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Eegah posted:She's right. Dogfoodadvisor gets flak for falling for some buzzwords (I'm not sure which exactly), but it's the most legit site I know of when it comes to dog food. Tater is munching on some stuff they rate five stars right now after whetting his appetite on some mac and cheese I am a bad dog owner. Basically this. Your friend is right to not want to buy pedigree or other grocery store brands because they're mostly fillers, but they're omnivores and should have some carbs in their diet(just not lovely ones). Cats are the real carnivores, dogs were scavengers so they're a lot more okay with carbs, at least that's my understanding of it. goodness if you're interested, or want to send it along to her, the SA pet nutrition thread has a lot of really solid information: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3549663. Psychobabble! fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Apr 11, 2014 |
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Apr 11, 2014 05:26
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So I've got two Japanese Spitz pups that are hitting adolescence (coming up on 7 months now) and they're starting to forget all their training. I know from all the puppy classes that we've done that this was coming, but is it worth me continuing to try and teach them, or should we manage this period and then get back to the teaching? My trainer runs an adolescent class but I'm really not sure it's worth it as we've mastered the basics of training them, and socialization isn't an issue. This is Argus and Ludo  
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Apr 11, 2014 08:02
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SO, first week over with the mini pinscher. My worst fears didn't come true at all thanks to this topic, members and the OP. From the start, she has been pretty cool. We took her out every 1-2 hours like clockwork and she has had only about 4 accidents in the house. IF she has to pee at night, she does it in the controlled spot. I think it's pretty good for a 8 week old pup. I was prepared for much worse. She has been left alone already and maybe cries for about 10 minutes or so, but totally quiet after that. I think shes been alone for maybe an hour at a time several days now. I guess it's time to up it a bit gradually. Last night was the first night that she didn't wake us up for the whole night AND she's almost consistent with sit, lie down and give me your paw.
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Apr 11, 2014 13:21
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Danger Mouse posted:So I've got two Japanese Spitz pups that are hitting adolescence (coming up on 7 months now) and they're starting to forget all their training. I know from all the puppy classes that we've done that this was coming, but is it worth me continuing to try and teach them, or should we manage this period and then get back to the teaching? My trainer runs an adolescent class but I'm really not sure it's worth it as we've mastered the basics of training them, and socialization isn't an issue. You're coming into the terrible twos. What you'll probably notice is if you run them out of energy (tough I know) they will start listening a little better. Just keep reinforcing the training and one day you'll wake up and they will be a different dog. It's pretty crazy. You just have to be patient with them.
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Apr 11, 2014 14:28
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Danger Mouse posted:So I've got two Japanese Spitz pups that are hitting adolescence (coming up on 7 months now) and they're starting to forget all their training. I know from all the puppy classes that we've done that this was coming, but is it worth me continuing to try and teach them, or should we manage this period and then get back to the teaching? My trainer runs an adolescent class but I'm really not sure it's worth it as we've mastered the basics of training them, and socialization isn't an issue. I would continue their training/education throughout their adolescence. I'm a firm believer that you can always get something out of an obedience class, even if your dog is pretty good with the basics of sit/down/stand/come, etc.
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Apr 11, 2014 14:35
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Can we come play? Things we are currently terrified of: - The pilot light on the heater - The dogs pictured on the side of puppy chow bag Loves his crate from day 1 and takes all his naps in there if he doesn't run to exhaustion and just collapse in the grass to sleep.  Spotted nose probably won't last, alas. 
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Apr 12, 2014 16:44
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I adopted a 3 year old (estimate by the shelter) Austrailian Cattle Dog mix from the local shelter. He was picked up as a stray, I'm started to get the feeling he was abandoned. We went on a 5 mile walk around town and since then he basically hasn't left my side. When I goto the bathroom he sits and waits at the doors. He wouldn't eat unless I was eating next to his food bowl. Sleep last night was pretty rough. I have a studio with a big partition that my bed is beind. I put up a gate to block it off and he basically stood there waiting for me to come back. I caved and moved his makeshift bed right next to mine and he slept decently. He doesn't bite and rarely barks. He won't play with any toys. Not too sure how to entertain him other than exercise outside (it's pouring right now). His tail wags a lot whenever I scratch him so that's what I've been doing to keep him happy. He's already so attached I'm starting to get anxiety thinking about leaving him tomorrow. I was originally going to keep him in the kitchen while away, but if a crate is better I'll go out and get one today.. First time being responsible for a dog so I just want to make sure I'm taking care of him correctly  (TV is being wall mounted today and the cords will be consolidated into 1) Back it up Terry fucked around with this message at 17:16 on Apr 13, 2014 |
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Apr 13, 2014 17:11
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Gratz on your new best friend! Perhaps until you're sure how he reacts when he's left alone he should be partitioned somehwere he cant really make a mess or destroy things/eat things that will kill him, maybe gated in kitchen or bathroom or a crate. He's very cute and lots of dogs' separation anxiety can be treated.
