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Engineer Lenk posted:You'll see bonded pairs every so often, but they're usually two cats or two dogs. If you call around to rescues, you might find a dog + cat that were given up together, or have been fostered together and get along OK. Any rule of thumb, as to order that causes the least stress, dog than cat, or vice versa?
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May 23, 2012 12:46
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toplitzin posted:Any rule of thumb, as to order that causes the least stress, dog than cat, or vice versa? I'd do cat then dog, and provide a lot of climbing space for the cat so that it'll be able to escape unwanted attention*. Make sure to get a dog that's cat-tested, but don't let them alone together for the first couple of months regardless. You can probably also see if any cats have happily lived with dogs before. *My situation with this was a little different. My new cat (Tim) outweighed the dog (Stella) by about 6 lbs - he came home about a month before she did. Stella was also very shy. Tim ended up batting Stella on the butt every time she came close enough, and she wouldn't go up or down stairs if he was nearby. They settled into a form of detente eventually, even though she gave him a healthy berth for the rest of his life.
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May 23, 2012 15:28
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Looking for a bit of advice on adopting a new dog. My girlfriend and I have been thinking about adopting another dog for quite a while, and we're finally ready to start seriously looking. We currently have a 6 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that my girlfriend has had for the last 4+ years, live in a house with a lot of tile space for dogs to chill out on during the day, a small yard (no grass, concrete and rocks - living in the desert woo!), and we live really close to a big grassy greenbelt, and about a 10 minute walk from a big park. I grew up with an Aussie, and have wanted another ever since, so we've been looking mainly at Australian Shepherds and Cattledogs, and yesterday I found a 5 year old male Aussie that is absolutely beautiful. A 5 year old is a good age for us, as we don't have the days and weeks to spend with a new puppy, and would love to have a dog who has already gone through its destroy all furniture stage. I guess I just have a few questions about them, new dogs, and the rescue, so thanks in advance for any help! We live with a roommate, but all work day jobs. Jersey (current dog), is fine by herself in the house during the day, she just sleeps. Will an adult Aussie/Cattle dog be alright during the day as well? I know they're fairly high energy (which is why I've been looking at older dogs) and need a 'job' but we're prepared to take a new dog out on several walks/plays a day. We can fit in a quick walk before work, a long walk/park session after, and another quick walk before bed. I'd prefer not to get a dog-door installed because we have a lot of people walking through the greenbelt we live next to, and a lot of our neighbors already have dogs that bark all day. Just want to avoid the dogs getting into trouble all day, and they're both at the age where accidents shouldn't happen in the house right? Jersey never has an accident on the tile during the day. Chances are the dogs would be home alone from 10-4:30 or so, when my roommate can let them out, and then the long walk would happen around 6pm when I get home from work. I've also read through the training thread, and while Jersey has little to no training, I really want to work with a new dog to learn basic commands, recalls, and all that good stuff. I'd love to be able to take him hiking and camping and not worry about never seeing him again if a squirrel runs into a bush. Is it a good idea to start training both dogs at the same time, or should we try to get Jersey some training beforehand? We've tried training a little bit with her before, but have always gotten distracted by something else. Before I go any further, I also have a question about the rescue we got in touch with. Here is their site: http://www.fedwellfarm.com/ , which states that they have all of their dogs in foster homes. However, when I reached about the Chance (you can find him on the first page of their adoptable dogs!) to ask if he was crate trained (they're not sure), trained (he's good on a leash and knows sit), and what sort of foster home he was in, they responded with "he lives at our house with 40 other dogs." Is that normal for a rescue? It raised some red flags for me, just because thats, well, a lot of dogs! I'm thinking its some sort of big ranch since its pretty far out of the city. Just not sure if I should run far away, or if this is normal for a rescue in AZ. Some of the other Aussie/Cattledog specific places have all of their animals in individual foster homes, so we can always look for a dog there if this is a terrible idea. That turned into a much longer post than I anticipated, guess I have a lot of questions. Its a new experience for both of us, and I just want to make sure it goes as smooth as possible for us, and of course the dogs!
