|
Scary Ned posted:It usually takes a while for dogs to settle in and show their true personalities, but I wouldn't worry too much. Brisbane has some handling issues, especially with his feet and tail, despite my best efforts in raising him. I just own a muzzle and know what freaks him out, and work on rewarding him for tolerating things. I think it was more about guarding himself because after the vet extricated himself from the situation, Bailey more or less calmed down. I know he doesn't like his front legs touched when I put his halter on, so maybe he's got personal space issues. It weirds me out because even as much as my other dogs hated their feet being touched they never got that snarling mad. I am not sure I can work with a behaviorist at the moment, partly because of cost, partly because of my schedule. Also, I'd like to give him more time to settle in, and open up to me. Its just sort of a big shock. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I was drawn to him and got him, I just don't want him to hurt someone and I'm a touch overwhelmed especially since even the vet told me that if I had asked him about the dog he would have advised me against Bailey/ an ACD/ any herding dog.
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2011 23:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 14:22 |
|
|
wtftastic posted:the vet told me that if I had asked him about the dog he would have advised me against Bailey/ an ACD/ any herding dog. My vet usually advises people against ACDs/herding dogs as a general rule. But his experience is mostly with people who can't pass up that oh-so-cute cattle dog puppy at the local pet store, and then find out that there's no way they can keep up with such an energetic young dog. We're in the suburbs, with not a lot of places to let a dog just run wild, so anyone getting a high-energy dog has to be really diligent about walking and exercising. He just helped another family rehome their ACD puppy a few months ago, and I think it gets frustrating.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2011 23:42
|
|
|
Brisbane has harness issues for a while. I got him a step-in harness that snaps around his back, and then laid it out on the floor and clicker trained him to put his feet in the right place so I could just slide it up and snap it. After a while he figured out that the harness meant fun times, but he still would rather stay home than have me pull something over his head. Do lots of obedience training with Bailey, it really helps when they're nervous or scared or overwhelmed. Obeying a command and getting praise can help ground them and help them figure out that everything is ok because they known what to do now. I've have Brisbane for almost six years now, and he still gets all wiggly and happy when I ask him for a trick. It's like cattledog nirvana, "oh my god, I know something!" I also really, really recommend reading The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. It really helped me accept that my dog is who he is and it's ok if he doesn't like his tail brushed. She also has a really good explanation of bites and the bite threshold. Every little stimulus stacks up, and when a dog gets overstimulated they bite. Brisbane and a lot of ACDs have a lovely combination of low threshold and large number of stimulus, so it's all about knowing what stresses them and keeping them below bite-level.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2011 00:10
|
|
|
Ginny Field posted:My vet usually advises people against ACDs/herding dogs as a general rule. But his experience is mostly with people who can't pass up that oh-so-cute cattle dog puppy at the local pet store, and then find out that there's no way they can keep up with such an energetic young dog. We're in the suburbs, with not a lot of places to let a dog just run wild, so anyone getting a high-energy dog has to be really diligent about walking and exercising. He just helped another family rehome their ACD puppy a few months ago, and I think it gets frustrating. To be fair, I knew they had some issues, but I wasn't aware just how much considering I'd only heard of Border Collies and such with intense drive and anxiety issues. I'm committed to his well being, and mine, and I'll do my utmost to adjust myself accordingly, but I can see how it'd be an issue for someone who either doesn't have the time or isn't willing to make time. (Honestly, I am sure that its going to be hard to do things with him in the summer because of how brutal the heat is, but hopefully by then he'll know how to play indoors.) Scary Ned: Thanks again for the advice; I'll see if I can pick up a copy of the book. I am already working with clicker training and he seems to really love it; his ears flop up, he gets bouncy and will do EVERY TRICK HE KNOWS to try and get me to give away a treat initially. I will continue to work with him on the harness. Its just a necessary evil at this point in time. Sorry to be making GBS threads up the thread with my myriad issues. I just am not sure if they warrant their own thread.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2011 03:14
|
|
|
wtftastic posted:To be fair, I knew they had some issues, but I wasn't aware just how much considering I'd only heard of Border Collies and such with intense drive and anxiety issues. I'm committed to his well being, and mine, and I'll do my utmost to adjust myself accordingly, but I can see how it'd be an issue for someone who either doesn't have the time or isn't willing to make time. (Honestly, I am sure that its going to be hard to do things with him in the summer because of how brutal the heat is, but hopefully by then he'll know how to play indoors.) All I meant to say is that I wouldn't worry too much about the vet telling you he wouldn't have recommended a herding dog-- if he's anything like mine it could have just been a knee-jerk "no not a good idea" response. It sounds like you're doing right by your dog so far, and all I can really encourage is for you to give him a few weeks to settle in to a routine. The change in environment from shelter to home can be really stressful.  With regards to Bailey not liking his front legs touched, I know that a life less posted a great video on counter conditioning a while back, which would probably be tremendously helpful to you for working on that snarling reaction. EDIT: Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI13v9JgJu0 Ginny Field fucked around with this message at 04:27 on Apr 8, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2011 04:20