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Apr 13, 2014 17:44
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Buddy is friendly and playful with other dogs pass on our walks. Well, the nice ones at least. He's terrified of big, growly dogs and I had to carry him half a block because he refused to walk by a mean lab's fence. But, yeah, I think he'd enjoy more exposure to other dogs so I want to take him to a dog park. But, I've never been to a dog park before and I'm not 100% sure how they work or what's expected. Can someone give me a walk through please? I didn't see anything in the OP about it.
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Apr 13, 2014 17:53
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goodness posted:So my friend got a dog, and she has been heavily "researching" all the right things to do. We were talking about dog food and she said about Pedigree, "It's a bag of corn and carbs. Dogs are carnivores and people forget that. Dog food advisor is an independent party who goes through the pros and cons of dog food." From what I have learned, Dogs are actually omnivores as they have adapted to domestication and can process starches and such. Dog food advisor has good and bad things. I recommend against it because it drives people away from prescription foods when I recommend them (for a disease!) because of how people take the discussions. It also has the feel that someone decided to create a site about dog food that didn't really know about dog food production, dog nutrition, or biochemistry - the guy is a human dentist. Here are some examples: Evanger's Wet dog food: They give the food glowing reviews. I mean, who wouldn't to foods that are super high protein with good quality ingredients? Though they were a bit confused as to why one of the all meat dog foods had such high carb content... Oh, maybe it has something to do with the fact that Evanger's is not a trustworthy company, having been caught not even using the protein source they claimed to, and if I am remembering right, they were caught several times. Either the company was in on using cheap protein sources to use instead of the expensive ones they were claiming to use, or their supplier is not trustworthy. Either way, that is bad. Oh no! There was arsenic detected in rice! LIMIT YOUR ANIMALS INTAKE NOW!... Except the levels found in the rice was in the order of Parts Per Billion, and our (smallest) companion animals need to eat at least tens of milligrams worth of arsenic to possibly have adverse effect... So if you were feeding your dog several thousand cups of rice per day, then you might see an issue. Carbohydrate sources: Apparently, corn and wheat are controversial, but oats, peas, broccoli, and pretty much any other tuber/vegetable/grain are better than corn and wheat because...? Menadione: Vitamin K3 is taken by intestinal bacteria and converted to active Vitamin K. It is a cheaper source of Vitamin K. DFA says that it can cause liver toxicity, anemia, red blood cell destruction and therefore should not be used. Well, it is true it could cause those things... when it is injected IV at an amount that is 1000x what the animal ingests per day (which is what the study he is probably using found). Now, that's not to say that in some cases I agree with the conclusion - to not use an ingredient or feed a food or whatever - but just because you get the "right" answer doesn't mean the work and logic to get there is right. What also pisses me off is that he proclaims he has done loads of research using free publications... as a doctor, he should understand that most recent or good research is behind paywall because that's how the good journals work.
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Apr 13, 2014 19:05
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ThatPazuzu posted:Buddy is friendly and playful with other dogs pass on our walks. Well, the nice ones at least. He's terrified of big, growly dogs and I had to carry him half a block because he refused to walk by a mean lab's fence. But, yeah, I think he'd enjoy more exposure to other dogs so I want to take him to a dog park. But, I've never been to a dog park before and I'm not 100% sure how they work or what's expected. Can someone give me a walk through please? I didn't see anything in the OP about it. Dog parks vary radically depending on the mix of people and dogs who frequent them, and tend to be pretty cliquy because you get regulars who show up fairly often. I like to think the one we frequent is relatively chill and dogs can play or stand around at their leisure, but I've seen others that were pretty rough and won't be taking Tater there again. Obviously make sure the one you want to go to has a separate area for small dogs, and try to go at an off-peak time (mid afternoon or late evenings tend to be okay, but avoid 5pm-7:30 this time of day) so he won't be ganged up on at the entrance. Jolanta Benal has a pretty good article on them here.
