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Don't forget the financial impacts of two puppies at the same time. You can pretty safely bet that the ownership costs estimated in the OP will be accurate and then tack on another 50% for the second dog.
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Jun 11, 2013 14:54
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My neighbour got two JRT sisters, one developed crazy anxiety and riled the other one up constantly into a back and forth insanity contest until they rehomed one of them. Just don't do it man, don't do it.
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Jun 11, 2013 14:55
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Dr. Freeman posted:Are Great Pyrenees considered aggressive breeds? They frequently become aggressive when they're kept in apartments without any livestock to guard.
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Jun 11, 2013 16:38
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Is there any particular reason why puppy vaccinations are spread out so much? Currently on the third distemper vaccination and due for another in three weeks plus rabies / lyme. Kind of feel like my vet is just making us come back again and again to get an extra $40 per visit.
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Jun 11, 2013 18:22
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Etrips posted:Is there any particular reason why puppy vaccinations are spread out so much? Currently on the third distemper vaccination and due for another in three weeks plus rabies / lyme. Kind of feel like my vet is just making us come back again and again to get an extra $40 per visit. Topoisomerase answered this question recently in the thread. It's not a ploy to squeeze more money out of you. It has to do with how a dam's antibodies fade in young puppies. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3471773&userid=114370#post414850980 Topoisomerase posted:The thing with puppies and vaccinations is that they are born with some immunity (a short-lasting type of antibodies) from their mothers and also acquire more after birth through nursing. These antibodies start to decline between 6-8 weeks or so after birth and should basically wear off by 12-16 weeks. The time in between this is a vulnerable time, so that's when we begin the vaccine series. However, there is some level of inherent biological feedback such that the puppy's immune system will not fully respond to the vaccinations due to the continued presence of the immunity from the mother. Since both generation of immunity and the wearing off of the maternal immunity are continuous processes, we can't really say that the puppies are fully protected during this time despite receiving the vaccinations. So that's a part of the reasoning behind the historical recommendation that puppies not be taken out until after the final vaccines. Another part is what Rixatrix said, and still another part is that to a point, each set of boosters causes an exponential increase in immunity due to different types of antibodies being formed.
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Jun 11, 2013 18:30
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a life less posted:Topoisomerase answered this question recently in the thread. It's not a ploy to squeeze more money out of you. It has to do with how a dam's antibodies fade in young puppies. Ah, thank you very much.
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Jun 11, 2013 18:31
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Etrips posted:Is there any particular reason why puppy vaccinations are spread out so much? Currently on the third distemper vaccination and due for another in three weeks plus rabies / lyme. Kind of feel like my vet is just making us come back again and again to get an extra $40 per visit. When a puppy is born they essentially have two immune systems - theirs, which doesn't know how to do anything but can learn and is replaceable, and their mom's, which knows how to defend against certain diseases (like, say, Parvo), but cannot be replaced within the pup and slowly recedes. As long as mom's immune system is active (and assuming mom was properly immune to disease to begin with), it will fight off infection. The pup's immune system won't learn anything. However, going with the Parvo example, if mom was immune, so shall be pup... in the short term. As mom's immune system in the pup degrades, the pup's immune system has to start taking over. However, it doesn't know how to protect against things because mom's has been doing all the work. Vaccinations are done in series for Parvo and Distemper because those are very infectious and very serious diseases. Mom's immune system can recede anywhere from 8-16 weeks of age, and there's no good way of predicting that (I'm actually not aware of any way, but I figure there's special lab analyses that can give a better estimate that's not valuable to pets). So, vaccines are given for Distemper/Parvo every 2-4 weeks until 16 weeks to try and catch that exact spot where mom's immune system is not active (and thus won't inactivate the vaccine) so the pup's can learn from it, but before they get exposed to the disease. Starting time and period between shots vary between clinic due to the prevalence of the diseases in the area - Parvo is extremely prevalent where I'm at, and if I know that a housemate died of Parvo I might do every two week vaccination to try and keep the Parvo away, whereas normal clinic timing is 3-4 weeks. Once 16 weeks is hit, then vaccines for Rabies etc. are done, because though important, they're not as acutely dangerous to the 12 week old pup and so are done when we know the pup will learn from the vaccine to decrease number of vaccines given. Edit: Dang, so much effort and I was efb AGES AGO
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Jun 11, 2013 18:40
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Hey, thanks for that, actually. That's a really good way of explaining to potential adopters why they need to come back for vaccinations/why the vaccinations happen like that.
