you exactly why not a dog from the pound. The breed is not really the issue, but the fact is that most dogs wind up in the pound because they are poorly socialized (an "owner" problem more than a "dog" problem), and many of those are genetic nightmares with aspects of their temperament (anxious, shy, etc.) hard-wired. Does your pound do temperament testing? Handle the ears, genitals, put fingers in the mouth, hold the paws, etc. to see how the dog reacts? Many do not, they just observe the animal for aggression. I have seen quite a few dogs that seem fine, but react by biting a person if something is done that they don't like. Biting will get a dog put down fast. Reveille has to be a dog that is well socialized and genetically sound as he/she will be dealing with the general public. That includes people that know nothing about dogs, will want to pet her on her head, and do other things that a dog will see as dominant. Although the sentiment is right-on, the reality is something else. Our society is too litigious to risk a dog of "unknown" quantity.
Nicole 2004
posted 5/05/08 @ 11:31 AM CST
Oh my... so disgusted with this whole thing!
William
posted 5/05/08 @ 12:43 PM CST
Uh, well it's nothing to be particularly disgusted about. A collie-like service dog sounds pretty appealing.
dave
posted 5/05/08 @ 2:48 PM CST
Agreed. I get disgusted at certain things, dumb drivers and broccoli being two big ones. But not at the decision. Regardless of collie/no collie, a service dog background is a definite plus, you would be hard pressed to argue against that. Although I'm sure someone is going to try.
Scott
posted 5/06/08 @ 8:38 AM CST
Why not start a new tradition. We can keep Rev, but lets introduce Rev's "Pound Palls." A&M could find 7-10 dogs at the local shelter, and they could be her pound palls. We could make dolls and even pitch it for a Sat morning cartoon.
I can see it now we could name them Ross, Harrington, Gates, Rudder, etc...
I can see it now we could name them Ross, Harrington, Gates, Rudder, etc...
Sarge
posted 5/06/08 @ 11:21 AM CST
Get yourselves a half American Staffordshire Bull Terrier and half Bull Mastiff. They are great dogs full of energy and love to chase footballs, at least mine does with a passion. Then again with those 3-1/2 inch wide jowls he pops footballs pretty good too.
Branden 05
posted 5/07/08 @ 9:05 AM CST
I can see the merit in replacing Rev with a service dog despite the breed but what would we do with all of the plush collie stuffed animals that fill bookstore shelves? They're the real victims.
Skidboot
posted 5/07/08 @ 2:32 PM CST
Nationally Famous Aggie David Hartwig has offered his assistance, but I don't think anyone ever replied. He knows what we need. Somebody, please look him up.
Nancy Sims Meehan
posted 5/11/08 @ 8:31 PM CST
I agree, "No more purebreds". As my son (class of '06) would frequently relate and I could see for myself when we visited campus, "That dog is neurotic!" With purebreds and the risk of too much inbreeding I think the risk is much higher of us getting another "neurotic" K-9 for our mascot, if we stick to purebreds.
My beloved Aggies to forever free us of neurotic mascots and for the sake of the true TRADITION we need to return to where our tradition began; the first Reveille truly was nothing more than a mutt who adopted us! We need to return to these roots of seeking a mutt as our Reveille. Besides holding true to tradition what better way to promote the much-needed cause of pet adoption!
Texas A&M's Veterinarian College is without equal in the world. Therefore as the foremost Veterinarian College it is our destiny to set the example by adopting a mixed-breed as our mascot and thereby lead the way to finding homes for the billions of homeless dogs throughout our land.
Nancy Sims Meehan, class of '80
Marketing Major
My beloved Aggies to forever free us of neurotic mascots and for the sake of the true TRADITION we need to return to where our tradition began; the first Reveille truly was nothing more than a mutt who adopted us! We need to return to these roots of seeking a mutt as our Reveille. Besides holding true to tradition what better way to promote the much-needed cause of pet adoption!
Texas A&M's Veterinarian College is without equal in the world. Therefore as the foremost Veterinarian College it is our destiny to set the example by adopting a mixed-breed as our mascot and thereby lead the way to finding homes for the billions of homeless dogs throughout our land.
