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MrFurious posted:He's allowed to be scared of something other than dogs or people. Sometimes a scary event occurs and the dog generalizes this event to something around them that doesn't make any sense. My dog did this once when visiting a friend's house. The dishwasher was open and she was investigating the dirty dishes. Her collar snagged on the bottom rack, spooked her and she wrenched away, yanking out the rack and the dishes with a huge clamor. She generalized this to a dog bowl on the other side of the room as she was fleeing the scene because she wouldn't go near it until we spent almost 45 minutes counter-conditioning. Thanks for that. We've trimmed his nails every couple of weeks since we got him, so I don't think it's that. I hadn't considered the hot pavement thing, but he won't walk on a leash even inside the house where it's nice and cool, so I think we can probably rule that out as well. I'm actually suspecting it might be his harness - he's very passive and calm when we put it on, but it instantly makes him go from hyperactive to subdued. But then yesterday, we took him out of the car, put his harness on and put him straight onto grass, and he just wanted to run around like he didn't even know he was wearing the harness. But of course, once we've gotten across the park to the paved market, he completely stops again and won't walk without a lot of coaxing. And yeah - we've had several people warn us about the retractable leashes. Too many stories of horrible injuries to both pets and owners from the cord style designs, stories about dogs darting in front of cars while owners fumble with the lock button, lock buttons failing etc.
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Mar 4, 2013 23:28
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One of my friends is getting a puppy and she has her heart set on a Bernese Mountain Dog. I'm okay with that. She's only ever had labradors before and she lives in town with a fairly small yard, but she has about an hour a day free to exercise the dog, and she's not very confident with training but they're good-natured enough that it probably won't destroy her. She just told me her vet recommended another breed instead of a Bernese because a Bernie would be "too boisterous" for her. Keep in mind, the lady has a small house, and a small yard, on a suburban street; she works full-time; and she's an inexperienced dog owner. He told her to get a loving Anatolian Shepherd Dog. I don't know what it is with Australians and being irresponsible about large livestock guard breeds but...  Luckily she's not considering it, she came online just then all "Um, what do you know about Anatolian Shepherd Dogs?" and my hysterical reaction was more than enough to dissuade her. In related news that I don't think anybody will remember, I wasn't able to persuade my cousins to part with their "Maremma". It turned out to be a Maremma-Labrador cross, so things might turn out okay. I've seen her, she's a nice dog. I'm a bit worried because they're so proud of how "fierce" she is with strangers (wtf, six-month-old puppies aren't meant to be fierce) but hopefully the Labrador nature will temper that and she won't end up eating their friends or anything. Apparently the breeder specialises in Maremmas and Labradors, and there was an accident one day - so they're probably supporting an irresponsible breeder and they still don't have any idea what they're doing but at least the dog probably won't end up in a shelter.  ~dawgs~ Avshalom fucked around with this message at 04:48 on Mar 6, 2013 |
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Mar 6, 2013 04:46
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Avshalom posted:I'm a bit worried because they're so proud of how "fierce" she is with strangers (wtf, six-month-old puppies aren't meant to be fierce) but hopefully the Labrador nature will temper that and she won't end up eating their friends or anything. lol i hope you don't actually believe that. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Mar 6, 2013 10:28
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Topoisomerase posted:lol i hope you don't actually believe that. I'm trying to be blindly optimistic at this point.  E: Just to re-cap: My cousins got a vaguely bully-looking puppy of indeterminate breed from a shelter. I said that I thought she was part mastiff, their mother freaked out, demanded a full breed history and was told she was a bull terrier / boxer cross* (or something, it's been a few months), and promptly re-surrendered her in terror because oh my god, a bull terrier. So I was to blame for my cousins losing the puppy. A few weeks later, she went out again to find a breed that would be well-behaved, friendly, and sociable with strangers and their dogs during her numerous dinner parties, and settled on... a Maremma. You can see why I'm grasping at straws at this point.*This sounds like code for "pit bull" but I didn't tell her that because I wanted her to keep the poor thing. It was the cutest puppy, I felt awful. Avshalom fucked around with this message at 11:44 on Mar 6, 2013 |
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Mar 6, 2013 11:37
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I spent all night last night with nightmares about having bought two puppies from a pet store, and the reason it was a nightmare was I knew how angry Pet Island would be with me. So, subconscious success for this thread?