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Jun 11, 2013 19:26
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Why is it that America usually(?) gives vaccs 8-16 weeks and England gives them 8 and 10/11 weeks?
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Jun 11, 2013 19:30
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What's the acceptable way of dealing with another dog coming up and loving with you and your dog? I used to live in the ghetto and once in a while when walking my dog, we'd get attacked by some random loose pitbull. Or sometimes a dog busting out the front screen door of someone's house, or jumping the fence and trying to attack us. Usually I can push them away with my foot or grab them by their collar until they lose interest, but I've been lucky that any 'dogfights' only last a few seconds and nobody's gotten cut open or anything. Worst case my dog (120lb Bullmastiff) goes home scared and then she doesn't want to go outside for the rest of the week. I had this dream where I spin-kicked a dog and knocked it out like I was Jean-Claude Van Damme. In the dream someone caught it on a camera phone and it went viral and I got arrested etc. We don't live in the ghetto anymore and now we live in a subdivision and a lot of people just let their dogs run around their yards without a leash or a fence. So we really only walk about halfway around the block because I don't know if the dogs are going to stay in their yard, and I don't want to be the new guy in the neighborhood who hit a guys dog because they were fighting my dog. Our dog gets along great with other strange dogs on a one-on-one basis at the park or at someone's home. But I don't want to pay a vet bill or someone else's vet bill because a dog ran out of someone's yard and started fighting with her.
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Jun 11, 2013 19:37
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Bob Morales posted:What's the acceptable way of dealing with another dog coming up and loving with you and your dog? There are a few dogs like that in my neighborhood, and my dog is reactive. I usually shout at them if they're approaching - they typically will stop or slow down, put myself between them and my dog, then tell them in a loud voice either 'leave it' or 'go home'. Carrying a walking stick can help if you need to fend a dog off, or spray shield/direct stop (citronella spray animal deterrent).
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Jun 11, 2013 20:49
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Also, if it came down to it I would feel no shame about kicking a dog. Seriously, no one's going to take you to court because you kicked their unleashed dog that was attacking you/your dog. And while it would be a nice gesture to pay their vet bill, I suppose (because it's not the dog's fault his owners are retarded) again, you're not liable because they're idiots who don't supervise their pets.
Silly Hippie fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 11, 2013 22:49
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MrFurious posted:Take a look at the OP of the training thread. I've got a post linked in there on mat work. I'd start very quiet and run through at least a few days of the relaxation protocol. Then I'd start back at day 1 with the window open to let in some other sounds. Radio, television, whatever it is that causes some issues. Make sure you start with the stimulus at very low effect. So, for example, if the TV causes him problems, keep it at a low volume and work in a separate room where you can barely hear it and slowly increase from there by either getting closer or turning up the volume. I feel kind of silly I made that post, because I *know* how to handle what's going on, but I was really feeling overwhelmed and needed to ask for help. I worked on reacting to noises today, he did really well 
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Jun 12, 2013 04:07
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Can I talk about weird behavior my puppy does? He never lefts his leg to pee. Ever. He kind of just lowers his crotch and goes, which is kind of annoying when he stops randomly on our walks until I hear/see the pee. Now I googled around and found that lifting a leg to pee is kind of a dominance/marking territory thing, and that a dog that only pees through the crouch method tend to be submissive and kind of a wussy (frankly, a very accurate description of my pup). I suppose this is a good thing because I definitely don't want an aggressive dog that I'm constantly disciplining or having problems with. Should I be concerned in anyway? He's still very friendly and sociable to other dogs and people, but as soon as any other dogs shows some aggression/dominance hes instantly on his back. He still tries to hump the occasional dog though. Away all Goats fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Jun 12, 2013 |
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Jun 12, 2013 20:10
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Away all Goats posted:Can I talk about weird behavior my puppy does? Linus does the leg lift maybe 60% of the time. He also wusses out most of the time when another dog challenges his bullshit. I wouldn't be concerned.