|
|
|
Ginny Field posted:All I meant to say is that I wouldn't worry too much about the vet telling you he wouldn't have recommended a herding dog-- if he's anything like mine it could have just been a knee-jerk "no not a good idea" response. It sounds like you're doing right by your dog so far, and all I can really encourage is for you to give him a few weeks to settle in to a routine. The change in environment from shelter to home can be really stressful. Thanks for the video; I'll try to pin down what exactly irks him and start slow. Sorry if I sounded defensive.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2011 20:57
|
|
|
We've had our cattle dog mix for 6 weeks now and she's come a long way since the first few weeks where we just wanted to rip our hair out. She's still high energy, but has gained the ability to just chill for a few minutes at a time. We've certainly adjusted our lifestyle though as far as activity level (and eating in shifts  )The warmer weather seems to tire her out quicker, but I wonder at what cost. I'm worried that we're not going to be able to walk her in the Texas heat (and on the pavement) pretty soon. Edit: Bonus pic! We went camping this weekend and she was a doll the whole time. I think she's happiest in the outdoors. She's a hiking machine! 
Lixer fucked around with this message at 16:26 on Apr 12, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2011 16:20
|
|
|
Lixer posted:The warmer weather seems to tire her out quicker, but I wonder at what cost. I'm worried that we're not going to be able to walk her in the Texas heat (and on the pavement) pretty soon. Yeah, does yours have a heavy coat? Bailey's heavy and has a thick coat so when I took him on a walk in 80 degree heat he wanted to go back in like 20 minutes. I'm guessing teach her to love hoses? Then you can mist her and maybe cool her off a bit.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2011 16:32
|
|
|
Lixer posted:The warmer weather seems to tire her out quicker, but I wonder at what cost. I'm worried that we're not going to be able to walk her in the Texas heat (and on the pavement) pretty soon. Living in Canada, I don't exactly have to deal with Texas heat. But get used to carrying a dog water bottle around where ever you take your pup and offering it up for a drink constantly. The heat will definitely sap her energy, for better or worse.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2011 02:52
|
|
|
On hot days, Brisbane recommends that you simultaneously exhaust and hydrate your cattledog.  The hose makes for a good self-control game for insane dogs. Briz must lay down on command and wait to be released, or the hose shuts off.    It's a good chance to bite things like a maniac. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2011 05:32
|
|
|
Lixer posted:We've had our cattle dog mix for 6 weeks now and she's come a long way since the first few weeks where we just wanted to rip our hair out. She's still high energy, but has gained the ability to just chill for a few minutes at a time. We've certainly adjusted our lifestyle though as far as activity level (and eating in shifts The heat in Texas gets pretty brutal for dogs. We moved from Texas to Canada, and the dogs definitely prefer Canada. Make sure check the temperature of the pavement with your hand before asking your dog to walk on the sidewalk or a parking lot. We always tried to get out as early in the morning as possible to wear out the dogs. Nighttime exercise is good too. We even had a few glow-in-the-dark tennis balls for the Border Collie. And on the topic of "Dear God, Don't Get a Herding Breed", I was a PI regular long before I adopted Nellie, and I still underestimated what I was getting into. My other dogs are like "Oh, it's raining? Lets go take a nap!" but the BC is dropping tennis balls on me, whether its raining, sleeting, snowing, or 100 degrees. In winter, we make her catch snowballs. I love this dog, but when we get our next set of puppies (in ~10 years) they'll probably be a pair of lazy-rear end Beagles.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2011 14:52
|
|
|
MoCookies posted:The heat in Texas gets pretty brutal for dogs. We moved from Texas to Canada, and the dogs definitely prefer Canada. Make sure check the temperature of the pavement with your hand before asking your dog to walk on the sidewalk or a parking lot. We always tried to get out as early in the morning as possible to wear out the dogs. Nighttime exercise is good too. We even had a few glow-in-the-dark tennis balls for the Border Collie. I guess, thus far, I'm lucky. Bailey will spend all day SLEEPING even if I am home and ready to take him to do something fun. He's just a lump. I finally got him to play with a toy last night before bed, and he's afraid of squeaking it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2011 15:42
|
|
|
This is Dio. He's a shepherd/catahoula shelter pup. He started out tiny, cute and lovable. As most pups do, he started growing.  And growing.   He's turning out to be a incredibly smart but insanely energetic dog. He's about 5 months old now, and a real pain in the rear end. Shaping up to be a great dog but drat will I be glad when he's not an rear end in a top hat puppy anymore. Does shepherd/catahoula seem right to you guys? Most catahoula mixes I've seen seem to have more spotty markings, and his are more brindle. To me he just looks like a weird colored german shepherd-I call him my dollar store shepherd. 
