|
This is technically a question that is only tangental to dog ownership, but I think this is the best place to ask as I couldn't find an existing relevant thread in ask/tell on the first few pages. I bought a house back in April, and obviously with that picked up a homeowners insurance policy. In the following months, I also adopted an Australian Shepherd. It has dawned on me that my insurance company is not aware of my dog. I haven't lied to them about anything, as I did not have a dog at the time of setting up my policy, but I haven't updated my file either just out of not thinking to do it. I presume I should do so? He is not on any restricted breed list I am aware of and is a good dog, but I also don't want to inadvertently get myself into poo poo over having not disclosed earlier or getting my rate increased or anything like that. What's the protocol on obtaining a dog with an existing policy?
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 16:33
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 18, 2024 03:43 |
|
|
Bluedeanie posted:This is technically a question that is only tangental to dog ownership, but I think this is the best place to ask as I couldn't find an existing relevant thread in ask/tell on the first few pages. As a homeowner with 2 dogs myself, if it were me, I’d call the insurance company and let them know. The minimal premium increase is most likely less than any potential legal fees on the off chance that your dog bites someone and they sue. Our insurance company didn’t penalize us or anything, they basically just said “thanks for letting us know, your premium will up $20 a year, have a nice day”.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 17:38
|
|
|
I think I pay an additional $12 a year with 2 dogs.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 21:58
|
|
|
 This here is a devastatingly sweet, almost 4 year old golden retriever named Lucky. I had the opportunity to visit with him at my place for an hour this past Sunday. Lucky is currently in the care of a coworker of mine. However, one of the coworker’s children, age 3, has been aggressive towards the dog to the point that he has been (fortunately not severely) bitten on at least three separate occasions. This coworker no longer feels it is safe to keep Lucky, or any dog, really, at least until the child grows up and shows some signs of common sense. So she has offered me the dog. My amateur behavioral evaluation: I took him for a little walk. He’s reactive to other dogs, pulls really hard on the leash to the point of choking himself to get to other dogs (I’m going to get a harness to decrease the choking possibility). On the other hand, we ran into a nice older couple and chatted for a bit, and Lucky was chill and happy being petted by them. So good sign, right? As far as my preparation, I’ve been reading positive reinforcement centered training books (Don’t Shoot the Dog, Culture Clash, etc.) general dog hygiene and grooming, the breed’s tendency towards ear infections if the ears aren’t kept clean, and hip dysplasia. Owner claims no previous significant medical history, however, Lucky was not obtained from a reputable breeder, so to me it seems like there’s a pretty good chance for that kind of problem down the road. I’ll definitely get a vet visit scheduled and ask them to evaluate for any joint issues. Aside from all that, I’m already head over heels in love with this dog. Are there any caveats any of you might have that I should think about or prepare for? I haven’t had a dog since I was like 12. Edit: changed image hosting from tinypic, which seemed to be weird about whether the image loads at all. jack_squat fucked around with this message at 20:39 on Mar 7, 2018 |
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 18:22
|
|
|
jack_squat posted:
Get a Gentle Leader. It’ll break the leash pulling instantly. Just be sure to follow the directions for getting your dog used to it over a couple of days. As far as the reactivity to other dogs goes, try keeping a few treats on hand when you go for walks to distract him/ help him to associate good things with seeing other dogs. Also try to keep your own body language loose and relaxed while walking, but still in control. I know it’s natural to tense up in situations where you know your dog might get into trouble, but dogs pick up on that poo poo like crazy and he might be reading it as you needing to be guarded.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 18:31
|
|
|
Seconding the Gentle Leader. Way more humane than a spike collar; it basically attaches the leash underneath the dog's muzzle, so if they try to pull, their head gets pulled to the side.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 18:49
|
|
|
The other thing that will eventually become second nature is spotting potential disasters from a mile away and taking precautionary measures to avoid it. If I see kids, a homeless person, or someone walking another dog on the sidewalk approaching me from a distance, I usually either cross the street, change my route, or step into the grass to let them pass while treating my dog to take the focus off them and onto me.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 18:50
|
|
|
Verman posted:The other thing that will eventually become second nature is spotting potential disasters from a mile away and taking precautionary measures to avoid it. If I see kids, a homeless person, or someone walking another dog on the sidewalk approaching me from a distance, I usually either cross the street, change my route, or step into the grass to let them pass while treating my dog to take the focus off them and onto me. Seconding this. If I can't get out of the way I can shorten my hold on the leash so my dog can't jump on strangers.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 18:58
|
|
|
What’s up with the kid being aggressive? You usually hear it the other way around.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 20:08
|
|
|
Kids can be weird around dogs/pets. They might get over excited, pet or play too hard, or try to touch the dog in the face or not know when to leave the dog alone.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 20:10
|
|
|
Young children have no conception of right or wrong; they're still sorting out cause and effect. Kid's learned he can get a variety of interesting reactions by hassling the dog and doesn't recognize or care that the dog doesn't enjoy it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 20:11