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May 24, 2012 16:14
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Don't have a lot of time to respond to all of your questions here, and I'm sure some others can address them, but I wanted to highlight one thing regarding the rescue you're looking at. You're correct that 40 dogs is way too many for a single place, there's no way those dogs could possibly be healthily monitored unless they have a significant staff, and there's no evidence of that. Their front page looks nice, but there's no substance. In addition, they have two links, one to a generic ACD webpage, and one to a local trainer that they are presumably partnering with or promoting. That trainer is believer in dominance theory and uses positive punishment techniques after glancing at his page. If it were me, I would look elsewhere.
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May 24, 2012 17:14
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Regarding Aussies and being alone all day - you should be fine, but it depends on the dog. Aussies have a huge range of temperaments, from chill and relaxed to hyper and destructive. My first Aussie was the most laid back one I've ever met - he was awesome. My current Aussie is much more energetic, and more of a handful. But basically any dog should be able to survive being alone for 8 hours a day with adequate exercise in the mornings and evenings. My chief concern is a dog holding its bladder that long, so I don't like to push alone-time beyond 8 hrs. Training will be done separately, so you may as well start now with your other dog. Odds are they'll each pick up the other's bad habits (it's not often that they pick up the good ones!), so the more you work on your current dog now the better off you'll be in the long run. Training can be a fluid thing. You really don't have to spend much time dedicated to training every day. The bulk of my training is done on the short walks to and from the park. It can be seamlessly integrated into your daily life, and need not get in the way of the rest of your life. Re: the rescue, that's a hell of a lot of dogs. It definitely raises some red flags for me too. A good rescue should know if the dog is okay in a crate, and be able to help you find a dog who really fits into your current lifestyle, rather than letting you point at a random dog in their yard and taking it home untested.
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May 24, 2012 18:34
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How much exercise should Stella be getting in the days after her spay? Can I throw the ball a couple times for her or should I keep it strictly to short walks around the block and general sniffing around in the backyard? Also, the vet gave us two doses of 24hr pain medication. I gave her one dose yesterday, should I give her the second dose today even if she's acting normal? The information they sent home said that they usual feel just the dose they give after the surgery is enough but I think I bought the "overly concerned dog owner" package and wound up with extra meds.
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May 24, 2012 20:53
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Thanks for the responses about the rescue guys, still feeling a bit uneasy about it. Think its worth checking out or investigating more to see what type of facility/staff they have or should we just move on? I know if we go see it and the dog is adorable, we'll just want to rescue him from the rescue, and I really want to avoid a super emotional decision. Especially one that might end in a really sick dog due to un-diagnosed issues or behavioral problems.
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May 25, 2012 05:17
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Iron Lung posted:Thanks for the responses about the rescue guys, still feeling a bit uneasy about it. Think its worth checking out or investigating more to see what type of facility/staff they have or should we just move on? I know if we go see it and the dog is adorable, we'll just want to rescue him from the rescue, and I really want to avoid a super emotional decision. Especially one that might end in a really sick dog due to un-diagnosed issues or behavioral problems. If you think you'll end up wanting to 'rescue' from the rescue, don't even go visit. Set your heart on another dog and don't even think about going by this rescue. If they advocate positive punishment and dominance-based training, and have forty dogs floating around, the dog you adopt may have a litany of psychological and physical problems from being alpha-rolled and kept with other nippy, bitey cattledogs unsupervised. I know it can be difficult to force yourself not to fall in love with a picture, but really it's best to find the right rescue, not necessarily just the right dog. The right rescue will interview you, look at your application and say 'hmmm you'd probably be a good fit for one of these three dogs, here meet them' and since they know the temperament of their rescues and their history, their matches will likely be very close to perfect. A good rescue will know which dog will sync with your lifestyle better than you, because mostly when you're looking to adopt, you fall in love with a pretty face and not necessarily the right fit. A bad rescue is never good to support, just like a pet shop or BYB, because they may actively be contributing to the problems they seek to solve; by not having serious temperament testing, cat testing or crate training, this rescue may send a dog home with a family that doesn't know what they're getting into, and the dog could end up back in rescue again, or worse, put down because of issues that the right home would've been able to manage. All in all, your time, money and emotional energy are better invested elsewhere.