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Apr 14, 2014 00:10
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Any hope for fixing a 6 year old dog with dog aggression? I was hoping to take my Carlos out to the dog park now that it's getting nice out, but twice now when i've been out on a walk in the neighborhood and we've come up to another dog on the walk they've politely sniffed each other and then Carlos has gone after the other dog. (and both times the other dog did nothing to instigate it. I've been lucky that in both cases the other dog was far larger and the owner thought it was cute/funny that the 10# chihuahua was going after the Lab and the Pitbull, but i wasn't too happy about it). Am I resigned to just walking him all by himself? He's fantastic on walks, and since there's a giant open field/levee trail behind my apartment, i actually let go of the leash and he is fantastic without me holding the leash. he'll run ahead sometimes, and then will wait for me to catch up, if he runs off and i say "wait up" he'll sit and wait for me, and if something catches his nose on the side of the levee by the apartments/road he will wait at the curb because he knows once he hits the parking lot I'm on the other end of the leash. He's also fantastic about crapping on the far side of the levee or on top of other piles of dog poo poo so i don't have to pick up after him. When he craps in the yard by the apartment, yeah i pick it up, but since I'm the only one that does pick up after my dog if he craps where some of the people with first floor apartments let their dogs out and dont bother to pick up after their dogs. But i would like to take him to the dog park, but obviously cant if he's going to be dog aggressive. last time i managed to notice the signs before he went in on the dog (he started approaching from sniffing to going in on a straight line an i stepped between him and the other dog in time to stop him from lunging for the dogs throat). He's also very territorial with marking on walks. IE he will mark everything complete with the scratching with his back legs. It's gotten to the point where when i first started taking him out he'd pee right when we got out, but since its gotten nicer he actually doesn't pee pee, he saves it because he knows he's going to be marking 10-15 times on a walk so rather than take a long piss, he marks. and marks. and marks. Will breaking him of the territorial marking help with the aggression at all?
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Apr 14, 2014 00:48
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Is he neutered?
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Apr 14, 2014 03:01
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Honestly I don't think he'd get much out of a dog park even barring aggression issues. At least the one I frequent it's more of a social club for the 6mo-3yo dogs, and the ones over five years old or so just kindof hang around and don't do much. If he doesn't like dogs then there's really no reason to try to force it on him -- he's just not going to enjoy it.
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Apr 14, 2014 05:37
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Double post. Darned app.
Disharmony fucked around with this message at 12:05 on Apr 14, 2014 |
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Apr 14, 2014 12:00
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It's an incredibly humid summer here and airconditioning is not an option. Any tips on getting my dogs cool? They tend to camp out on the hose puddles when taking naps and taking a foot spa on their water bowls.
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Apr 14, 2014 12:00
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Disharmony posted:It's an incredibly humid summer here and airconditioning is not an option. Any tips on getting my dogs cool? They tend to camp out on the hose puddles when taking naps and taking a foot spa on their water bowls. Get an old T-shirt, Roll it up tight, soak it and freeze it. Acts like a giant Popsicle for them.
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Apr 14, 2014 14:10
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I don't have a dog, but I'll be getting one very soon. Is it okay to post questions here or is there another thread for it?
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Apr 14, 2014 14:45
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WickedHate posted:I don't have a dog, but I'll be getting one very soon. Is it okay to post questions here or is there another thread for it? Post wherever. Here is good. Starting a new thread is good. Dogs are cool. We like dogs.
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Apr 14, 2014 15:41
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Eegah posted:Honestly I don't think he'd get much out of a dog park even barring aggression issues. At least the one I frequent it's more of a social club for the 6mo-3yo dogs, and the ones over five years old or so just kindof hang around and don't do much. If he doesn't like dogs then there's really no reason to try to force it on him -- he's just not going to enjoy it. I really like the one that I go to: it's a mix of different ages and breeds and sizes and I'm pretty into that. While I do notice that not every dog wants to play, I find that it's the older dogs who haven't really been socialized well who don't want to play with the others. Bigger dogs tend to play with bigger dogs which I really LOVE because I don't think that they have the chance to do that on a regular basis unless they're at the park and they can run run run around. I'm not saying that every dog will do well there - there are some that I see that just want to sit with their owners and other dogs try to engage them in play and it ends up being semi-harassment. Others get really freaked out so ymmv. I think that the socialization is important but if you can get that from some kind of a class or dates with other dogs that would be worth it, too.