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Mar 6, 2013 20:24
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Arsenic Lupin posted:I spent all night last night with nightmares about having bought two puppies from a pet store, and the reason it was a nightmare was I knew how angry Pet Island would be with me. Don't blame us just because you didn't sleep long enough to get to the part where they died of parvo or had terrible genetic diseases at the age of 2. 
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Mar 6, 2013 20:47
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I did get to the part where they only socialized with each other and ignored humans, does that count?
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Mar 6, 2013 20:53
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Arsenic Lupin posted:I spent all night last night with nightmares about having bought two puppies from a pet store, and the reason it was a nightmare was I knew how angry Pet Island would be with me. I once had a dream that I had a whole bunch of random male and female pit bulls and they kept having puppies and I kept having to find creative and quiet ways to get rid of all of the puppies SPECIFICALLY so that pet island would not find out that I was a BYB and in the dream and I had a lot of anxiety not over the fact that there were constant puppies, but because "What If Pet Island Knew."
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Mar 6, 2013 21:11
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Edit 2: Felt retarded asking how to play with my puppy in a more exhausting way....nevermind. Enjoy a puppy pic! Edit: Here's the little nugget.... 
LeeMajors fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Mar 6, 2013 |
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Mar 6, 2013 21:32
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Hi dawg people, I have a dawg question. Firstly, this is years away. I just like to research things ages in advance. My husband grew up with terriers and has always wanted to get one at some point in his adult life. Conversely, I grew up with a GSD and don't tend to acknowledge an animal as a dog unless it's at least up to my knee at the shoulder. However, we were both talking about future dogs again recently and I started looking at different terrier breeds to see if there were any that appealed while also having a temperament/exercise match with our lifestyle. The main breed that stuck out was the Norwich Terrier. I was wondering if there were any goons - particularly UK goons - who have had any experience with this breed and could give me a better insight into this kind of dog beyond a breed standard listing on a website or a hurf-durf-choose-ur-dog questionnaire. In terms of how our life is likely to be at the point we'd be considering a dog, we would probably both be working full time or at least until 3, there would probably be a school aged kid or two, we'd have two gentleman cats and a fully fenced yard. We'd probably be doing 30min walks but would be willing to consider dog walking services during the day or a couple of doggy day care sessions per week. I would also be keen to clicker train the heck out of the dog. Basically what would suit us would be a dog that can hang out inside with us and be a well loved member of the family, but without the same high energy needs as larger dogs. Any insights here (positive or negative!) would be appreciated. I take the responsibility of pet ownership seriously and want to have a realistic view so I know if we can provide the kind of life a dog like this needs to be happy. TL/DR: omigad gonna buy a maremma so hard right now!1!!!1 SO CUUUUTE~
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Mar 11, 2013 00:56
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Would you be planning to get a puppy, and leave it until 3 alone? Terriers in general have small bladders, and can be pretty difficult to house train. AFAIK Norwich terriers are on the ' less high energy' scale, but I don't think a ~30 min walk would cut it for an adult unless you landed the laziest dog ever. It certainly wouldn't cut it for a puppy.
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Mar 11, 2013 08:11
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The puppy has been sleeping in bed with me for the last few months and done fine, until last night. At about 4 AM he woke me up like he does when I sleep in on the weekend and he decides he can't hold it anymore so he stomps on my head until I get up and he was in full on play mode. I thought it was a potty emergency but no, then I checked his food and water bowls and while he was very low on water he still had some and his food bowl was half full, I gave him some more water and he lapped it up and then back in full play trying to get me to do his favorite annoying game of chase me around the house. Finally I just said no and squirted him with a bottle of water and he stopped and let me pick him up, take him to bed and he went right back to sleep. It was so weird, the only thing that I can think of is that daylight savings time screwed with his schedule and/or the fact that I had to work this weekend and normally he gets to go to the dog park on the weekend. What I do know is this behavior can't become a thing. Any ideas of what may have caused this and the most effective way to make sure he knows that if he needs to go potty that is fine but he does not get to wake me up to play whenever he wants? Actually the potty thing really isn't fine, I know he can hold his bladder all night so potty should be "Oops, I'm seriously going to have to go potty in the bed if you don't do something now".