spixxor fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Apr 30, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 17:57
|
|
|
Posted ages ago, but I think it got glossed over. This is my family's dog, what do you think she is? I have my guesses, but I'd like to hear what other people think.    
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 03:20
|
|
|
She looks a fair bit like a heeler x shepherd that was in a local rescue recently.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 05:29
|
|
|
I could be way off, but I'm seeing Boxer in her face. Or perhaps pit? As for what else she could have in her, my guess would be shepherd some kind, maybe lab too. She sure is cute though
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 07:22
|
|
|
travelsized posted:Meet my mutt, Marley!  We were guessing part border collie, part chow. But this was in the middle of rural Montana, and the dog was from a litter born to two feral dogs, so she could have been anything.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 19:53
|
|
|
Here's our guy. The older he gets the more different breeds we see in him. Some type of Shepherd mix, but Anatolian/??? He's doing fabulously with Search and Rescue training and he's just shy of 6 months (we think). He was found by a student of mine (I'm a dog trainer) who knew I was looking for a boxer for SAR work. As a puppy, he looked Boxer/mix-ish and brought him to me. My boyfriend and I fell in love with our little rotund rolly polly. At the time, we thought he was going to be about 40 lbs (vet agreed). Between first and second vet visits, his feet EXPLODED and we thought, uh oh...he's gonna be BIG. Vet says 60lbs or so. Still not sure as his feet are still huge and we don't really care anymore. He's about 30-35lbs now (last weigh in was 30, but he's slept since then). All the breeds we can see in him are HUGE though so far, and we're not sure what makes him not be 90lbs right now. Possibly pitty, since they are smaller than people think usually. And his ears look like a lot of uncut pit ears I've seen. We eventually plan to do the DNA thing just for shits and giggles...we don't care what's in him except as a OHHHH, THAT's what it is! He's just a pure-bred mutt. This is the day we brought him home:   This is how he chooses to sleep in his crate (he has a much bigger one now and STILL sleeps in the most awkward of positions. He's done it from day one too.   These were taken at the vet's office last week:    And these were taken last night...he's just growing so fast!  
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2011 17:59
|
|
|
Elixibren posted:He was found by a student of mine (I'm a dog trainer) who knew I was looking for a boxer for SAR work. A Boxer for SAR? I was under the impression that Boxers had mediocre senses of smell and that SAR dogs used their noses a lot. Apparently I'm mistaken on either one or both counts. The boxer in my agility class can't find treats dropped on the floor without a prolonged search.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2011 21:09
|
|
|
a life less posted:A Boxer for SAR? I was under the impression that Boxers had mediocre senses of smell and that SAR dogs used their noses a lot. Apparently I'm mistaken on either one or both counts. A boxer in agility? How does it cope with all that activity and that short little nose?
