General Chat

Any suggestions on how to keep Lucky

daisyprincess — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:16:00 GMT

away from the bird?? My brother gave me a cocktail and Lucky if she got the chance to get the bird she would which already happened which was my fault but the bird wasn't harmed I didn't close my door all the way when I went and picked the bird up from the cage outside to the cage inside and well Lucky went to attack it.

Lucky is a very friendly dog I wouldn't think of her to even hurt a fly but now thats changed. I think she's becoming obsessed with the bird last night I put the cover over the birds cage and she lays across from it and stares at it. She goes to the cage and tries to see if she can get into it, before I would leave the birds cage open outside and let the dogs out she sticks her whole head in the cage . I now keep the cage closed. Daisy of course doesn't know where the cage is, Copper doesn't mind the bird either it's just Lucky I think if she got a chance to harm the bird she would.

How can I get her to stop this behavior??

Good vibes for Kenya

Liesje — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:25:08 GMT

Kenya is not feeling well. She OD'd on a very heavy duty prescription drug and has vomited 7 times. She has been cleared by the vet but still feels yucky.

Good thoughts for Brutus

BEVOLASVEGAS — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:45:41 GMT

We had to take Brutus to the e-vet tonight. He was his normal silly, waggly self this afternoon on our walk, but as the evening passed he began acting as if he were tired. Then he progressively became weaker & weaker. We had to carry him into the emergency clinic because he was not steady enough on his feet to do it himself.

The e-vet did x-rays, an ecg, & bloodwork. The only thing abnormal is that he PCV is 16% & his heart rate is a little elevated, which the doctor seems to think is cause by his PCV being as low as it is. The e-vet thinks that it is IMHAI opted to go ahead & have him transfused since his blood count was as low as it is. He is hospitalized, getting blood & IV fluids now. If he makes it through the night, we are going to pick him up in the morning & take him to Houston so that he can see Bevo's internists.

Please send my boy good thoughts. I know that he hasn't been a part of our family that long, but I absolutely love him. He is my guardian, protector, & constant companion. I'm struggling with the thought of sleeping without him tonight, let alone never having him again.

A break thru for Hot Shot Wooopeeee!

shadowsgin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:08:58 GMT

As most of you know we got Hot Shot a year and a few month ago. His breeder took him back from an abusive situation and asked us to give him a home and family. He was a "scaredy dog" for sure. Scared of loud noises, thunder, men, sudden movements, water, just about everything. We have spent the last 15 months loving him and getting him to a point where he feels safe. One thing we have not been able to accomplish is getting him into a vehicle. He came in one but would not allow us to load him. We didnt want to force it. When I had to get a different vehicle last spring, we decided to get a van so both the boys could ride and load easily. LOL! Rocky loves it but we have not convinced Hot Shot to go until this week.

As I mentioned in the health section, Hot Shots ears were bothering him so we had to get him to the vet. We knew we were going to have to get a check up soon anyway but now there was no more putting it off. Our vet tech knew how concerned I was about being able to get this huge dog in the van if he didnt want to go :). She told me to come get something to give him to make him happy and take the edge off. She assured me it would not knock him out (that would not do). We gave him the happy drug and within 10 min he was in goofy land.

We still had to man handle him some to get him in but we decided to let Rocky go too and that seemed to help, Hubby and I were so excited to get him in the van and he laid right down. Trip to vet was a good one, he got lots of lovin rubbin and treats. When it came time to load back up he just got right in, lol, after we told the tech we might need her help. When we got home he got out, walked around to the other van door and got back in and laid down. We laughed so hard wish we had a camera....he would get out and get back in several times before I got all doors closed :) At this point we are thrilled but he is still under the influence.

NOW for the break thru!

When I got home from work last night, I pulled up the drive, both boys came to greet me just like they always do. I stayed in the drivers seat opened the side door next to me and Rocky jumped in. Hot put his paw in but wouldnt jump in. I got out, patted the floor of the van and said "C'mon Hot lets go!" and he jumped right in! WoooooHooooo! I shut the door we went for a short drive around the neighborhood, he looked out the windows. Then he and Rocky laid down and enjoyed the ride. When we got home I opened the door and out they went waggin tails and turnin circles, lol! I dont know who was happier me or them. Hubby had gone to town so I called him immediately and he got excited too. Looks like now both the boys can take rides to town with us! Yea!!!!! All this without drugs!