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Apr 14, 2014 16:31
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luscious posted:Bigger dogs tend to play with bigger dogs which I really LOVE because I don't think that they have the chance to do that on a regular basis unless they're at the park and they can run run run around. Artemis played with a Bull Mastiff at the dog park when we visited MD not long ago. It was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen, but it didn't occur to me to film it  The mastiff was chasing her around but just kind of being lopey and she literally ran circles around him. His name was(is) Zeus.
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Apr 14, 2014 16:56
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I have a video of Sherlock standing barking at two huge dogs who are playing and he wants to play too!! and they're just ignoring him like "piss off little fly".
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Apr 14, 2014 16:58
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luscious posted:I have a video of Sherlock standing barking at two huge dogs who are playing and he wants to play too!! and they're just ignoring him like "piss off little fly". Lemme see dat dog.
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Apr 14, 2014 17:06
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ThatPazuzu posted:Lemme see dat dog. Heads up these are the videos that I took as examples of the non-stop barking that he's doing to try to initiate play. I've noticed that he does this when he's too tired to get dogs to play in other more social ways and am using it as a marker for "okay it's time to go home now" or at the very least "removal from park for a few minutes to cool off" as it is anti-social and rude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHMEI89D9_I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFvibAK4dL4 At one point this was a four way tug between those three and the little pug thing that runs through the frame at one point. The dogs on the other side backed up and it lifted off the ground and got super freaked out and that was the end of that.
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Apr 14, 2014 17:12
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a life less posted:Post wherever. Here is good. Starting a new thread is good. Dogs are cool. We like dogs. Alright then!  Right, so my grandmother has a Bulldog-Boxer mix. It's a pretty nice dog, and my dad and I are leaning towards a dog like it(though personally I am also thinking about a few other breeds). Thing is, I've recently read up a lot and I'm nervous about getting a dog that's been bred to have harmful features(like Bulldogs, Dalmations, etcetera). On one hand I want to give whichever dog I get the best life it can possibly have and don't want to pass on a dog just because it's sick or disabled, but I don't know if I should be supporting breeding that causes that stuff. So would that be an issue, or is it fine? And what extra should I do for the dog if it has any of the serious genetic issues associated with it's breed?
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Apr 14, 2014 18:10
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For what it's worth I want a boxer SO BAD. I think my next dog will be a boxer though I don't think I'll get it as a puppy. eta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br5VdLvpeC8 the boxer puppy in this vid is one of Sherlock's best playmates named Porter. Lucy is the mix rescue and if anyone has any ideas of what breed she is can feel free to share
luscious fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Apr 14, 2014 |
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Apr 14, 2014 19:33
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WickedHate posted:Alright then! For reference I have two rescues: one I got as a puppy, another I got as a young adult (>2 years) and am looking at getting a puppy from a breeder down the road. There's plenty of breeds that haven't been bred like a lot of brachycephalic dogs. If you go the breeder route do lots of research and find the recommended health testing for that breed. Certain breeds have certain inherited traits. A good breeder will do full health testing, be open about their breeding program and history of their lines, encourage visits to their home, do some form of showing or someway of titling their dogs (or have produced puppies that have performed well), and basically will have nothing to hide. If they're purposely making crosses RUN AWAY. They are generally in it for the money and crossing breeds does not produce hbrid vigor and could lead to a dog that has a large checklist of inherited medical issues. The benefits to going the breeder route is you are getting a dog you know its family history and good breeders breed for a solid temperament and stable dog and will have started on socialization. Basically you're getting a puppy that's starting off on the right foot. Also, you can get adult dogs from breeders that are being phased out of their breeding program. It's a good way to get a pure bred already trained dog that isn't a puppy. There's also different behavioral traits for each breed so you're not guaranteed, but you are likely to get the type attitude in a dog you want. Primitives will always be more standoffish, hounds will always be hounds, companion dogs will always be companions, etc. Rescues are great too, there's just a lot of unknowns unless you can get in with a foster to adopt program, which is what I would recommend for a first time dog owner. If you're getting a puppy from a shelter it's a bit easier though due to socialization being important for all dogs within the first 8-12 weeks. The older the dog the longer there are ingrained habits (good or bag) that will need to be worked with. Look at lots of dogs, and don't just fall for the first set of sad eyes you see. This is an animal that will be living with you for 5, 10, 15, possibly 20 years so it really is important to find the dog you're comfortable with. Look at your current lifestyle and where you want be/do in 5-10 years and find the dog that matches you. Sometimes people like to throw out "oh get this or get THIS type of dog", but what works for them might not work for you. cheese eats mouse fucked around with this message at 20:28 on Apr 14, 2014 |
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Apr 14, 2014 20:19
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WickedHate posted:Alright then! It's a tough call. I personally think that there's no real ethical breeding of British Bulldogs any more (and there hasn't been in some time). The same can be said of Pugs and other breeds bred for ridiculous extremes that end up handicapping the dog. The same can be said for breeds like Cavaliers, Dalmatians, Flat-Coated Retrievers and others where disease isn't the exception but the rule... but the line starts to grey a bit I think. The dogs as individuals are cool but I wouldn't want to perpetuate their creation. Whether you want to is obviously your call and you kind of need to decide for yourself where you stand. You can look into alternatives too. For example, instead of a bulldog, look into bullmastiffs (maybe... if you can handle the temperament and drool) or amstaffs. If you do go with a breed that's known to have serious issues... get pet insurance, be ready for heartbreak, keep it slim & active and have a good amount of disposable/available cash to cover possible health issues.