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May 25, 2012 16:55
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Captain Foxy posted:If you think you'll end up wanting to 'rescue' from the rescue, don't even go visit. Set your heart on another dog and don't even think about going by this rescue. If they advocate positive punishment and dominance-based training, and have forty dogs floating around, the dog you adopt may have a litany of psychological and physical problems from being alpha-rolled and kept with other nippy, bitey cattledogs unsupervised. I think this pretty much perfectly sums up how I feel about the situation, thanks. Feel bad for the dog, because he has about the cutest face ever, but definitely want to make sure we have the right dog for our situation. I think I'll be moving on and reaching out to some of the Aussie/Cattledog specific rescues in AZ that seem a lot more legitimate!
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May 25, 2012 19:12
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My fiance and I are moving into a new pet-friendly apartment (with a small yard) in June, and she has her heart set on adopting a dog. We've found a great rescue shelter, but we're waiting until we move in before making a decision on the specific dog that we want. I've always considered myself a "dog person." However, I've never owned a pet before, so the whole prospect of bringing home an animal is slightly terrifying for me. My biggest concern is that we won't have enough time to dedicate to him/her. I have the entire summer off, so, until August, I can be home all day. Once the semester starts up, however, I'll have to be away for varying times depending on classes/teaching responsibilities. My fiance is starting a 9 to 5 job in late June, so that doesn't help things. My concern is that this will be bad for a new dog in the home. From what I've read here, adopting a puppy into that situation would be awful, so we're considering adopting an older dog (possibly one to two years old (?)). Is this legit? Are we just bringing the dog into a worse situation by adopting it then eventually leaving it alone all the time? Is there a specific breed I should look for that would be good in this scenario (or is that a ridiculous question)? I know nothing (besides what I've read on the internets)!
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May 25, 2012 20:17
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That sounds like another situation where talking to the right rescue would be the best idea.  Time-wise, you're not too bad for an adult (3-5+yr old) dog and not a young adult (1-2yr old) dog, unless it a particularly lazy or low energy one. A high energy young dog needs more stimulation than a 9-5 full time job can usually provide, so if you're set on a high energy breed or a young dog, be prepared to introduce dogwalkers, daycare and daily runs/hikes/hard play sessions into your life. If you're not keen on the idea of devoting all your spare non-work time to doggie exercise and training, an older dog is seriously the best thing in the world. My girlfriend adopted a senior (9yr old) purebred Rough Collie in March, and in that short time he's proved himself to be the World's Easiest Dog. He is lazy enough to lay around the house all day without being bored, but goes to work with the GF, plays with other dogs and loves to walk if that's what we want to do. He loves everyone, seems incredibly grateful (anthropomorphic, I know, but looking at him you can't help but think it) and will lay on the floor like a rug until we want to play, then he romps like a puppy. He doesn't even look 'old', he's a beautiful Lassie collie and people stop us on the street to pet him. For a first time owner, or anyone concerned about exercise time/etc, I can't recommend an older dog enough. I'm biased as gently caress, obviously, but it seems to be a common theme.
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May 25, 2012 21:07
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Don't get a puppy if you can't be home a ton for the first few months. If you can be home every few hours you'd be fine to get a dog that's as young as 6-8 months old but tiny puppies have tiny bladders and housetraining requires constant vigilance. (Edit: since I'm contradicting Foxy here I should clarify. If you want a dog that young be prepared to exercise the poo poo out of it when you are home!) Most people here will tell you that 8 hours is the longest a dog should be alone and I'm inclined to agree. I also don't think it's fair to put a dog on a schedule where it's alone for 8 hours during the day, then another few hours at night almost every day. Dogs are also a lot better on their own if they're getting enough exercise. The worst thing in the world is a bored dog because a bored dog will find something to do, and you won't be happy with what that something is. Life is better for everyone if you can run your dog a little ragged in the morning before you leave. Another thing is to ask the rescue about separation anxiety. Dogs with high separation anxiety don't do well in homes where they'll have to be on their own a lot. In my experience severe separation anxiety is fairly common in shelter dogs. One of our fosters was just an awesome dog but he couldn't handle being alone at all. He would go poo poo-rear end nuts in the house, break out of his crate, or if we successfully crated him he would chew at it until he bled. There are still scratch marks on our front door from where he tried to get out. We placed him with an older guy who lived on a house boat, which was pretty awesome for everyone. In terms of breed it really just comes down to what you like. There's a reason that popular breeds are popular. Whippets are often recommended in PI because they're kind of couch potatoes. I would make a list of the breeds that you like and then read up on them.