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Mar 11, 2013 18:55
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Tamarillo posted:Hi dawg people, I have a dawg question. Good on you for doing so much research in advance. The best thing you could do right now is go out and meet dogs of the breed/breeder you’re interested in and get a feel for what they’re like in person and how much effort they take to not be total terrorists. The internet is an endless supply of information (some good, some bad) but I’m finding that what really matters is hands on experience when getting to know a breed. Terriers aren’t renowned for being good with kids. But I’m pretty sure Norwichs are comparatively pretty mellow dogs. 30 minutes of exercise a day isn’t really ideal for any breed of dog. Dogs will learn to live with what you give them for the most part, but I would recommend that you plan for at the very least 1 hr a day. Size doesn’t have much bearing on exercise needs either, so don’t expect a smaller dog to need less from you in that regard. It’s true, my Chihuahua needs less exercise than my Australian Shepherd, but a Jack Russell will need more than a Greyhound or Wolfhound. As I always say, plan for the worst and hope for the best. If you get the world’s most energetic, reactive Norwich, would you be able to manage? If not, you might want to determine if you can a) provide more for the dog or b) look for a less demanding breed. Terriers aren't to be taken lightly, but they're cool little dogs if treated properly. Three Olives posted:The puppy has been sleeping in bed with me for the last few months and done fine, until last night. At about 4 AM he woke me up like he does when I sleep in on the weekend and he decides he can't hold it anymore so he stomps on my head until I get up and he was in full on play mode. I thought it was a potty emergency but no, then I checked his food and water bowls and while he was very low on water he still had some and his food bowl was half full, I gave him some more water and he lapped it up and then back in full play trying to get me to do his favorite annoying game of chase me around the house. First off, squirting him with water was probably a pretty useless punishment. A proper punishment is well linked to the undesirable behavior and will decrease the likelihood of it happening again. If a punishment doesn’t do this it’s at best ineffective and at worst abusive. It’s tough to get the timing and severity right, so in general it’s recommended to avoid positive punishers like that. I’d be tempted to think that it’s a one-off. If it happens again then I’d probably go back to crating for the night until he’s back to a regular sleeping pattern, then you can allow increased freedom again.
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Mar 11, 2013 19:20
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a life less posted:First off, squirting him with water was probably a pretty useless punishment. A proper punishment is well linked to the undesirable behavior and will decrease the likelihood of it happening again. If a punishment doesn’t do this it’s at best ineffective and at worst abusive. It’s tough to get the timing and severity right, so in general it’s recommended to avoid positive punishers like that. In general I try and only use positive reinforcement, the water bottle is a last resort that I pretty much only use when he won't stop barking. The issue was he wouldn't let me take him to bed and if I just tried to ignore him he would bark at me in bed. Plus it was 4AM so I wasn't all together mentally. The spraying was more cease all behavior immediately which he did, he promptly got in line and let me take him to bed. In general I'm working on that I don't want to play the can't catch me game because I have a galley kitchen open on both ends so he really can't be backed into a corner and caught.