|
|
|
Warbird posted:What’s up with the kid being aggressive? You usually hear it the other way around.  The way she told it, it sounds like he (the kid) was pouncing on the dog while he (the dog) was sleeping. Maybe that’s a reaction within the realm of normal behavior for a dog, or maybe the kid struck a sensitive spot. I didn’t want to ask for too many details, because I know kids can treat animals in hosed up ways sometimes.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 20:14
|
|
|
leash yer loving kid.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 20:19
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:Seconding the Gentle Leader. Way more humane than a spike collar; it basically attaches the leash underneath the dog's muzzle, so if they try to pull, their head gets pulled to the side. A note of caution for the gentle leader - it puts a lot of force on a dog's neck. I'd recommend a front-clip harness or a sporn style until you're comfortable that he won't react to anything by bolting. Work on reactivity first, then loose leash walking. The front clip style won't let him pull, but it also won't injure him if he tries (just turn him around). It's more awkward than the gentle leader but safer.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 20:23
|
|
|
Engineer Lenk posted:A note of caution for the gentle leader - it puts a lot of force on a dog's neck. I'd recommend a front-clip harness or a sporn style until you're comfortable that he won't react to anything by bolting. Work on reactivity first, then loose leash walking. The front clip style won't let him pull, but it also won't injure him if he tries (just turn him around). It's more awkward than the gentle leader but safer. Thank you! The owner told me he doesn’t like things around his muzzle. Though I could reshape that with treats, I was already planning on just getting a good harness with a front clip, like you said.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 20:28
|
|
|
Super Grocery Kart posted:It’s a herding dog. Unless you’ve got lots of space and lots of time for exercise/training/play, you’re gonna have a very bored dog and come home to destruction every day. if i get a dog it'll be coming to work with me not left home alone during the day
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2018 11:33
|
|
|
Jose posted:if i get a dog it'll be coming to work with me not left home alone during the day Can you get me a job where you work?
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2018 12:22
|
|
|
Depends, do you want to herd sheep?
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2018 14:43
|
|
Warbird posted:Depends, do you want to herd sheep? fox news allows dogs?
|
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2018 14:49
|
|
|
Has anyone gone through their dog having an ACL tear? My 7 year old mix named Gypsy who is about 65 pounds just got diagnosed with an ACL tear of her back right leg. I'd noticed her limping a bit when getting up lately and with a slight hitch in her step. Took her in to have her legs and hips checked. Hips are fine but the ACL is damaged. Once she gets up it seems ok after she starts walking on it. The Vet is not really pushing surgery but has presented it as an option. She doesn't seem too keen on it. She says recovery time about a year without surgery, 6 months with. Right now Gypsy is on something for inflammation (Roveral or something dog pun sounding. I don't have the bottle at work) and Dasuquin for glucosamine. She is tall and lean but not really a big runner except when chasing her ball which I can control, so keeping her relatively calm and lower activity isn't a problem. Any suggestions? Is it a bad idea to skip the surgery? I'm not terribly keen on putting her under anesthesia if I don't have to. The money is also a concern. I recently had to spend $5000 on emergencies and a surgery for my cat, but I WILL do it if it is necessary for Gypsy, even if I have to dump it on a credit card. She is also absolutely terrified of the vet and was in my lap shaking violently Scooby Doo style when we went in for the tests so there is that too but again if it's really needed I'll get the surgery for her. My house does have stairs and she goes up a carpeted flight to get to my bedroom. The vet said stairs aren't a problem, but I will carry her if necessary. She also has some custom steps I built to help her get onto my bed as she got older, little did I know I would need them so soon! Are the braces worth it or a waste of time? I see dozens of them on Amazon and I'm not sure which ones, if any are good.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2018 17:03
|
|
|
crowbb posted:She says recovery time about a year without surgery, 6 months with. I recommend surgery for large dogs that are otherwise healthy. But it’s expensive and not a 100% fix. It’s not wrong to not do surgery if your dog is getting around great with just the medications she’s on, but there is a decent possibility that your dog will continue to be lame on that leg for the rest of her life without surgery no matter what meds you give her. (She could also be lame forever after surgery but the odds are much lower.) crowbb posted:Are the braces worth it or a waste of time? I see dozens of them on Amazon and I'm not sure which ones, if any are good.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 02:06
|
|
|
My doggo is something like an Australian cattle dog. Short, tight coat of hair. She started shedding a few weeks ago. I gave her a bath, and brushed her out with a curry brush, on advice from a goon. It worked okay - got a lot of loose hair out. But she's still shedding! We're in Texas, so the weather has gone from cold, to warm recently. When does the shedding stop? Does it just stop on its own, or do I need to keep brushing her everyday for a few days? My only other dog growing up was a Schnauzer which did not shed, so I have no idea wtf to do here.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 16:56
|
|
|
My advice is, be glad you have a dog that sometimes doesn't shed. Mine never stops, so I've just had to get used to there being dog fur all over the place. As soon as I sweep it up, more arrives.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 17:04
|
|
|
love the season changes when the amount of hair my dog sheds increases by like... six more dogs. not sure how else to measure it. i'm moving into a place in may that has hard floors and i can't loving wait.