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Jun 12, 2013 20:14
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Away all Goats posted:Can I talk about weird behavior my puppy does? How old is your puppy? Leg lifting is a learned behaviour. Some dogs learn it early, and some never do. Don't worry about whether your pup lifts his leg or not. If he does, just keep an eye on him so he doesn't develop inappropriate marking behaviour. Some dogs are definitely more concerned with status and marking than other dogs, but you can't make any accurate assertions about a dog's individual personality based on his pee style. The longer a dog is left intact the more likely he'll begin marking. Considering what a problem behaviour it can be a good reason to neuter earlier. Fun fact: My intact female Chihuahua is a big marker. She lifts her leg to pee. She's naturally a timid, nervous dog. My other dog, my spayed female Aussie, has learned from the other dog to lift her leg sometimes, though still isn't concerned with marking.
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Jun 12, 2013 20:27
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My 2 year old dog never lifts his leg to pee normally, but always lifts his leg when he's marking other dog's pee spots on walks. He is a corgi and has short legs and who knows what goes through his little brain. I've never worried about it.
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Jun 13, 2013 01:37
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Frankie (who was neutered when he was practically a fetus because the rescue made me) didn't lift his leg on things until Moses started doing it when he hit dog puberty. Now, he only does it when he is intentionally peeing over another dog's pee, OR when he notices someone is watching him pee. (During the latter, he will begin by squatting, then once he notices he is being stared at, will slooooowly lift one of his legs while staring at you very sincerely. Because you saw him.  )
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Jun 13, 2013 02:30
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Well I kinda just let Scuda the baby Cane Corso meet Chloe the adult pug/terrier mix a little more "naturally" than you guys recommended. It's worked out great so far, after some initial nervousness and food guarding on Chloe's part, they now get along quite well. They play in the back yard together and a little while ago Chloe actually helped Scuda get past our cat Lula. Lula isn't too happy about the new addition to the household, though she and Chloe get along fine. Lula was blocking Scuda's way in the hallway to our bedroom and growled when the pup got close to her. Chloe, on our side of the doorway, whined and yipped at Lula and did a few little rushes until Scuda finally walked nonchalantly past the cat and into the bedroom. Chloe at that point chased Lula back into the kitchen. It was an interesting dynamic.
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Jun 13, 2013 03:12
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HelloSailorSign posted:Edit: Dang, so much effort and I was efb AGES AGO  But you're better at explaining things succinctly.
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Jun 13, 2013 08:25
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Away all Goats posted:He never lefts his leg to pee. Ever. He kind of just lowers his crotch and goes, which is kind of annoying when he stops randomly on our walks until I hear/see the pee. Now I googled around and found that lifting a leg to pee is kind of a dominance/marking territory thing, and that a dog that only pees through the crouch method tend to be submissive and kind of a wussy (frankly, a very accurate description of my pup). I suppose this is a good thing because I definitely don't want an aggressive dog that I'm constantly disciplining or having problems with.
