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Warbird posted:It’s the family’s/wife’s first dog ever and it was gotten shortly after the oldest daughter went off to college. Empty nest syndrome all day erry day. Yeeeep I just talked to my dog walking/dog sitting friend and "I watched that old dog a month ago where...while the owner did leave her ingredients in food containers, i still had to grate zucchini, portion out chicken and rice, and then heat it on the stove to defrost it and cut up the chicken"
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Apr 10, 2018 16:29
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Are there any good free resources to starting nosework? Failing that, what's the best book to use? Nothing I'm finding on Amazon stands out as clearly a good thing to use.
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Apr 10, 2018 20:29
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z0331 posted:Are there any good free resources to starting nosework? Failing that, what's the best book to use? Nothing I'm finding on Amazon stands out as clearly a good thing to use. I haven't found anything but I didn't really look that hard. I'd be interested in hearing how it goes if you do find something. One thing neat I did find once, that's not available near me, was a course that trains professional sniffers offered a recreational class. It was pricey but it sounded really fun.
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Apr 10, 2018 23:46
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z0331 posted:Are there any good free resources to starting nosework? Failing that, what's the best book to use? Nothing I'm finding on Amazon stands out as clearly a good thing to use. Not free, but we did a group class at a local trainer for $150 for 8 weeks (1 hour each week). Guess whose dog finished first in the class after the final nose work exam? He finished the final exam in nearly half the time of the next fastest dog (a german shorthair pointer). The top three dogs were all bird hunting breeds/pointers (my vizsla, a GSP, then a brittany). I was the only hunter in the course so I had already been doing some scent training prior to the course. Our trainer had a "stinky thing" which was basically just an altoid can with a few holes punched in it (to let the stink out), and a magnet inside so that she could stick it to metal objects. She filled it with bacon and peanut butter. (It apparently gets cleaned out after each week) but she said you can use pretty much anything with a strong distinguishable scent. For my altoid can I chose pheasant scent because I want my dog to hunt pheasants. You can use nearly anything that holds a unique scent. A lot of people use deer antlers called "sheds" and use their dog to find discarded antlers in the woods. I was trying to avoid food because I used pheasant scent because I don't want my dog associating the thing he's trying to find with something he can eat. You can find liquid or wax based animal scents online or places like cabelas/bass pro shops. You can also use scented oils like tea tree or the like. At first, she had the stinky thing on the ground in the middle of the room and when the dog approaches it and sniffs, he gets rewarded with a treat and the thing gets picked up. Some people use a clicker to mark the behavior they want. We moved to the trainer placing that thing around the room (not hiding it yet), she would give the command "find it" and every time he found it, she dropped treats and rewarded him with a high value reward (cheese, chicken etc). Then we moved to cardboard boxes that were just randomly laying around the room, open and facing up and she would put the stinky thing in the box and reward him when he found it. Then it started getting more difficult as she would place random items around the room like a doll, stuffed dog, closed boxes, open boxes, a chair, etc so that he wasn't focusing on boxes anymore. Same thing, reward when he found it. Then we progressed to actively hiding it within boxes, underneath chairs, up high, down low, inside a PVC pipe, inside an old tire, up wind, down wind, out of sight etc. Still rewarding him when he found it. One thing is (as the trainer/handler) to not try to encourage your dog into finding it. Let them roam around and explore the area on their own. Since you know where its at, you just observe your dog and watch their behavior as they get close to it. Some dogs will just stumble into it. Other dogs will catch a whiff and track it down perfectly. Other dogs will just walk right by it. If you stand by the item or use your body to guide your dog in any way, they aren't learning to sniff out the object, they're learning that you will help them. Another step you can do in your training is to have them sit or lay down when they find their target, you'll find this in a lot of police/drug dogs. Thats a visual cue from your dog to you that they believe they found the target. This of course requires your dog to have a solid understanding of how to sit or lay down already but its just one more step in the process. As a bird hunter, I didn't want my dog to sit or lay down once he finds the scent. I use a woah command which forces him to stop in his tracks and keeps him standing up. I use this when hunting to keep him from getting too close to the bird, flushing it early, or chasing it and possibly getting shot. For some dogs who have trouble or don't seem to get the idea of the exercise, it might help to let the dog sniff the