|
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 17:05
|
|
|
We shelled out for a Roomba and holy poo poo does our hound shed more than we thought. It’s been well worth the entry fee to keep our hardwood floors looking nice (and us lazy).
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 17:28
|
|
|
I'm pretty sure my 80lb dog sheds an entire other 80lb dog once a week all year round
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 17:29
|
|
|
Dennis McClaren posted:My doggo is something like an Australian cattle dog. Short, tight coat of hair. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 19:09
|
|
|
Crooked Booty posted:I don’t think this is a good or accurate way to think about it. A dog with a torn ACL is going to develop arthritis in that knee, period. The goal of surgery is to reduce how much arthritis develops. Dogs are initially very lame after they tear their ACLs and the lameness typically gets better over a period of weeks to months because the scar tissue and arthritic changes make the knee more stable and functional. Your dog’s knee will never be normal again whether or not you have the surgery done. I would expect the knee to be bigger problem when your dog is old if you don’t have surgery compared to if you do. Thanks, that is good to know. She is doing really well on the meds so far but I want to keep her happy and in good physical shape as long as possible. It sounds like surgery might be the way to go. Thanks again!
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 19:38
|
|
|
New dog owner here. I adopted an 8 year old Boston Terrier mix. I purchased a sliding glass door extension with a doggie door. It will lead to a small patio with a decent wall on it. I'd like to allow my dog and my roommate's dog to go outside as they wish and use one of the fake-grass platforms to allow themselves to go potty in cases when I'm at work. If possible, I'd also like to allow them to lay out there but I don't know how likely it is that a dog would sunbathe just a few feet away from what amounts to a fancy pee pad. Anyway, what I ultimately need is a giant kennel with a top. My roommate fears that a bird of prey would come after her yorkie, which I think is unreasonable but people are pretty unreasonable about their pets so whatever. Ultimately what is possible is that a coyote could be wandering around, especially at night. Highly unlikely, but possible and if possible I'd like to guard against that 0.00000001% chance. So what I need is ultimately a giant self-enclosed kennel with with a way to connect it to the doggie door. Any suggestions? My sliding glass doggie door extension: https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Free...rear end+doggie+door Patio is approximately 4 ft x 8 ft. Height is probably around 8 ft. Blinkman987 fucked around with this message at 08:56 on Mar 12, 2018 |
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2018 08:47
|
|
|
Had my sweet pup Maybellene's 1 month anniversary Wednesday. So far she's been really great. My housemate's Chihuahua won't stop barking at her though, so that's annoying. Housemate's problematic as well. She's convinced that me crating my dog is tantamount to abuse and she "may as well be back at the SPCA" (her literal phrasing). I've been working with my dog to get her more comfortable being crated, but she still whines and cries a bit which makes my housemate take her out of the crate. Essentially rewarding her for complaining. I explicitly told her to put my dog back in the crate if she's left alone. She completely ignored me and just shut her in my room and told me I need to puppy proof everything. I've done as much as I can. I have no closets since nola housing is weird. It's not an option to store everything 5 feet in the air. She has a tendency to destroy things while unsupervised. I'm beyond livid with my housemate. How do I explain to my idiot housemate that me crating my dog is fine and normal? I plan on finding a new place to live since this is basically the final straw with her, but I still need to address this issue while I'm still at this house. Obligatory dog picture. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2018 18:23
|
|
|
dog nougat posted:Had my sweet pup Maybellene's 1 month anniversary Wednesday. So far she's been really great. My housemate's Chihuahua won't stop barking at her though, so that's annoying. Housemate's problematic as well. She's convinced that me crating my dog is tantamount to abuse and she "may as well be back at the SPCA" (her literal phrasing). I've been working with my dog to get her more comfortable being crated, but she still whines and cries a bit which makes my housemate take her out of the crate. Essentially rewarding her for complaining. I explicitly told her to put my dog back in the crate if she's left alone. She completely ignored me and just shut her in my room and told me I need to puppy proof everything. I've done as much as I can. I have no closets since nola housing is weird. It's not an option to store everything 5 feet in the air. She has a tendency to destroy things while unsupervised. I'm beyond livid with my housemate. How do I explain to my idiot housemate that me crating my dog is fine and normal? I plan on finding a new place to live since this is basically the final straw with her, but I still need to address this issue while I'm still at this house. She looks like an extremely good girl and I'm sorry you both have to deal with the lovely housemate.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2018 19:23
|
|
|
Tell her to call animal control on you if she has a problem.