Nancy Sims Meehan, class of '80
Marketing Major
John Christie
posted 5/14/08 @ 1:48 PM CST
Neurotic? What do you want, a pansy mascot to just sit there and look stupid like Baylors Bear, or Bevo?
John BQ99
John BQ99
Originally posted byNancy Sims Meehan
I agree, "No more purebreds". As my son (class of '06) would frequently relate and I could see for myself when we visited campus, "That dog is neurotic!" With purebreds and the risk of too much inbreeding I think the risk is much higher of us getting another "neurotic" K-9 for our mascot, if we stick to purebreds.
My beloved Aggies to forever free us of neurotic mascots and for the sake of the true TRADITION we need to return to where our tradition began; the first Reveille truly was nothing more than a mutt who adopted us! We need to return to these roots of seeking a mutt as our Reveille. Besides holding true to tradition what better way to promote the much-needed cause of pet adoption!
Texas A&M's Veterinarian College is without equal in the world. Therefore as the foremost Veterinarian College it is our destiny to set the example by adopting a mixed-breed as our mascot and thereby lead the way to finding homes for the billions of homeless dogs throughout our land.
Nancy Sims Meehan, class of '80
Marketing Major
Flatliner60
posted 5/12/08 @ 12:11 PM CST
Let's keep up the the rich tradition we have at A@M and keep her the same. being in the class of '84.Many things have changed, but we do have the First Lady of all the mascots in collegiate history
Abby
posted 5/19/08 @ 4:06 PM CST
Originally posted byFlatliner60
Let's keep up the the rich tradition we have at A@M and keep her the same. being in the class of '84.Many things have changed, but we do have the First Lady of all the mascots in collegiate history
I agree wholeheartedly with keeping the tradition. If we decide that this tradition is okay to discard, where will it stop?
Tiffany
posted 5/12/08 @ 2:36 PM CST
"As the semester comes to a close, Reveille VII will retire and no replacement mascot has not been decided on yet."
I couldn't even read the rest of the article after my eyes were assaulted with that double negative. *shakes head*
I couldn't even read the rest of the article after my eyes were assaulted with that double negative. *shakes head*
allison
posted 5/12/08 @ 3:40 PM CST
I dont understand why they wouldn't go back to the way it was in the beginning when reveille was a mutt. I think spending a bunch of money just to get a purebred dog is rediculous anyways. There are so many dogs that need good homes and I've found that shelter dogs are better to get anyways because you've taken them from a bad place and given them a good home. From my personal experience with collies, I would never own one if I wasn't livivng on a large peice of land or I could take it with me to work on the ranch because they love to run and they love to herd, that's what they were bred to do... not live in dorm rooms and always be on a leash
Shawn
posted 5/14/08 @ 3:03 PM CST
Tradition, people! Our mascot is not a dog, but rather a Collie. Let's see them make Bevo a dairy cow...doesn't make sense does it? Dogs are animals and no animal is going to behave well all the time. To penalize future Collies because of one is unfair. Also, shouldn't a service dog be used for those in need of service? Do we really think that running up and down a football field is the appropriate activity for an animal that was trained to assit the blind, deaf, etc?
dave
posted 5/20/08 @ 12:26 AM CST
Haha, I KNEW someone was going to rip into the whole "service dog" background. Congratulations, Shawn. The service dog background mostly crosses over into daily interaction with the public, in a non-threatening, non-"prey drive" kind of way. And also, as far as animals misbehaving...nobody gives two s***s about Bevo's behavior because the bull spends most of its life in isolated quarters, whereas our mascot has a tradition of near-constant public interaction. Again, collies can also exhibit aggressive behavior towards strangers, and are known to be a sound and movement sensitive breed. More than likely, the collie will remain the choice for A&M, all the committee is doing, is exploring its' options.
John
posted 5/21/08 @ 12:53 AM CST
Who really cares about this? Just get some random dog, slap on some titles and call it a day.
David
posted 5/27/08 @ 2:23 AM CST
Originally posted byJohn
Who really cares about this? Just get some random dog, slap on some titles and call it a day.