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Mar 11, 2013 19:42
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I think I need some advice from people who know about young dogs. My mother adopted a 7 month old border collie named Harley from the humane society a few days ago, and because I don't work during the day she asked if I'd come help take care of it while she's away at work. I helped her do this with her first dog a few years ago, a now 4 year old bichon frise/shih tzu mix named Jack, so I decided I could help again and that this time would be easier because I had experience. For the most part things are going well. In only a few days household eliminations have stopped, though we're still carefully reinforcing with him to go outside. He is becoming comfortable with his crate and has no issue spending short periods of time in there and requires very minimal coaxing to enter. Chewing is still an issue but we have a couple chew toys he eagerly chews instead when offered. My previous experience with Jack helped me do things pretty smoothly with Harley, but there's only really one issue. Jack is a very relaxed and calm dog, and I can't think of any person or dog or cat that has been introduced to Jack that he hasn't gotten along with well. Normally we didn't even need to ease any introductions, he was just very friendly and playful. Being safe, we introduced Jack and Harley on neutral ground and things seemed to go well. They seemed interested in each other but when Harley got a little too close Jack snarled a bit and Harley backed off. For the first day or so their relationship was cautious and tepid. But now whenever Jack tries to go somewhere Harley moves to intercept and blocks his path, any time I try and pet Jack or Jack comes near me Harley tries to get in between, whenever Jack goes near a toy Harley swoops in to stop him, and if Jack actually picks up a toy Harley nips at him and chases him as Jack usually runs off frightened and yelping. I'm only really going off what humane society literature came with Harley and a few google searches, and I read we should remain neutral and let the dogs sort out their own hierarchy, and that some things like snarling and nipping are normal. And in these couple days neither dog has actually injured the other (not physically anyway). My experience with Jack gave me some confidence for helping take care of Harley but I must confess I haven't actually tried to socialize two dogs before. I'm not sure what constitutes normal dog interactions and what might be signs we need a behavioral therapist. I'm trying to remain neutral and not baby or defend Jack but it's pretty emotionally exhausting to see him get what appears to a human to just be bullied. I'm trying to reward them both when they're calm around each other and not feuding, but I haven't seen any signs of friendliness. I know it has only been a few days but it seems discouraging because things only seem to be getting worse as Harley becomes more assertive over Jack. Is there anything I should be doing to help smooth over their relationship? Is this normal or is it an indication of emotional or behavioral problems that need to be worked through?
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Mar 12, 2013 03:04
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Baron Von Pigeon posted:Is there anything I should be doing to help smooth over their relationship? Is this normal or is it an indication of emotional or behavioral problems that need to be worked through? I did speculate I might have to ban toys with TyTy the BC in the house, but it was more about a worry she might play constantly and not rest with toys available and as this is not the case, we still have toys. I might actually pick all of them up, if I deemed it necessary to keep the peace while we have dogs visiting.
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Mar 12, 2013 05:53
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Well Cooper did it again this morning at around the same time he decide to get out of get out of bed by himself without intentionally waking me up so that's better but got up to see what it was about and he was just chilling on the sofa chewing one of his soft toys, he came back to bed about an hour later but barked to make me pick him up instead of using his stairs. It's better than last night but I don't like this behavior. I guess I am going to have to try crating him again unless someone has other ideas. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Mar 13, 2013 |
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Mar 12, 2013 16:47
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Crossposting this in the cat faq thread as well. We just rescued a little chihuahua for our house about a month ago, and ever since he's been here, my cats have been very put off. They hide in the bedroom, where the dog isn't allowed, all day, and they've recently been on a hunger strike, eating maybe 1/3 of the food they usually eat. The dog is not agressive at all to them, he chased after them once or twice but honestly he seems to be more afraid of them than anything and lets them walk right by him. I've tried closing the bedroom off to the cats during the day to force them to socialize, but they still find places to hide, like on top of the washing machine, where I guess they feel safe. Obviously the cats have been here for years longer than the dog and I feel bad that they feel like they don't have control of the house anymore, but the dog isn't doing anything to provoke, challenge, or upset them so I don't know how to remedy the situation. I've tried holding the cats on me while the dog lays nearby to show that he won't do anything to them, he'll just sit about 3 feet away and try not to make eye contact while the cat is hissing/growling on me. I figured this would eventually desensitize them towards each other, but it's been a month and it's still the same old same old. Again, the biggest problem is that the cats are losing weight, they were kind of fat anyway so it's not like they're starving to death or anything, but they definitely aren't eating and they've lost enough weight that it's noticeable. I want to fix this situation before it gets dire, and I really don't want to have to get rid of the dog. Any advice?
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Mar 16, 2013 22:22
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What do you do about a puppy who keeps bringing in stuff from the backyard?
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Mar 17, 2013 03:02
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Surgeon General posted:What do you do about a puppy who keeps bringing in stuff from the backyard?