|
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2018 19:54
|
|
|
dog nougat posted:Had my sweet pup Maybellene's 1 month anniversary Wednesday. So far she's been really great. My housemate's Chihuahua won't stop barking at her though, so that's annoying. Housemate's problematic as well. She's convinced that me crating my dog is tantamount to abuse and she "may as well be back at the SPCA" (her literal phrasing). I've been working with my dog to get her more comfortable being crated, but she still whines and cries a bit which makes my housemate take her out of the crate. Essentially rewarding her for complaining. I explicitly told her to put my dog back in the crate if she's left alone. She completely ignored me and just shut her in my room and told me I need to puppy proof everything. I've done as much as I can. I have no closets since nola housing is weird. It's not an option to store everything 5 feet in the air. She has a tendency to destroy things while unsupervised. I'm beyond livid with my housemate. How do I explain to my idiot housemate that me crating my dog is fine and normal? I plan on finding a new place to live since this is basically the final straw with her, but I still need to address this issue while I'm still at this house. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/crate_training.html?credit The friggin' humane society thinks crates are good.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2018 20:00
|
|
|
boop the snoot posted:Tell her to call animal control on you if she has a problem. That sounds like the best plan of action here.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2018 20:09
|
|
|
tell your housemate to make their dog shut the gently caress up then if they are such experts. if they succeed, tell them to teach themselves also how to shut the gently caress up. or just move out of casa de loudmouth.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2018 20:32
|
|
|
Blinkman987 posted:So what I need is ultimately a giant self-enclosed kennel with with a way to connect it to the doggie door. Any suggestions? Would it possible/allowed to cover the whole patio with some sort of garden netting? There are different weights, maybe one would make your roommate comfortable? dog nougat posted:How do I explain to my idiot housemate that me crating my dog is fine and normal? I plan on finding a new place to live since this is basically the final straw with her, but I still need to address this issue while I'm still at this house. Sup brindle pup owner! So your housemate lets your dog out of her kennel but keeps her shut in your room? Does your housemate get that that's about the same?
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2018 01:02
|
|
|
If you don't trust your housemate not to undermine you with the crate, try an ex-pen. (To be somewhat fair, if your dog is whining or barking loud enough to bother her through a closed door you've moved too quickly with crate training and shouldn't leave her alone in the crate yet.)
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2018 01:53
|
|
|
Squeaktoys. How do you folks handle them so they don't drive you insane? At the moment I'm doing okay, Apollo has one that he got yesterday and he LOVES IT. He'll search for it if I store it in another room, he runs around squeaking it happily, he is in dog heaven - and best of all, he has been willing to play with the rest of his toys, and even demanded I throw his jack for him a bunch of times, completely ignoring the squeaky plush. So - I'm okay with the toy. It's fun and has a funny squeak and he's not allowed to bring toys to the bedroom (except for a rope toy) so I'm safe from it when I sleep. But since he loves it so much, I'm thinking of more, and well.... - How do you folks handle them? - What brands/toys do you rec? - Any squeakers to avoid? For reference: The squeaktoy of his dreams. The large pink dino toy from Kong - it's not as durable as I would've liked, as he ripped the ruff off of it pretty quickly and we had to sew it up, but with that gone it's been holding up admirably, and he loves to carry it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2018 01:24
|
|
|
My dog actively seeks out to tear out any squeakers and kill them immediately, so I don't have to hear them for very long.
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2018 03:15
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 18, 2024 03:43 |
|
|
Mine just likes to chew, so it has to be tough not to break. The squeaking is like a bonus stimulus when it happens, though squeakers are usually the weak point. She has some heavy toys that she likes to toss around, I put those out of reach at night since we are top floor in an apt and they are loud when she drops em. Got this recently and it seems decently tough. When she tosses it, it'll bounce in random directions. Squeaker isn't loud and takes some work to make noise. This makes noise without squeaking. Lots of fun to kick around with the dog. She likes things she can bat around with her feet though and the noise gets her excited.
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2018 05:29
|
|