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2011 21:37
|
|
|
Yo, imma blob posted:A boxer in agility? How does it cope with all that activity and that short little nose? It's just low-level stuff. It's a class I help teach with a focus on learning the obstacles. The dog does okay, but needs to take breaks often and can wear out easily. I doubt she'll ever go on to compete or anything, but for now she's fine.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2011 21:44
|
|
|
For what it's worth, both boxers in Kaidan's nosework class are titled. rivals fucked around with this message at 22:13 on May 1, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2011 21:57
|
|
|
I posted my dog, Quincy, in here sometime last summer after I got him. Man, he's grown a lot since then. He's not gotten too much bigger but his face has matured so much. My little man is growin up  He's a lot less camera shy than he used to be. And sometimes he like to lay on my keyb[]'']['['[''[]'][  Not sure if there's a thread for videos somewhere in PI, but since neither of these show much more than his head I think this video shows his body pretty well (and is adorable). I'm still not too sure what breeds he has in him. Probably something like Jack Russell because he definitely has the coloring of one and absolutely some sort of bully breed because even if you can't see it too much from the pictures, he has the GIGANTIC GAPING MOUTH of one. His skin is also covered in spots but it's hard to tell because of his fur. When you get him in the bath though suddenly you can see all of them. GidgetNomates fucked around with this message at 14:35 on May 3, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 14:15
|
|
|
GidgetNomates posted:I posted my dog, Quincy, in here sometime last summer after I got him. Man, he's grown a lot since then. He's not gotten too much bigger but his face has matured so much. My little man is growin up Quincy is definitely, imo, a Jack Russell crossed with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier or Pit Bull. He's adorable, and such a weirdly awesome mix of JRT and a bully dog. Wanna hug your dawg.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 14:37
|
|
|
Fraction posted:Quincy is definitely, imo, a Jack Russell crossed with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier or Pit Bull. He's adorable, and such a weirdly awesome mix of JRT and a bully dog. Hehe, thanks. JRT/pit bull has been my best guess so far. He was listed on petfinder as a bull terrier mix but I don't think he'd have a pit bull type mouth if that was the case. They were probably just trying to avoid saying pit bull because someone had wanted to adopt him before I got him and her husband saw him, decided he was a pit bull, and FEARED FOR THE LIVES OF THEIR CHILDREN. Oh well, that's fine because that means he's mine now instead.I think the thing that confuses me the most with JRT/pit bull though is his ears. Where the heck did he get those big pointy ears???
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 14:40
|
|
|
GidgetNomates posted:Hehe, thanks. JRT/pit bull has been my best guess so far. If you were in the UK, based on his size I'd probably say staffie/JRT more than pibble, but (British) staffies aren't too common in the USA, I believe. He's definitely got a bully face though GidgetNomates posted:I think the thing that confuses me the most with JRT/pit bull though is his ears. Where the heck did he get those big pointy ears??? I have no idea. My JRT pup has huge bat-like ears too. I don't think Lola got the message that JRTs are supposed to have small, dainty ears. Pit bulls and JRTs both can have big, pointed ears. It's a (big?) fault for JRTs in conformation, not sure about pit bulls though.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 14:50
|
|
|
I guess I've just never seen a JRT or pit bull with ears like his, but I suppose there's no reason they can't have them! That was the only part of Quincy's appearance that was really throwing me off.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 19:25
|
|
|
GidgetNomates posted:I guess I've just never seen a JRT or pit bull with ears like his, but I suppose there's no reason they can't have them! That was the only part of Quincy's appearance that was really throwing me off.  Image stolen from a blog I read. I think her ears illustrate the point quite well. She's a pibble with some crazy ears.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 21:23
|
|
|
It's dangerous for mutt lovers to go into an animal shelter, even just to look. But my husband and I decided to go down to the high kill municipal shelter after lunch today. Part way through the kennels, we saw a sad red dog. An owner surrender...who is reported to be fifteen years old. Not cool. It's sad enough that any dog is in a pound. But an old dog, deaf and arthritic, it just rips my heart out. So, meet Lucille!    Her coat is horrible, she's got lots of growths and skin issues, but we'll see what good food and veterinary care can do. She had a dewclaw grown into the pad, which they clipped at the shelter before they let us go. After meeting everyone and wandering the back yard, she's now crashed out on a soft pillow in front of the TV. Mutts are great...old mutts are the best.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 21:33
|
|
|
a life less posted:
Those ears are identical to Eris' mom who was definitely pit.  Also Eris has big goofy ears (we call her Earis ) but I seemingly can't find any good pictures of them right now.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 21:39
|
|
|
Dr. Housecat MD posted:So, meet Lucille! She looks relieved. Thank you for giving an old dog a safe and comfortable place to spend her days. You should start a thread on her and fill it with pictures - it'll be like Henrietta part 2.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 22:09
|
|
|
Dr. Housecat MD posted:It's dangerous for mutt lovers to go into an animal shelter, even just to look. But my husband and I decided to go down to the high kill municipal shelter after lunch today. Part way through the kennels, we saw a sad red dog. An owner surrender...who is reported to be fifteen years old. You are saints, bless you for taking in this lovely girl!