Do you think this is what people mean when they tell us we need a life??? LOL! It doesnt take much to make us happy at our house!

Good thoughts for Austin (Outdoorschik)

outdoorschik — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:31:24 GMT

We have a quite large sled dog kennel so I don't normally post everytime we have a crisis because I'd be taking up the whole board with just my dogs :). But, I'm hoping you all can share some of the good vibes this morning for a special dog. Austin, has run the Iditarod 6 (yes 6) times! He's seen more in his life that I can imagine. He is an Alaskan Husky, around 14 years old (give or take some). We are his second owners and he's retired now from running tours, though he worked up until last year and LOVED it. This morning he had very pale gums and couldn't get up ... last night he was very wobbly... he hasn't been eatting though I got him to eat the last two meals with my crockpotted chicken stew mixed in heavily. One of our employees is bringing him to the vet this morning for me. Let's all hope it's something that's treatable ... I'm so worried about IMHA, because we just gave him his bordatella vacc a few days ago (I didn't really want to due to age, but living amongst so many dogs I felt the risk of kennel cough/complications due to age was more importnat)...

This is all of a sudden ... he's been quite spry and friendly and athletic up until these last few days...

Thanks everyone,

Karen

SECRET SANTA

Sera_J — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:23:02 GMT

Here you are, ladies and gents, your stickied Secret Santa thread :)

HO-HO-HO Merry Christmas.... we should gather and go caroling through the board... hehehe

Happy Birthday, Kaiser!

RidgebackGermansShep — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:54:50 GMT

A very big Happy 5th to Kaiser!!

Here's a nice pic from healthier times!

and baby Kaiser!

Please cheer me up

bdbull — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:45:56 GMT

I think I'm starting to get depressed. I'll try to give a condensed version: We have a 5 year old female Boykin Spaniel who has hypertension and high blood pressure. She's on meds twice a day and has to be rechecked every 3 or 4 months just to make sure everything is ok. Over the summer, we thought getting another Boykin would help her with her anxiety, so we got a male to keep her company. We were wrong. He is an absolute terror 90% of the time. He will not leave her alone and he eats everything in sight. He bothers her so much that she growls if he comes within a few feet of her. Since getting him, she's had a few spells where her BP has spiked and we had to take her in to get checked. Thankfully every time she's been ok. On top of her medical condition, she's afraid of our wooden floors. If I leave the room, she will stand at the edge of the carpet and cry until I come back and walk beside her while she crosses the floor. Lately this has really been wearing on me. Between trying to corral the Tazmanian Devil (that's what he's like) and babying the adult dog, for some reason it is really bringing me down. My wife says she's "over them" and will very rarely offer any help with them. As much as it hurts to even think about it, I've even thought about giving them away just so I can feel like I can get my life back. But, on the other hand, I get mad at myself for even thinking about that because I love them both so much and would be afraid someone else would not care for them like I do. Please give me some words of encouragement because I could really use some right now. P.S. Right now is one of those times when I couldn't think of giving them away. They are both asleep on the floor next to my chair.

awww

erica1989 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:10:50 GMT

http://www.flixxy.com/dog-loves-cat.htm

this is too sweet. reminds my of Casey and my kitty Carleigh

Maggie was attacked!

jennyx0023 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:31:06 GMT

We are all trying to relax after a horrible evening. Our little Maggie was attacked by a german shepherd. We always walk around our street in the evenings with the dogs. Well this evening, we came up and around for a second time, and I always keep an eye out for dogs. Well, there was a german shepherd out with the owner (I'm assuming, a young kid) and I seen him trying to get the dog into the house. I pulled Teddi closer to me since I figured he would come after Teddi if he did come running up onto the street. My husband did not see this dog out, he was walking Maggie and I didn't think the dog would come charging at us like it did. Sure enough, the dog comes flying at us, right after little Maggie. By the time I yelled, the dog had Maggie around the neck. Hubby was trying so hard to get her, and I (18 weeks pregnant) dove onto the german shepherd to grab him, closed my eyes and ended up on the ground. Finally after what seemed like forever, the owner came running out, and an older guy came out too. Maggie was screaming so loud, even after the fact that I thought for sure she had something wrong with her, it's a dark street and she's all black, so we ran to where there was light to see. In the meantime I ran Teddi 2 doors down to a friends house (who owns 3 shepherds) and she ran up to check on Maggie. Needless to say Maggie is completely unharmed. I have no idea how, but I am thanking god right now. I however, started having awful back pains and what I thought were mild contractions, but the on call doctor said as long as there's no bleeding I should be fine..so now I have to keep a heating pad on my back and rest. I haven't felt the baby kick yet so I'm taking the doctor's advice and praying it's alright.