object first, hide the object while your dog stays put, and then tell them to find it. I was doing this before we started our class with a pheasant wing out in a big field. I would have my dog stay in one corner of the field, hide a wing with some liquid scent on it (roughly 100 yards away) in tall grass or bushes where it wasn't easily seen. I would walk in a random pattern and try to not walk directly back to my dog so that he didn't just follow my path back to the wing. I would have a wing in my pocket and have him sniff it, then tell him to find it. He then would go out into the field sniffing away. When he reached the wing I would reward him handsomely. Repeat a few times and quit. Don't overdue the training per day. You want this to remain enjoyable, not a chore for your dog. After a few nose work exercises, get a toy out and let them play. Its a lot of fun and it really engages both you and your dog. Its super exhausting because its physical and mental stimulation for them which is an efficient way of tiring them out, my dog can run all day but when we pair in nose work, he sleeps soundly. Very helpful and useful if you are a hunter, but even if you're not its great exercise and a fun time to spend bonding with your dog. When I hunt my dog, watching him use everything he's learned is ridiculously rewarding. Seeing his excitement and practiced patience when he's pointing on a bird is hard to describe. When you see a dog doing what they are meant to do, there's no better feeling in the world. There are a bunch of books on amazon and videos on youtube to help with it. I would recommend watching or reading the whole book before starting the training though so that you understand the step by step process as well as the end goal and how to get there.
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Apr 11, 2018 00:54
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Do any of you have experience with Sonic Eggs? An acquaintance of mine swears by it for problem barking. and our Aussie has a nasty habit of screaming if he is bored and we dare do something that isn't paying attention to him, like make dinner or poo poo or watch tv. My girlfriend is concerned it will train him not to bark if someone is at the door or anything and that's her only reservation.
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Apr 11, 2018 01:25
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Any downside to just getting a decent doorbell? I like having the world’s worst guard-dog - we tend to have a lot of folks around, and having her try to cuddle them rather than growl or yell at them is very reassuring.
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Apr 11, 2018 01:35
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I know different people have different needs, but whenever I get a second dog, my rule #1 for it is going to be "it must love everyone." My dog is a good dog, but his territoriality and fear of strangers is a serious downer. 
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Apr 11, 2018 01:44
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I know different people have different needs, but whenever I get a second dog, my rule #1 for it is going to be "it must love everyone." My dog is a good dog, but his territoriality and fear of strangers is a serious downer. Same here. Its incredible how much stress it causes me
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Apr 11, 2018 01:47
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I know different people have different needs, but whenever I get a second dog, my rule #1 for it is going to be "it must love everyone." My dog is a good dog, but his territoriality and fear of strangers is a serious downer. Humblebrag time. I won the dog lottery apparently. My sweet lil girl is the friendliest, sweetest doggy. I can take into insanely crowded, loud, and busy areas and she's great. Excited, but not nervous or mean with anyone. Granted she's still very puppy-ish at 1.5, but considering she's a rescue and we've only been together for 2 months as of the 7th...I'm amazed.
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Apr 11, 2018 01:51
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z0331 posted:Are there any good free resources to starting nosework? Failing that, what's the best book to use? Nothing I'm finding on Amazon stands out as clearly a good thing to use. We don’t do it with nosework in mind, just as a puzzle that seems to wear out the dog mentally a bit more: we hide her wobbler in the morning in one of a hundred or so good hiding places in the house. We trained her with a clicker to sit when she’s found it. She’s a brat though and continues to try false positive sits when she gets frustrated.
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Apr 11, 2018 01:52
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Primpin and Pimpin posted:http://www.laanimalservices.com/adopt/adoption-fees/?policy She went to the humane society website, found a dog that’s exactly what she wanted, and paid around that price and without cat ladies or hippies standing in judgement over her ability to keep a dog.
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Apr 11, 2018 17:57
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Verman posted:Lots of good info. Thanks for this! I think I've seen the K9 courses and whatnot but am not really looking to spend that much even if there's one around here. But hopefully I can do some basic stuff to give her something to do.