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Jun 13, 2013 09:01
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Martello posted:Well I kinda just let Scuda the baby Cane Corso meet Chloe the adult pug/terrier mix a little more "naturally" than you guys recommended. It's worked out great so far, after some initial nervousness and food guarding on Chloe's part, they now get along quite well. They play in the back yard together and a little while ago Chloe actually helped Scuda get past our cat Lula. Lula isn't too happy about the new addition to the household, though she and Chloe get along fine. Lula was blocking Scuda's way in the hallway to our bedroom and growled when the pup got close to her. Chloe, on our side of the doorway, whined and yipped at Lula and did a few little rushes until Scuda finally walked nonchalantly past the cat and into the bedroom. Chloe at that point chased Lula back into the kitchen. It was an interesting dynamic. You should read this: http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/preventing-dog-bites Specifically bullet number 5.
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Jun 13, 2013 14:32
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Rixatrix posted:My puppy is an obnoxious rear end in a top hat teenager who challenges the gently caress out of other dogs if I let him. He never lifts his leg to pee even though he's not neutered. This annoys me to no end, because more often than not he ends up peeing on one of his forelegs. I'm with you on that one, my pup always manages to either wee on his back paw or steps in it as soon as he heads forward afterwards
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Jun 13, 2013 14:40
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Cross-posting from the picture thread but my puppy turns 1 today! I wouldn't trade the last 10 months for anything. When we brought him home for the first time.  But now he's all grown up. He loves keeping others off his lawn from inside...  Finding shady/muddy/grass to lay down in...  Or best of all, cuddling with us. 
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Jun 13, 2013 15:26
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MrFurious posted:You should read this: http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/preventing-dog-bites How exactly does that apply to my post? I didn't use the term "I think it will be okay" if you go back and read it. I was just reporting a successful introduction and good relationship between the two dogs. They sleep and play together now, of course under constant supervision. I don't "think" it will be okay, I know it will. And I'm not sure how dog bites have anything to do with the situation. Not trying to be an rear end in a top hat, I just legitimately don't know why you posted that.
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Jun 13, 2013 17:53
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Martello posted:How exactly does that apply to my post? I didn't use the term "I think it will be okay" if you go back and read it. I was just reporting a successful introduction and good relationship between the two dogs. They sleep and play together now, of course under constant supervision. I don't "think" it will be okay, I know it will. And I'm not sure how dog bites have anything to do with the situation. Not trying to be an rear end in a top hat, I just legitimately don't know why you posted that. Because you need to take these things slowly and carefully when introducing dogs. You just kind of winged it, and there were some issues with how it went (body blocking can really piss some dogs off) and while it may seem like it went smoothly, who knows how it will play out long term.
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Jun 13, 2013 20:22
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wtftastic posted:Because you need to take these things slowly and carefully when introducing dogs. You just kind of winged it, and there were some issues with how it went (body blocking can really piss some dogs off) and while it may seem like it went smoothly, who knows how it will play out long term. Who said anything about body blocking? Lula is a cat:  These are Chloe and Scuda, respectively:   Does that article still somehow apply to my story? And I didn't "wing" it, I introduced them the way I've always introduced Chloe to a friend's dog, with the same results. Except this time Scuda isn't ever leaving.
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Jun 13, 2013 21:52
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How I introduced the puppy to Lola: brought puppy on the yard with me, brought Lola out, let them say hi, everyone went inside. Stop spergin, goons.
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Jun 13, 2013 21:56
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Martello posted:Does that article still somehow apply to my story? And I didn't "wing" it, I introduced them the way I've always introduced Chloe to a friend's dog, with the same results. Except this time Scuda isn't ever leaving. The point of the article is that these introductions should be careful and that the pace should be set by the behaviors of the dogs in question. By your own admission, you didn't do it this way, and it worked out anyways. That's great! But what if it hadn't? The potential danger is that if it doesn't go great, it can deteriorate very rapidly and the consequences can be anything from a mild snapping fight with no injuries, to a redirection bite at you, or even a longstanding issue between the dogs, all because that first introduction wasn't handled well. The fact that "Scuda isn't even leaving" is exactly why you should be careful and take it slowly. Fraction posted:How I introduced the puppy to Lola: brought puppy on the yard with me, brought Lola out, let them say hi, everyone went inside.