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Mar 17, 2013 08:09
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So I adopted this puppy from an [American] south-to-north rescue/transport last week. She arrives on March 30th, and will be approximately 12 weeks old. She will be spayed (not thrilled about having her spayed so early, but it's the policy of most shelters in the South, from what I understand) and have her first round of puppy shots/deworming. Here she is at 9 weeks, still being fostered in Tennessee:  I feel like I'm pretty well prepared for this puppy. I've spoken to her foster mother extensively on the phone so I have some idea of what she's like (energetic, apparently), and I've lurked PI for quite some time. I'm also starting to research dog training and behavior more thoroughly and recently read The Power of Positive Dog Training as well as Before and After Getting Your Puppy and The Other Side of the Leash (I've got a lot more books to go). We're going to clicker train, and I'm really interested in obedience training with her - nothing competition-style, just for fun for the two of us. I'm also interested in hiking and running with her, but I understand that I should probably wait until she her growth plates have fused before we run? Going to ask my vet about this. I work at a dog daycare so I am excited to ease her in to coming to work with me. Anyway, I'm mostly posting this here to ask two questions: one, am I planning her introduction to my daycare incorrectly? I would like to bring her as often as possible but I know that it can be overwhelming for some dogs to come too often, especially as puppies. I am planning to ease her into it taking a few days off when I get her and bringing her by for short periods of time on those days, letting her get used to the smell of the place and interact with some of the calmer dogs around her size, then more dogs, etc. I may also grab a blanket from work beforehand so she can smell the other dogs at home first. We will be crate training so when I resume working I will bring her crate with me so that she can rest if she gets overwhelmed or tired. I would like to strike a balance between keeping her comfortable/not overwhelming her and getting her socialized, exercised, and not leaving her alone for long periods of time. I work six days a week. I will probably start by bringing her two to three days a week and see how she does, then adjust accordingly - we have puppies around her age come in and they hang out with similarly sized dogs and generally have a blast. I also work five minutes from my home, so can go home on my lunch break. Am I missing/overlooking anything here? Two: anyone have any idea what breeds she may be? Her mother was apparently a German Shepherd, and I think I see some Rottweiler in there as well. The way her tail curls makes me think she might have some husky or another spitz-type in there as well. It doesn't matter to me beyond having a general idea of temperament and health issues to look out for. Thanks! Her name is Valkyrie, by the way. e: also, I will be slowly switching her over from the foster's food to Wellness Core puppy formula. Fingers crossed the transition goes smoothly and she doesn't turn out to be grain- and chicken-intolerant like my parents' dog... Lady Charlemagne fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Mar 19, 2013 |
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Mar 19, 2013 03:06
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I don't see any Rottie in there. The ears scream hound to me. The daycare introductions sound about right. I'd probably introduce her to one dog at first, and contingent on her being alright with it, introduce her to one or two more individually, then two together, three, etc. She'll probably be fine, 'cause puppies are resilient. I'd be more concerned about her getting enough sleep in a daycare environment. If you can bring a crate and keep her in it between play sessions for some napping it'd probably be best. In my experience, puppies can go all day, but they get ornery, demanding and don't learn how to settle if you don't force it a bit when they're young. From what I remember of when my dog was a pup, it normally ended up being a rotation of 1 hr play, 1 hr sleep, 1/2 hr play, 1/2 hr sleep, 2 hrs play, 2 hrs sleep, etc.
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Mar 19, 2013 12:11
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Lady Charlemagne posted:So I adopted this puppy from an [American] south-to-north rescue/transport last week. She arrives on March 30th, and will be approximately 12 weeks old. She will be spayed (not thrilled about having her spayed so early, but it's the policy of most shelters in the South, from what I understand) What's your issue with the early spay? Like ALL said, I think your plan for the daycare is probably fine, but there are a few things that aren't clear. What happens to her on the days where she isn't coming with you? Is someone there to watch her and take her out? She is not old enough to hold her bladder for 8 hours, so that could be a real problem. You say you can come home on your lunch break, but with a puppy that young I'm not sure that's enough. You might be fine, but you might struggle too. If it were me I'd just crate her at work in an isolated area and spend time with her when you can and make sure she gets appropriate potty breaks. Also, I personally believe a lot of daycares do not match playgroups well for dogs, or have far too many dogs in an area at once. I'm not trying to call you out, but if you work at a place that has a large room with some toys and 15+ dogs in the room at a time with one or two people supervising, that is NOT a good socialization environment for a puppy.