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Apr 12, 2018 17:51
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Is there a recommended DNA test? I was thinking Wisdom Panel because I'm too poor for Embark
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Apr 12, 2018 18:28
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How often should you give a dog greenies/minties?
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Apr 12, 2018 18:42
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StrixNebulosa posted:How often should you give a dog greenies/minties? Once a day. If you aren’t giving any other treats you can probably go twice a day.
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Apr 12, 2018 19:02
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Turkey Farts posted:Is there a recommended DNA test? I was thinking Wisdom Panel because I'm too poor for Embark I got one at Petco/Banfield. It said my dog is predominantly chow. He is not predominantly part chow.
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Apr 12, 2018 19:25
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There's only 2, maybe 3 now, testing labs and databases. Wisdom, Embark and maybe one other. Wisdom and Embark have been around for a while so theoretically they should both be okay. The difference in price between the kits are what all they test for and how much customer service you get. If I just wanted a breed test (not looking for genetic conditions), I'd probably spring for the cheapest Wisdom panel that lets me call and talk to a person that helps interpret the results. The reviews where the author talked to a real person were definitely more interesting and made me want to buy a test for entertainment purposes. It's way more informative than my dog is 25% poodle or whatever.
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Apr 12, 2018 20:08
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boop the snoot posted:I got one at Petco/Banfield. It said my dog is predominantly chow. Yeah I ask because it's mostly about settling an ongoing debate. We adopted this dude (Frankie) who is now nearly 3 months old. We're told he's a Boxer mix, but mixed with what? Some say German Shep. Some say Beagle. Some say Hound. Everyone thinks they're right and everyone's done an image search to corroborate their claims. I just want everyone to stfu once and for all. e: For reference he's about 5.5lbs in this picture 
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Apr 13, 2018 12:41
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Super Grocery Kart posted:Once a day. If you aren’t giving any other treats you can probably go twice a day. Hmmm, okay. I've been alternating between greenies and "oinkies" every few days.
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Apr 13, 2018 12:52
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I did a wisdom panel on this guy The shelter we adopted him from said he is a lab mix but he came back as a Husky/Rottweiler/Boxer/Shepherd/Collie/Pitt/Other mix. 0% lab, 100% mutt.
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Apr 13, 2018 13:12
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Turkey Farts posted:Yeah I ask because it's mostly about settling an ongoing debate. We adopted this dude (Frankie) who is now nearly 3 months old. We're told he's a Boxer mix, but mixed with what? Some say German Shep. Some say Beagle. Some say Hound. Everyone thinks they're right and everyone's done an image search to corroborate their claims. I just want everyone to stfu once and for all. Dem ears 
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Apr 13, 2018 13:22
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Jose Valasquez posted:I did a wisdom panel on this guy Wisdom panel: "you have a dog!" 
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Apr 13, 2018 13:39
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z0331 posted:Are there any good free resources to starting nosework? Failing that, what's the best book to use? Nothing I'm finding on Amazon stands out as clearly a good thing to use. I learned through the Fenzi Dog Sport Academy online. You can apply for a scholarship so it's only $35 for a 6 week class that will get you through the ORT. Even just the sample lesson might be enough to get you started. I don't compete but nothing wears my dog out like using his sniffer. Turkey Farts posted:Yeah I ask because it's mostly about settling an ongoing debate. We adopted this dude (Frankie) who is now nearly 3 months old. We're told he's a Boxer mix, but mixed with what? Some say German Shep. Some say Beagle. Some say Hound. Everyone thinks they're right and everyone's done an image search to corroborate their claims. I just want everyone to stfu once and for all. I got sick of asking me what my dog was and having to go "I dunno" too so I got a wisdom panel. My results made a ton of sense and explained some of his behaviors. I even went back into the records of the shelter he came from and found a pair of dogs that came in together that were probably his parents. He was listed as a great pyrenees mix, then a rottweiler/english setter mix. Guess what a cattle dog is a whole lot different than a setter!    The clumber is a stretch but he could definitely be spaniel-y based farm dog/acd x lovely byb saint. I think you just need to take them with a grain of salt and contact the company for more info if you get a weird result. They pay dog nerd scientists to analyze these things so you might as well use them.