We called our boroughs PD and they said that there were no cop cars at the building and to call back tomorrow. AC was closed, so I of course called 911. After making a report, 10 mins. later hubby got a call that a cop would be out tomorrow so we can file a report. I am going to have to take a day off work Unpaid now to wait on this cop and probably animal control, which is something we can't afford at the moment. I'm trying not to get stressed out, especially that Maggie is ok, but what an awful experience. I am SICK of these idiots around here w/ their aggressive dogs off leash all the time!

I'm thinking about typing up a letter and dropping it at everyone's doors around the neighborhood warning them of this house if they walk their dogs because our dog was attacked, completely unprovoked.

Ugh people are so irratating!

corgichick — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:32:44 GMT

I took Atticus to petsmart today to get a harness, I held him the whole time so that he wouldnt get in the way of people and get kicked or squashed (he loves sitting right on or at people feet and hes so quiet you dont even know hes there!). Everyone is like aww he so cute and ask if they can pet him, but one of the workers comes over and TAKES him out of my arms! Without even asking! I was shocked, I didnt know how to react. I stood there with an awkward, pissed off smile. I didnt know what to do and she realized she shouldnt have just grabbed him and gave him back and walked away without saying anything. Then I went to the register to pay and was leaving the store so I put him on the ground and we walk home (I live across the street) and we pass a TJ max and an older woman walks out and is like "oh my gosh he is so tiny and cute!" and she also grabs him up off the ground and is walking around with him showing her family and grandchildren and theyre all petting him, they were being gentle but she could of asked! I was so annoyed and angry! What would of you done?

Pet Jewellery

Mister_Mitch — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:23:52 GMT

Normal 0 21 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} Hello my fellow dog owners,

I’m new at this community, but for what I’ve seen by now, it seems pretty interesting.

I don’t know if this thread already exists, but I just want to know your point of view:

During my last trip to Germany I found that beautiful shop where they sold some dog collars decorated with real Swarowski crystal parts. Of course I bought 3 of them for my little dogs and now they look like real stars.

Now I want to know if you would buy some of those collars by yourself or have in mind to get one in the future?

I paid about 100 euros (150 dollars) each, but I think that’s appropriate for a piece of Swarowski. (After all they look pretty precious)

Aside from the collars there even was other stuff, such as suitable wrist bands for the dog owner himself and charms, which can be engraved. What do you guys think of that idea? Whould you engrave something on your dogs charm?

I am looking forward to some interesting replies!

Michael

Molly has a new wart

marynh — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:32:42 GMT

looks almost like a toenail stuck into the skin. I have seen these before and usually they are all dried up and a flick of the finger and they come off. This one is longer (about 1/2" now) and calloused looking at the end but near the skin still pink and it's not coming off, nor will I try.

Anyone seen these? It was an old dog I had years ago that got these. Molly's is long enough to stick out of the fur on her leg. Vet right now isn't an option cause I owe them still for a surgery my 14 year old meezer geezer had a bit ago (a growth on her gumline - was gross) and I might be waiting EIGHT more weeks for an unemployment check (goatlickers).

On the other hand I had a really good interview the other day for a HR assistant.

But has anyone seen something like this on their dog? And was it a big deal - enough to wrack up more money at the vets? And I am always the first person to tell people to not ignore medical issues on their pets....but I feel guilty I haven't been able to send them anything in 2 weeks, normally I wouldn't let it bother me.

High Value Treats (Ari would walk through fire for this)

the_gopher — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:42:31 GMT

The SO and I realized that we've been going the wrong route for high value treats. I mean, yes, Ari truly loves turkey hotdogs, various meats, cheese, peanutbutter etc., but for those really difficult behaviors - we've been using the wrong stuff. We should have been using...

PASTA!