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Mar 19, 2013 15:04
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MrFurious posted:What's your issue with the early spay? I am concerned about the early spay just because I don't know what breeds she is - I've heard some breeds benefit from later spays, is all. Mostly I'm just happy she will be spayed, and I'm happy the rescue has that policy. Regarding keeping her at home, that is what I was hoping to hear, honestly. I would vastly prefer to bring her to work every day and have her crated when she needs it (probably most of the time at first). I was just concerned it might be too much for her at first but we definitely have quiet spaces for her to rest. My shifts are also only six hours long. Your crating advice sounds good. I know a large group of boisterous dogs is not a good way to socialize a puppy. We have smaller groups, especially for puppies. She will also not be in a play group per se until she is ready - I'm going to follow a life less' advice to get her acclimated and when she isn't crated I will be with her in a smaller room with a few appropriate dogs or in the office with me. My work has agreed to let me do this. Thank you for your advice! A life less, I'm on a phone so it is a pain to quote more than one post but thanks for your advice as well!
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Mar 19, 2013 15:53
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MrFurious posted:Also, I personally believe a lot of daycares do not match playgroups well for dogs, or have far too many dogs in an area at once. I'm not trying to call you out, but if you work at a place that has a large room with some toys and 15+ dogs in the room at a time with one or two people supervising, that is NOT a good socialization environment for a puppy. I understand what you're saying, but I think it is still possible for the dog to benefit from the daycare if that is where you work and can control things a bit, which it sounds like Lady Charlemagne will do. I worked at a kennel/daycare that did daycare this way and Dex came to work with me to all the shifts since I got him. He was never in the group without me there and between outings he rested in the break room with other staff dogs. Because he was constantly in groups of 15-40 dogs (I know it is way too many dogs but I was a lowly employee, not the boss, and the higher amount was when we combined daycare with boarding dogs) he gives no shits about other dogs and has awesome dealing-with-rude-dog skills. Added bonus is that being off leash around other dogs does not automatically mean playtime in his mind and now when he's off leash for agility or flyball it is no big deal. Basically to sum it up, I believe that if you know what you are doing, you can turn the lovely daycare situation into good socialization.
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Mar 19, 2013 16:07
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Lady Charlemagne posted:I am concerned about the early spay just because I don't know what breeds she is - I've heard some breeds benefit from later spays, is all. Mostly I'm just happy she will be spayed, and I'm happy the rescue has that policy. There is little to no solid evidence to support this claim, but I see it sported anecdotally frequently. WDJ even had an article last month on early spay and neuter. I'm usually encouraging people to read their articles, and I still think their training articles (usually by Pat Miller) are very good, but this article last month was absolute garbage with absolutely no science and pure opinion. I've commented on early spay and neuter in the OP and SkeptVet has actually been focusing on it in his blog recently. Here are some links if you'd like to read more: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/02/benefits-and-risks-of-neutering-an-evidence-update-neutering-and-urinary-incontinence-in-female-dogs/ http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/02/benefits-and-risks-of-neutering-an-evidence-update-neutering-and-mammary-cancer-in-female-dogs/ http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/02/be...den-retreivers/ The bottom line is that, for the time being, a lot of the studies in the past on this have been flawed, but the ones that pass today's muster seem to indicate benefits for females if they are spayed early. Males are more ambiguous. However, I'll point out that most people believe that spaying early can lead to incontinence, and the data we have today actually does not show any evidence of that. cryingscarf posted:Basically to sum it up, I believe that if you know what you are doing, you can turn the lovely daycare situation into good socialization.
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Mar 19, 2013 17:36
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MrFurious posted:There is little to no solid evidence to support this claim, but I see it sported anecdotally frequently. WDJ even had an article last month on early spay and neuter. I'm usually encouraging people to read their articles, and I still think their training articles (usually by Pat Miller) are very good, but this article last month was absolute garbage with absolutely no science and pure opinion. I've commented on early spay and neuter in the OP and SkeptVet has actually been focusing on it in his blog recently. Here are some links if you'd like to read more: Thank you for these, I will definitely check the articles out. MrFurious posted:I think I agree, but if the individual in question is low on the food chain at a place that mixes dogs in that fashion with little to no other background, I have doubts as to whether they are qualified to be evaluating good playmates to begin with. If they were that capable, they'd be making more money as a real trainer somewhere else. I have enough control at my job to not be worried about this. I may not be a real trainer, but I am working on it.