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Apr 14, 2014 20:33
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Thank you for the responses. I'll talk to my dad about what I know now and see what he has to say. He is an experienced dog lover, though probably not knowledgeable on details like these. A bullmastif certainly looks like a great alternative.
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Apr 14, 2014 22:18
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My 2 month old Belgian Malinois has a small white spot on her nose and eyebrow. Is that normal for the breed?
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Apr 15, 2014 00:45
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Disharmony posted:My 2 month old Belgian Malinois has a small white spot on her nose and eyebrow. Is that normal for the breed? Not really. Pics? Good luck with your Maligator. WickedHate posted:Thank you for the responses. I'll talk to my dad about what I know now and see what he has to say. He is an experienced dog lover, though probably not knowledgeable on details like these. A bullmastif certainly looks like a great alternative. Do your research about Bullmastiffs. They're not a breed to be taken lightly.
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Apr 15, 2014 01:49
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a life less posted:
I plan to do lots of reading and give it my all on whichever I get, so no worries there.
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Apr 15, 2014 01:58
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Or what about American Bulldogs? I don't actually know a ton about the breed so that could be The Worst Suggestion for all I know, but I thought I'd throw it out there. Also demanding pictures of that Mali puppy.
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Apr 15, 2014 02:02
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a life less posted:Not really. Pics? Good luck with your Maligator. It's faint but it should be fairly visible. Maybe it's nothing and I'm just looking into it.
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Apr 15, 2014 02:29
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From when I adopted Riley Saturday... Ignore my squinty/derp eyes Day 3 with my cattle dog mix. He finally started to bite, but only when instigated. He still doesn't like toys unless I get him hyped up. But I got him to fetch with a stuffed cow! Last night I had the crate by my bed and he slept in it no problem. Today after we were done playing and came in, after about 15 minutes he just walked in the crate and chilled. Today I went to work and had to leave him for 4 hrs before coming home for lunch. I think it was harder for me than him. I can never tell with him because his eyes always have a sad look, even when his tongue is sticking out and his tail is wagging non stop. What are some signs that dogs give off as to if they're happy or sad?
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Apr 15, 2014 03:32
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Disharmony posted:It's faint but it should be fairly visible. Maybe it's nothing and I'm just looking into it. They almost looks like scars in that photo. They may fade as the dog matures. Unless you plan to show him, it's perfectly fine, as I'm sure you know. compton rear end terry posted:From when I adopted Riley Saturday... Ignore my squinty/derp eyes At first glance, your dog looks like he'd make a fun disc dog. From your description, he just sounds a bit worried and still trying to figure out what's going on. Here's a page that describes the basics of canine body language. http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-read-your-dogs-body-language/415
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Apr 15, 2014 12:33
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a life less posted:From your description, he just sounds a bit worried and still trying to figure out what's going on. Here's a page that describes the basics of canine body language. http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-read-your-dogs-body-language/415 I wish that they had one of these for Bostons because Sherlock never shows me his tongue, has no tail, and his ears are pretty much forward (though sometimes he lowers them when he's super excited).
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Apr 15, 2014 17:00
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luscious posted:I wish that they had one of these for Bostons because Sherlock never shows me his tongue, has no tail, and his ears are pretty much forward (though sometimes he lowers them when he's super excited). 
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Apr 15, 2014 17:28
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omg I love that bc apparently Sherlock loves me sooo much but I'm curious about the "whale eyes" (I need space) bc he comes and sits on me and does that.
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Apr 15, 2014 17:34
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It's a Boston. Replace all these captions with loving INSANE.
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Apr 15, 2014 17:41
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