No joke, Ari really does NOT beg for food. But if we are cooking pasta, she pleads and throws out behaviors at us left and right (typically her default down - which is what we ask her to do in most situations). She will stare at the pot and whimper now and then, hoping we are coming over to "test" the pastas doneness. She literally drools for pasta.

It finally dawned on me tonight that I need to try using some pasta for the heel work we are doing (she's totally forgotten heel, thanks to her owners that mostly take her off leash in the field). She's a terrible leash puller, but will work for food. I think she'll work even harder if there's some penne in my pocket! Or maybe she prefers rigatoni? I know Angel hair is her absolute favorite, but that's a bit more difficult to carry in a treat pocket and dole out

Now I'm sure pasta isn't the greatest for dogs, so I think I'll just use it as a super reward.

What do your dogs consider high value?

How do you exercise your dogs?

Kim_MacMillan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:27:58 GMT

I always have been interested in this, so I figured it would make a good discussion. And we all need to be honest here, for good or bad, about what we do with our four legged creatures. I'm curious....how do you keep your dogs physically exercised?

For those who have multiple dogs, how many do you exercise at once?
Do you have to split your group up depending on the size/breed/temperament/etc?
Do you have to do anything special to exercise certain dogs?
Do you use any special collars/halters/harnessses when you exercise your dogs (no flaming please!! Just for interest's sake)?
Do you do mostly on-leash, mostly off-leash, mixture?
Any other details that would be interesting.....

I'm lucky to have three dogs that are all healthy adults that have pretty much the same exercise needs as they are the same breed.
I'll be honest that I'm not always the "good dog mom" who can walk her dogs daily. However, they get the brunt of their exercise by offleash play in the backyard on 1/2 acre of land and it fills their general exercise needs.

To add to that, I try to get them out on actual on-leash "walks" three times per week - by that I mean a focused, walking by me (or slightly ahead, it doesn't bother me), 1/2 hour to 45 minute walk. When I do this, I generally walk two to three at a time. If I'm walking all three of them, Shimmer generally wears her halti, and Gaci wears either her Gentle Leader or her Halti harness, depending on the situation. Zipper is always on a normal collar. These walks tend to be for me management times - I don't do much training when I walk multiple dogs. If I do training walks, I take a dog by itself or two dogs if that's what I'm working on.

I also try to give them a good offleash romp (Gaci often on a long line, depending on the location) once a week, but this is weather and schedule dependent.

Shimmer is the highest energy/most intense of my crew, and she sometimes needs more offleash running than my other two. Gaci is my second in line, and Zipper is my lowest energy guy.

I also do agility training with Shimmer and Gaci, although they get a break from that from October to January - we resume training in January and carry it out until October.

Now, my guys also get a heck of a lot more exercise in the spring/summer than the fall/winter. It really simply comes down to daylight hours and nicer temps. I can get them to the beach for hour-long runs and swimming, and I have the choice to walk them late in the evening if I didn't get to in the morning.

That's about it in a nutshell for me. My guys tend to need more mental stimulation as they have very inquiring minds, and we know that mental exercise is as important as physical....but, this is about physical exercise!! I'm curious to see how other folks manage the needs of their puppers.

Awesome trick dog video

Jewlieee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:34:25 GMT

You may have seen this, but it's very entertaining! Imagine the training involved!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejioz8N9h3U

Question about pom throwing up

meeko1030 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:45:20 GMT

Meeko is 6 months old he threw up and I noticed there was grass, treats that were not digested, and some kind of fiber looking thing... (could be rawhide). Is this normal? He seems fine now. This is the second time it happens this week.

The Way Dogs Think Part 2: More on Pack Mentality

doji — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:49:57 GMT

Pack Mentality is how our dogs are wired. It is our responsibility as dog owners to recognize this and fulfill this need for them.

There are a few other ways to do this besides what was mentioned in the previous article, obedience lessons and setting boundaries in the home. These are easy things that make a big difference and acknowledge how our dogs think.

First, you go through all doors first. The dog does not forge ahead, bounding through and knocking you off your feet, (can you tell I’ve raised a couple of teenage labs?) The way to establish this is to have the dog sit, stay and you walk through and then give a command for him to pass. We use ”heel”, because our dogs know that means stay to our side, close in. Teach this on a short leash for control. Make sure you reward with food or affection when done correctly and scold with a low voice when done incorrectly. This, of course, needs to be taught over several days, and stick with it, even when it is hard.