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Apr 13, 2018 23:07
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i tell people my mystery pup is a rhodesian ridgeback because 1) that's what he looks like an 2) i haven't seen it be a restricted breed anywhere
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Apr 13, 2018 23:20
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Instant Jellyfish posted:I think you just need to take them with a grain of salt and contact the company for more info if you get a weird result. They pay dog nerd scientists to analyze these things so you might as well use them. The impression I got from reading some reviews was the dog nerd scientists don't look at the results unless you contact them. That might be how those cheaper tests that use the same labs work, no dog nerd scientist support?
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Apr 13, 2018 23:22
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It’s really hard to tell with young dogs too. Tarkus had huge floppy ears, a short coat, and pure white socks as a puppy, looking very hound-y. 2 years and 60 pounds later, his head grew to fit his ears, his socks are mostly gone, and he has a shaggy medium coat, looking more shepherd than hound. According to his wisdom panel he’s significantly more hound than shepherd, but the shepherd ended up coming out the most. That’s what great about mutts, you never know what you’re gonna get.  
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Apr 14, 2018 00:24
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My partner and I want to adopt our first dog and we would really like it to be a rescue. Problem is I have mild allergies so am looking for some kind of poodle mix. We're very interested in this pup but I'm concerned that the rescue is actually a puppy mill. There seem to be a few warning signs like a bunch of dogs that appear to be from the same litter, and also their Yelp page is pretty terrible. I got an email back after submitting the application that was basically like "so when do you want to come pick up the dog?" and my landlord said they never contacted her. We want to be responsible about this and again it's our first time; this is a puppy mill, right?
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Apr 14, 2018 02:30
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boquiabierta posted:My partner and I want to adopt our first dog and we would really like it to be a rescue. Problem is I have mild allergies so am looking for some kind of poodle mix. We're very interested in this pup but I'm concerned that the rescue is actually a puppy mill. There seem to be a few warning signs like a bunch of dogs that appear to be from the same litter, and also their Yelp page is pretty terrible. I got an email back after submitting the application that was basically like "so when do you want to come pick up the dog?" and my landlord said they never contacted her. We want to be responsible about this and again it's our first time; this is a puppy mill, right? $1200 for a rescue dog?! WTF Go to your local shelter and touch dogs you like. Don’t take any home that give you a rash. Poodles are not hypoallergenic and for what it’s worth, my poodle mix sheds more than my Lab mix. Getting dogs that didn’t immediately set my allergies off (and bathing them regularly) is more important than breed.   And probably don’t let them lay on your bed...
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Apr 14, 2018 03:00
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Bathing the dog regularly is definitely a big thing, my fiancee is allergic to animals so we give the dog a bath once a week, he's a short haired dog but still sheds a bunch and he hates the brush, loves the jacuzzi tub though! According to said fiancee and other friends, your body eventually gets used to your animal and will stop triggering reactions, though if it does happen, it can take a year or more from anecdotal evidence I've encountered, so nothing something to bank on. It could also be a ruse so that we'd get a dog sooner rather than later too.
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Apr 14, 2018 03:17
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StrixNebulosa posted:Wisdom panel: "you have a dog!" To be fair the part where they do a description of what they expect the physical traits to be was spot on. I thought his sample was contaminated or something until they said 80lbs, short black coat with moderate amount of white, ears that are half floppy, and a tail that curls up. I just tell people that ask that he is a lab mix though because that's easier
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Apr 14, 2018 13:14
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FWIW, I did both Wisdom Panel and Embark because I’m a nerd, and my Embark results were much more believable. There was some overlap in the results, but wisdom panel said my dog (stray from east Texas) was predominantly some very rare Asian breeds I had never even heard of. The breeds he resembles were way down the list. Embark results were believable wth no rare breeds listed. Who knows!