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 22:50
|
|
|
Dr. Housecat MD posted:So, meet Lucille! Oh housecat you and your old dawgs. I'm so happy she has a good place to live out the rest of her years. You're awesome. 
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 00:10
|
|
|
Dr. Housecat MD posted:It's dangerous for mutt lovers to go into an animal shelter, even just to look. But my husband and I decided to go down to the high kill municipal shelter after lunch today. Part way through the kennels, we saw a sad red dog. An owner surrender...who is reported to be fifteen years old. Aw man, I wanna do this. I bet she's so grateful to be on a soft pillow right now.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 00:21
|
|
|
Dr. Housecat MD posted:It's dangerous for mutt lovers to go into an animal shelter, even just to look. But my husband and I decided to go down to the high kill municipal shelter after lunch today. Part way through the kennels, we saw a sad red dog. An owner surrender...who is reported to be fifteen years old. That makes me teary-eyed. You're amazing for taking her in
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 00:48
|
|
|
Shebrew posted:That makes me teary-eyed. You're amazing for taking her in People keep saying stuff like this, but they just don't understand. I got a dog that has all the expensive stuff out of the way - she's fixed, vaccinated, heartworm tested, all that fun poo poo. She's housebroken, doesn't jump on furniture or people, gets along with cats and dogs, and really seems happy to see me. People who get puppies spend ten or fifteen years waiting to get a dog this good. And I got her for a song.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 01:25
|
|
|
Old dogs rule. Don't get me wrong, I love young dogs but sometimes Quincy (who just hit 2) is so tiring that I can't wait for him to just be an old man layin' around the house already. My parents have a GSD who is around 12 or so, he's so great to be around because he just wants to lay near you and do nothing else.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 02:19
|
|
|
Maybe you guys can identify what sort of muttery led to Mr. Otis, our seven-ish year old rescue mutt. Here is Otis when we first got him about a year and a half ago. He was just released from about a 10 day stay in the hospital (always fun to have your new dog go into the vet a couple weeks after adopting him).  As you can see, Otis' goal in life is to be pet while sitting on your lap, preferably on the couch or bed. Here is a more recent version of Otis displaying similar happiness from being in his proper place in life.  However, if you should happen to stop petting Otis, or in any way disturb him from his proper place, he usually stares directly into your soul.  If for any reason he should find himself not being pet, and on the floor, he reacts with his secret weapon: the pathetic guilt face. This was the face that we saw on Petfinder which led us to adopting him in the first place.  So, now you have met Mr. Otis. You might think there is more to him, but there isn't. He stares out the window to watch over the street, sleeps on our balcony so that he can continue to watch over the street, and otherwise expects a constant supply of petting and lap resting. Despite all of his behavior classifying him as feline, we have been assured he is in fact a dog. Our best guess is he is a poodle/westie mix, but if anyone else thinks they might have a better guess, I'd love to hear it.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 02:21
|
|
|
Dr. Housecat MD posted:People keep saying stuff like this, but they just don't understand. I got a dog that has all the expensive stuff out of the way - she's fixed, vaccinated, heartworm tested, all that fun poo poo. She's housebroken, doesn't jump on furniture or people, gets along with cats and dogs, and really seems happy to see me. People who get puppies spend ten or fifteen years waiting to get a dog this good. And I got her for a song. I am so with you. Young animals are the biggest pains in the rear end. If I ever get a dog or get another horse, I'm getting a quiet well mannered adult  When Ender and Portia (rabbits) die, I want to adopt a herd of adult buns, probably over the age of 4 at least and let them live a content life.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 02:24
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 14:22 |
|
|
Voodoofly posted:Despite all of his behavior classifying him as feline, we have been assured he is in fact a dog. Our best guess is he is a poodle/westie mix, but if anyone else thinks they might have a better guess, I'd love to hear it. Don't have a better guess, just an affirmation. First thought with the first picture was poodle mix and by the second picture I was thinking westie x poodle.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2011 04:11
|
|