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Mar 19, 2013 17:58
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About the only breeds you really need to worry about what you're talking about in are giant/biggg breeds. While I'm wary of super early spay (I worry about pups getting infected easier and stuff, it's dumb wary) I really doubt it's applicable in your case. That's one cute pup though.
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Mar 19, 2013 18:06
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:About the only breeds you really need to worry about what you're talking about in are giant/biggg breeds. While I'm wary of super early spay (I worry about pups getting infected easier and stuff, it's dumb wary) I really doubt it's applicable in your case. That's one cute pup though. Hey Fluffy Bunnies, is this something you can "see"? Like, if you were shown two pictures of great danes at 3 years old, one who was neutered at 4 months and one at 2 years, do you think you'd be able to tell the difference?
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Mar 19, 2013 22:31
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Invalid Octopus posted:Hey Fluffy Bunnies, is this something you can "see"? Like, if you were shown two pictures of great danes at 3 years old, one who was neutered at 4 months and one at 2 years, do you think you'd be able to tell the difference? Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. Like he said, it's kind of lovely data because in one corner you have crazy show people who won't neuter the animal for anything and in the other you have crazy rescue ladies that would neuter puppies coming out of the womb if they could with not a lot in the middle. Generally speaking, the danes I've seen that were allowed to keep themselves intact through maturity tend to be more filled out, more muscular and it is supposed to help joints/bones/etc grow together better. I have seen some danes neutered at 6 months not turn into weird looking danes/danes with problems, but the problem then becomes would the dane have looked smaller/less well put together even if the animal hadn't been altered. The studies are completely inconclusive and it's hard to get a solid yes or no to that answer because of that, the big variety in great dane lines and a lot of people not wanting to say "yes it is helpful" and then have a puppy explosion. If you ask the breeders I work with? They'd tell you yes without hesitation. I'm still a little reserved about it all. Among the vast majority of dane people I've talked to/worked with/dealt with (whatever) it's firmly believed with or without data, just from their experience. In their opinion it is something they can see, in my own-I'm still learning and while I do see it happen, I don't have enough experience personally to say it's because of spaying/castrating too early.
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Mar 19, 2013 23:09
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So I wanted to pop in here and ask for any recommendations for doggy supplies! I will be getting a new pup in about 8-9 weeks when the school semester is over and I'm planning out some toys and other items to spoil my little guy. Can anyone recommend some quality coats / harnesses to look into? As well as some good puppy toys?
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Mar 21, 2013 02:08
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These nubby nylabone dinosaurs are great for teething pups: http://www.amazon.com/Nylabone-Durable-Dental-Dinosaur-Varies/dp/B000084E6V They're a lot more durable than regular nylabones which power chewing dogs tend to turn quickly into spikes. We got one for our pup when we brought her home last July and she still has it. Mind you the head is now a round amorphous blob...but it's still going strong despite her efforts. Tiny Faye fucked around with this message at 06:38 on Mar 21, 2013 |
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Mar 21, 2013 06:34
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Etrips posted:So I wanted to pop in here and ask for any recommendations for doggy supplies! I will be getting a new pup in about 8-9 weeks when the school semester is over and I'm planning out some toys and other items to spoil my little guy. Can anyone recommend some quality coats / harnesses to look into? As well as some good puppy toys? If you're looking for a no-pull harness, the Sense-a-tion is the best in my opinion. If you're looking for a more standard harness, I like the Ruffwear harnesses. The fit can be just a little bit tricky, but they're pretty durable and they look sharp too.