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Apr 14, 2018 16:45
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boquiabierta posted:My partner and I want to adopt our first dog and we would really like it to be a rescue. Problem is I have mild allergies so am looking for some kind of poodle mix. We're very interested in this pup but I'm concerned that the rescue is actually a puppy mill. There seem to be a few warning signs like a bunch of dogs that appear to be from the same litter, and also their Yelp page is pretty terrible. I got an email back after submitting the application that was basically like "so when do you want to come pick up the dog?" and my landlord said they never contacted her. We want to be responsible about this and again it's our first time; this is a puppy mill, right? I just read an article about "rescues" buying puppies from auctions and selling them for exorbitant adoption fees so much so that puppy mills are breeding specifically to sell more at the auction to the rescues. Keep an eye on your local shelters and look for reputable breed specific rescues with the backing of their breed association. Also I know you mention wanting a rescue but breeders sometimes have adult dogs that need to be retired after a show or breeding career and could be a great fit for you if you're having trouble finding what you want a rescue. There's no shame in supporting a good breeder (I have a rescue dog and a breeder dog).
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Apr 14, 2018 22:09
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Sucrose posted:My 9 year old dog has been sick and not eating since last night. He's going to the vet on Monday if he's still sick then, but is there anything we can do for him in the meanwhile? He looks miserable but I have no idea what, specifically, is wrong with him. I'm late here, but update: dog turns out to have a tumor/mass in his spleen, and it was bleeding internally and causing him fatigue and probably pain. He made it through the surgery to get it removed, I get to find out Tuesday if it's cancer or not. According to the vet there's at least a 60% chance that it is.
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Apr 28, 2018 06:25
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Sucrose posted:I'm late here, but update: dog turns out to have a tumor/mass in his spleen, and it was bleeding internally and causing him fatigue and probably pain. He made it through the surgery to get it removed, I get to find out Tuesday if it's cancer or not. According to the vet there's at least a 60% chance that it is. Nevermind, my dog has passed away. He went through the surgery fine, but bled out internally the next day. Took him back to the vet, there was nothing much they could do, told us that it was doubtful he would make it through another surgery. I don't know if they screwed something up during the splenectomy or if (more likely) he just had a giant mass of cancer in there and his body just couldn't take it any more. You were a great dog, buddy. I'm crushed. He had just turned 9 and it's going to be so hard without him.
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Apr 29, 2018 05:02
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Apr 29, 2018 06:18
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I'm so sorry
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Apr 29, 2018 10:39
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Is one expected to pay for the surgery in situations like this? I mean, the dog died. 
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Apr 29, 2018 12:08
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shits.ridic posted:Is one expected to pay for the surgery in situations like this? I mean, the dog died. https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/do-i-have-to-pay-my-vet-if-my-dog-died-on-their-ca-2699002.html Looks like you have to pay. quote:I'm sorry, but pets are not immortal and no surgery will make them so. There is always a chance that a dog will die on any given day. Yes, you owe for the treatment provided to your pet. No outcome was or could have been guaranteed. The work was done and you owe the money. StrixNebulosa fucked around with this message at 12:24 on Apr 29, 2018 |
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Apr 29, 2018 12:21
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shits.ridic posted:Is one expected to pay for the surgery in situations like this? I mean, the dog died. Yes. No matter what, you have to pay. edit: And I feel stupid for crying this long and this badly over a dog. It's just....I knew he was in pain before/after the surgery and I just wanted to make things better for him. I just wanted to see him get better, even if it was only for a few more months. It's so hard because the lab I grew up with lived to be 14, and he had a very slow decline, while my dog now was fine and active just a month ago and now he's dead. I feel like I should have done something differently somehow, but if it was cancer (which it probably was) there really wasn't much I could have done. I don't know. It just hurts. Sucrose fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Apr 30, 2018 |
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Apr 30, 2018 03:40
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Sucrose posted:Yes. No matter what, you have to pay. I'm so sorry Sucrose. I lost my childhood dog the exact same way as you lost your buddy. She was only 9. It's been 15 years now and it still hurts sometimes. There's nothing wrong with crying about a good dog taken too soon. Don't beat yourself up though. You tried your best for him and he would want you to remember your happy times together.
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Apr 30, 2018 04:44
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