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Jun 13, 2013 22:15
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Is there a way to train my dog to 'lead' when walking? I feel like a douchebag walking around with her behind me and her leash almost-taught because she wont walk in front of me. She has short legs, but she keeps up. It would be nice to be able to tell when shes going to get nose-lock on some insignificant piece of bark on the ground and make me jank to a stop like an idiot. even just making her walk faster during a walk would be great.
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Jun 14, 2013 05:05
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What's a good calming activity to start settling down for bedtime? I've been rewarding Ticco for going to his bed and laying down in it, but he seems to take a long long time to get that it's not playtime. The issue is he'll settle a bit for a minute then pop back up and grab a toy to throw at me. The issue I ran into last night was he was in his bed, laying down, but staying super alert and focused on me, waiting for the next thing we were going to do, then he'd get frustrated and gruff when nothing happened. I've been teaching/rewarding "sit" "down" "bed" inside, and I'm not interacting with his toys inside so hopefully he'll learn indoors is a quiet space. He's getting a couple hours exercise in the afternoon, including training outdoors, then we come in and I try to start getting him to cool down. He's a very busy dog, very alert and active. I've only had him since Sunday so he's still getting used to his new home and routine, but nobody's gone to sleep comfortably, and nobody's slept the night through. Edit: I don't think a Kong with frozen PB or whatever would be good, because a Kong would fall under the !!TOY!! category and get him riled up. He'll occasionally work on a bone stuffed with turkey, I'm going to try getting him into that tonight. Fat Dio fucked around with this message at 11:56 on Jun 14, 2013 |
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Jun 14, 2013 11:27
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There was some discussion earlier about getting two dogs at once and them being littermates. We adopted two mountain curs (Izzy and Ibsen) about 10 days ago. They were found on the side of the road about 8 months ago and spent their time at a foster farm before being adopted to us. We were told they were siblings and might even be purebred, but there was really no way of knowing (short of some kind of testing, I'm sure). After spending a week at our house they really started to open up and now they're play fighting with each other. The talk of littermate syndrome and sibling dogs fighting with each other has me a bit worried. Here are a couple videos of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gASebq4mblo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKkVpJqdcNY Is that a problem or is it just playful?
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Jun 14, 2013 14:05
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Crumps Brother posted:There was some discussion earlier about getting two dogs at once and them being littermates. We adopted two mountain curs (Izzy and Ibsen) about 10 days ago. They were found on the side of the road about 8 months ago and spent their time at a foster farm before being adopted to us. We were told they were siblings and might even be purebred, but there was really no way of knowing (short of some kind of testing, I'm sure). After spending a week at our house they really started to open up and now they're play fighting with each other. The talk of littermate syndrome and sibling dogs fighting with each other has me a bit worried. That play looks healthy. Lots of natural pauses and very little actual physical contact. As far as aggression goes, just keep your eye out for snarks and make sure they get lots of space from each other. Nip any aggression you see in the bud by talking to a trainer and/or behaviourist.
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Jun 14, 2013 15:14
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Crumps Brother posted:
They look like they are having the time of their lives. Make sure there's no nails poking out under the stairs/deck if they regularly run under there. We had a dog that sliced its back wide open on a nail under the porch like that, had to take her to the vet and get about 20 stitches.