Well, that might work, except for one thing: This dog is going to be REVEILLE. Do you remember all the times this past Reveille has disobeyed training and commands, biting people and such? That was pretty embarrassing stuff for us. We can't have just any random dog because we can't be sure how a dog like that will act at football games, at press conferences, in environments with lots of little kids or loud noises - all things to which Reveille is constantly subjected. A dog that can't handle those situations and reacts badly may frighten or injure someone, or at the very least embarrass Texas A&M.
Ed Dannhaus
posted 5/21/08 @ 10:37 AM CST
In my years at Aggieland we had two Mascots. The Corp had Reville and the Civilian students had Ranger. Ranger was Earl Rudder's Bull dog but he had the run of the campus , slept in any bed he wanted to and was fed well from the scraps off the table at Sibisa.
Ranger did not get the Royal Funeral he deserved when he eventually passed on but he certainly surpassed the Reville of the time in popularity.
Ranger did not get the Royal Funeral he deserved when he eventually passed on but he certainly surpassed the Reville of the time in popularity.
Charles
posted 5/27/08 @ 11:08 AM CST
Well seeing as the first Reveille was a mix-breed I rather like the idea. It seems to go better with tradition to me.
Dory Munder
posted 5/27/08 @ 10:51 PM CST
I have always been proud that a collie has been the Aggie mascot for so long, AND always been proud to have so many A&M vets in El Paso!
I would suggest that A&M can maintain tradition and also save abandoned dogs by adopting an abandoned collie from collie rescue. I work with Southwest Collie Rescue in El Paso, and you have Houston Collie Rescue right in your backyard. In addition, the wonderful people at HCR could help you identify a collie with the right temperament for the A&M mascot job! Sounds like the current Rev has the wrong temperament but is not at all necessarily the wrong breed. :)
I would suggest that A&M can maintain tradition and also save abandoned dogs by adopting an abandoned collie from collie rescue. I work with Southwest Collie Rescue in El Paso, and you have Houston Collie Rescue right in your backyard. In addition, the wonderful people at HCR could help you identify a collie with the right temperament for the A&M mascot job! Sounds like the current Rev has the wrong temperament but is not at all necessarily the wrong breed. :)
Del
posted 5/31/08 @ 3:59 PM CST
Despite all of the noble intentions leading many to favor adoption/rescue, there are sound reasons to avoid that option in this particular instance. The job to be filled calls for an exceptional personality that can readily deal with a countless variety of interactions with individual humans, crowds, other animals, and changing venues. The myriad of sights, sounds, and smells presents a huge challenge for an individual canine to consistently exhibit good manners. Reveille candidates need a known history that has produced a confident, stable, and adaptable temperament. That is not to say a specific rescued dog could never fill the requirements. What is important for this high profile public role is risk management.
Studies by animal behaviorists have proven that a canine's long term personality is shaped during the first 12-16 weeks of it's life. Without proper and adequate socialization with other members of the pack and humans, all sorts of behavioral issues could develop. The same is true for the pup's interaction with it's environment and anything that may trigger fear.
Those of you interested can research this topic on your own. Here is a link to a good place to start (http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/achiever.html). This information could positively influence a puppy near you in the future.
Studies by animal behaviorists have proven that a canine's long term personality is shaped during the first 12-16 weeks of it's life. Without proper and adequate socialization with other members of the pack and humans, all sorts of behavioral issues could develop. The same is true for the pup's interaction with it's environment and anything that may trigger fear.
Those of you interested can research this topic on your own. Here is a link to a good place to start (http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/achiever.html). This information could positively influence a puppy near you in the future.
DShea
posted 5/31/08 @ 10:08 PM CST
Texas A&M has a lot of good traditions. Having a Collie/Sheltie type of dog seems to follow those same traditions. I would suggest possibly the dog not be so young as 1-1/2 but more like two or three year old that is trained to handle the stressors of being the A&M mascot.
I had a collie and they are extremely smart and learn quickly. I feel A&M should continue in the Collie/Sheltie tradition.
Thanks for you time.
I had a collie and they are extremely smart and learn quickly. I feel A&M should continue in the Collie/Sheltie tradition.
Thanks for you time.
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Raghu Jana
posted 5/05/08 @ 9:22 AM CST
Folks, this newspaper represents a place of higher learning. It pains me to see such lack of care towards grammar. Please, please, raise your standards Battalion.