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Mar 21, 2013 14:55
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Etrips posted:So I wanted to pop in here and ask for any recommendations for doggy supplies! I will be getting a new pup in about 8-9 weeks when the school semester is over and I'm planning out some toys and other items to spoil my little guy. Can anyone recommend some quality coats / harnesses to look into? As well as some good puppy toys? It depends on what you're looking for with harnesses and toys. My go-to for budget-friendly dog toys is the petsmart clearance bins (hit or miss! but sometimes there's great finds) and thrift stores for their partially deflated worn out basketballs, footballs or kickballs. I always tell people to not buy more than one of each "type" of toy (rope toy, stuffed toy, plastic chew, rubber toy, interactive food toy etc) for the puppy to try out at home before splurging too much. When I got Dexter, I showed him the toys in Petsmart and he loved everything, but after a week he completely ignored the rubber toys and nylabones I bought for him and it was kind of a waste because I went overboard buying the things he seemed to like at the store. Start basic, work up the toy collection so you have a toy box full of awesome toys rather than ignored toys  For the coats, I recommend the fleece dog hoodie by Casual Canine. http://www.petedge.com/product/Casual-Canine-Basic-Fleece-Dog-Hoodies/55822.uts It velcros down the chest of the dog so you don't have to put the hoodie over his head (like, it does on like a person puts on a jacket. Put "arms" in and close up the front, if that makes sense). It is also nice and warm without being too bulky. It has also held up really well even after 3 or 4 washes.
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Mar 21, 2013 16:12
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e:nm
Leopold N. Loeb fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Oct 28, 2013 |
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Mar 21, 2013 21:42
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Leopold N. Loeb posted:Any tips for acclimating an adorable mixed breed pup from the local no-kill to our lovable, hyper, 14-month old, 55-lb. dog? Go slowly? Are you having a specific problem?
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Mar 22, 2013 02:27
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e:nm
Leopold N. Loeb fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Oct 28, 2013 |
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Mar 22, 2013 05:41
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Leopold N. Loeb posted:No, but our boy Eugene is hyper. Super friendly, but still acts like a puppy. He doesn't seem to understand that he is bigger than smaller dogs, and it is a bit worrisome. Most dogs(and our cats as well)will let him know when he oversteps his bounds, and he is quick to back off when he sees that the other animal is agitated or agressive. But I was just wondering if anyone had any tips. Right now, we are just keeping a close eye on them both, and letting them take it slow. Have Eugene drag a leash when the two romp. If he isn't taking cues properly, remove him from the situation and give him a chance to calm down. Make sure you that you feel confident that you know what signals to be watching for. If you aren't seeing role reversals or if Eugene is constantly instigating and initiating while the puppy is doing things like turning away or flinching each time, then you need to intervene. I wish I had some links to post for good examples, but I don't off the top of my head and I don't have the time to go searching at the moment unfortunately. Maybe someone else will be by to provide something.
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Mar 22, 2013 15:31
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My boy Domani is moving in with me and my husband next weekend. Cliffs notes version: Mom picked out Domani when I was in high school. He was (mostly) her dog, but also the family dog, if that makes sense. My mom passed away just over a year ago, so Domani stayed with my dad (which honestly has been great--my dad needed the company since I live in another state, plus I know Domani was grieving too). Anyways, my dad is going to be doing some long-term travel and doesn't want to worry about looking after him while he tries to close some business deals, so next weekend, my dad is dropping him off with us. Anyway, he is a 12 year old, 12 pound bichon frise. I know the particulars of taking care of him (he needs grooming every 6-8 weeks, prescription food which my dad is bringing, and he loves routine). However, what's the best way to get him acclimated? He knows me, and he's met my husband when we went up to see my dad. But our house will be unfamiliar to him. We do have a fenced-in backyard so we won't have to put him on a chain when he goes potty. Also, the routines he is used to will be shaken. My dad is retired, so he has been home all day with the dog for the most part. My husband and I both work full time, and neither of us are able to come home and let him out during the day. When my mom was alive, she usually crated him when she was at work but she was able to come home at lunch to let him out to pee. I'm pretty nervous about leaving him crated for 8+ hours some days, but he has a mischievous streak and if he isn't he gets into stuff if no one is directly watching him. We also don't really have anyone we trust enough to come by to let him out during the day. Can you guys give me any pointers about the crating issue? I love my boy so much, and I'm so excited that I'm getting custody of him for awhile! Me and my dad pretty much agreed to pass him back and forth from now on. He is so snuggly and cheerful and will be good company because my husband works weekends a lot.
Hip Hoptimus Prime fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Mar 27, 2013 |
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Mar 27, 2013 01:08
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| # ? May 13, 2024 23:02 |
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Nvm.
cheese eats mouse fucked around with this message at 01:02 on Mar 29, 2013 |
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Mar 27, 2013 17:33
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