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Jun 14, 2013 15:31
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Fat Dio posted:What's a good calming activity to start settling down for bedtime? I've been rewarding Ticco for going to his bed and laying down in it, but he seems to take a long long time to get that it's not playtime. The issue is he'll settle a bit for a minute then pop back up and grab a toy to throw at me. The issue I ran into last night was he was in his bed, laying down, but staying super alert and focused on me, waiting for the next thing we were going to do, then he'd get frustrated and gruff when nothing happened. You have a very operant dog, like mine. You can basically apply a lot of the mat work behaviors to his bed in this case (see OP of training thread for mat work details). Some of this is an age thing as well. It took my dog a few years to finally settle down and act even remotely normal, so if you're dealing with a puppy, it will improve to some degree on it's own provided your own behavior is consistent. Use a low value reward (kibble or something like it) and NO CLICKER OR MARKER. When he's on his bed, sprinkle a few kibbles on him, but try to keep the interaction to a minimum. Continue this only when he's being calm in his bed. Over time he'll choose this behavior because it's been rewarding in the past, and as long as you reward for behaviors that signal calm (deep sighs, head down, hip rolls, etc) he will eventually get to that calm state faster each time as he practices it.
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Jun 14, 2013 15:46
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Crumps Brother posted:We were told they were siblings and might even be purebred, but there was really no way of knowing (short of some kind of testing, I'm sure). I can totally see some type of cur, maybe mixed with terrier (or feist?) in these two, but "purebred cur" kind of goes against the concept ("cur" is another term for mixed-breed), they're really more of a type than a breed, with various subtypes and lines, but there's a ton of variation within each type and subtype and AFAIK, they're the result of tons of curated interbred working dogs over time. The OMCBA will even register type-y mutts and their offspring. There's a book called Big Thicket Legacy that spends some time on documenting the breeding behind the Texas area working curs, it's actually a really cool read! (I love curs, post more of your curs.  )
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Jun 14, 2013 16:26
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Bob Morales posted:They look like they are having the time of their lives. a life less posted:That play looks healthy. Lots of natural pauses and very little actual physical contact. demozthenes posted:I can totally see some type of cur, maybe mixed with terrier (or feist?) in these two, but "purebred cur" kind of goes against the concept ("cur" is another term for mixed-breed), they're really more of a type than a breed, with various subtypes and lines, but there's a ton of variation within each type and subtype and AFAIK, they're the result of tons of curated interbred working dogs over time. The OMCBA will even register type-y mutts and their offspring. There's a book called Big Thicket Legacy that spends some time on documenting the breeding behind the Texas area working curs, it's actually a really cool read!      Thanks for the replies! I appreciate all the help and extra info I can get.
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Jun 14, 2013 17:14
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Crumps Brother posted:Here are a couple videos of them. These videos warm my heart  Please take them to a dog park if one is nearby so other dogs can share in their fun
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Jun 15, 2013 04:12
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I'm having trouble crate training my dog. I adopted a 9 month old lab and have been crate training from Day 1 for 3 months now. The specific issue is he is fine in the crate for any length of time as long as someone is nearby, but as soon as he feels alone he will bark endlessly. He gets 2 meals a day in his crate and the word 'crate' is the command for him to charge in so he can receive his meal. I leave him in the crate for 30 mins after each meal; occasionally I give him a rawhide treat in his crate with the door opened or closed. I don't feel he has any fear of the crate itself, he'll go in on his own sniffing around and doesn't seem to mind chilling there as long as he knows someone is nearby. I made sure everyone knows never to let him out when he's barking, I just come upstairs ignoring the dog and clean up the kitchen for a bit and then let the dog out once he's been quiet. How can I discourage the lonely barking? The only thing inconsistent I can see is that sometimes a person will spend time upstairs keeping him company (and keeping him quiet) and sometimes he is left alone and just barks endlessly. Should I start leaving him in his 'alone' condition every day? Or is there some appropriate negative reinforcement that wont also cause him to be afraid of his crate?
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Jun 15, 2013 04:50
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I got my dog last night. She puked all over me in the car and really wants to chase the cats. Otherwise, she's a complete doll. I know a lot of the training stuff in theory, but my mind is kinda blanking when faced with The Real Deal. Any advice for a nervous first-timer? Here's a picture. Her name is Jordan, and she's 1-2 years old. 
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Jun 15, 2013 16:02
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