Second is easier. It involves feeding time. This may seem different, but it will be recognized by the dog. Take your dog’s portion and put your hands through it. This leaves your scent on the food and signals to him where this came from and who provided it. Also, in the dog world, there is “no free lunch”. So ask a simple, quick command of your dog before presenting the food, such as “sit, wait, ok!” The dog sits while you put your scent on the food. Tell him to “wait” while you place it, then “ok!” to release your dog to eat. The reward of course is the food. If you really want to drive the point home, the dog eats after the humans and does not beg at the table. I confess that I feed mine as I am cooking for the family, and yes, mine beg.

Try these two exercises out and stick with them. The first will make your life easier, the first and second will fulfill pack mentality in your dog and make him happy

Good Vibes For Maghee, Please Partial Update

gradyupmybutt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:37:12 GMT

If y'all have any spare vibes, Maghee could use them. We're going in for bloodwork & x-rays to check on her heart status. She's just a little dog so she won't take many vibes & I'd really appreciate them. We certainly don't want to take anything from Brutus but we could use a few. Thanks.

Can YOU spot the pitbull?!

kristinf — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:50:42 GMT

Hi, I am writing a research paper for my senior language arts class, and I would really appreciate it if you take a look at the picture below. Only one of the dogs pictured below is an American Pitbull Terrier. Since it is sort of difficult, please give me three guesses of which dog you believe the pitbull is.

In case you are wondering, I am arguing in my paper that breed-specific pet-banning is an unfair generalization made and that you cannot determine whether a dog is a pitbull or not by an "eye-test". (Yes, this does really happen in many major U.S. cities, including Denver, CO). I would appreciate it if you do not try to cheat by looking up the answer somewhere or posting the answer just because you've seen it before, because I need the data to be as accurate as possible.

When I am done with my paper, I will try to remember to return and post the answer for those wondering, but for now it's a mystery [;

Urgent Notice: Potential Danger of Dog Hair...

janobonano — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:18:41 GMT

In a press release today, the National Institute of Health has announced the discovery of a potentially dangerous substance in the hair of dogs. This substance, called "amobacter caninii" has been linked with the following symptoms in females: Reluctance to cook, clean or do
housework. Reluctance to wear make-up, good clothes or high heels. Reluctance to spend money on home or car repairs until after 'Baby' has new collars, leashes, beds, treats, food, blankets or toys.

"Amobacter caninii" usually results in long hours away from home and exhaustion which may lead to a loss of physical contact with other
humans (especially husbands and boyfriends). "Amobacter caninii" is thought to be addictive, driving the need for additional sources - this
may lead to a "pack mentality" or like the potato chip commercial, "you can't have just one". Beware! If you come in contact with a female human infected by this substance, be prepared to talk about dogs for hours. Additional symptom is a lack of motivation to seek a cure. Full recovery is rare and if cured, serious side-effects may result.

Surgeon General's Warning: Dogs are expensive, addictive, and may impair the ability to use common sense.

Favorite dog sites on the Web? Favorite dog books?

anewdog — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:58:49 GMT

What are your favorite online sites about dogs and dog issues? I really enjoy the articles on the http://www.4pawsu.com/ site and was wondering what sites others have found.

I am reading Stanley Coren's How to Speak Dog, and was wondering what books others have read that they would recommend? Any topic, informative or just entertaining.

How many of you have a pet insurace for your doggie?

HIROKO — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:52:28 GMT

I am currently trying to decide whether to have a pet insurance like Trupanion. What do you think about it?

Dog Friendly Vehicle...

Springer Lady — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:33:45 GMT

There was a thread on here about cars/suv that fit crates... my DH found this in our Sunday paper.

http://automobiles.honda.com/element/dog-accessories.aspx

sorry my link button is not working.

Linda

ETA don't like the pups in the rear crumple zone.

Happy to report...(kpwlee)

kpwlee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:20:26 GMT

that Bugsy's staples are out - everything looks good

AND he ALREADY has full range of motion

doing the happy dance

He starts rehab on Thursday

We are by no means out of the woods with the recovery but so far he is doing better than one would hope. Surgeon said he never breathes a sigh of relief until after the 8 week x-rays (end of Dec. for us)