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May 25, 2012 21:19
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Just got an email from that rescue, looks like someone else adopted the dog we were looking at. Hopefully he gets all the treatment he deserves from his new home! Time to apply to some of local rescues. Thanks again all!
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May 26, 2012 00:43
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We got our chocolate labrador, Ginny, last Thursday. Since then, we've noticed a dark brown spot in the corner of her eye. In the space of the last week it's gone from barely noticeable to taking up a good quarter of her eye, just about touching her pupil now. We managed to get an appointment with the ophthalmologist yesterday, who did an ultrasound on her eye and said that it definitely looked cystic, but couldn't rule out a melanoma because they lacked a piece of equipment to get the necessary distance from the eye on the ultrasound to see into it clearly. The ophthalmologist has sent the photos and scans to her colleagues for a second opinion, and we're now just anxiously waiting to hear what she has to say. She said that a melanoma is a distinct possibility due to the rapid growth, something that could be triggered by the massive amounts of growth hormone in an 11-week old puppy, but that she's never heard of melanoma in a dog so young. Apparently the treatment for a cyst is laser-removal, which should leave her with two perfectly normal eyes. I didn't ask about the prognosis for melanoma in such a young puppy though. I'd imagine she'd lose the eye if that turned out to be the case, but is chemotherapy/radiotherapy even an option for an 11-week old pup? She's my first puppy, I've totally fallen for her, and I find myself refreshing my inbox every 5 minutes waiting for news. Poor little thing.
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May 26, 2012 12:17
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Probably better off posting in the vet student thread, most of us here are just dog nerds, with a couple of us working or volunteering as trainers. Your situation is a little out of our league.
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May 26, 2012 15:02
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blamedunce posted:We got our chocolate labrador, Ginny, last Thursday. Since then, we've noticed a dark brown spot in the corner of her eye. In the space of the last week it's gone from barely noticeable to taking up a good quarter of her eye, just about touching her pupil now. We managed to get an appointment with the ophthalmologist yesterday, who did an ultrasound on her eye and said that it definitely looked cystic, but couldn't rule out a melanoma because they lacked a piece of equipment to get the necessary distance from the eye on the ultrasound to see into it clearly. I agree that the vet thread is probably better for help, but if you got this dog from a breeder, you should let them know what's going on. It may be that they knowingly bred dogs with a genetic history of melanoma, which is utterly reprehensible, or it may be that they don't know and it's a freak thing, but in either case they should be informed so you know what kind of breeder you're dealing with. Were the parents eyes tested prior to breeding? If so, with what organizations and what scores? If you got the dog from a rescue, feel free to ignore this, but since its such a young dog and a rapid growth, that sends up some red flags for me about bad breeding/no health testing. Certainly, freak incidents arise in even the best of health-checked lines, but a possible melanoma in such a young dog is pretty unusual.
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May 27, 2012 18:19
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I just broke up with my live-in girlfriend, we had a dog together and I really like that dog. It is her dog but she is ok with me having him every other weekend. He really loves me but i'm afraid its really confusing for him to just see me every other week. Should I just cut all ties with him for his own best? (Only interested in comments pertaining to dog situation, I realize its probably not good to keep in touch with ex.)
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May 28, 2012 13:23
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Affi posted:I just broke up with my live-in girlfriend, we had a dog together and I really like that dog. It is her dog but she is ok with me having him every other weekend. The dog won't care. He'll manage just fine, after an initial adjustment period. I know an ex-couple who are doing this right now, and they seem to be managing fine. However, for your own sanity and long term wellbeing, staying in touch with your ex is probably not a good idea.
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May 28, 2012 14:22
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Affi posted:I just broke up with my live-in girlfriend, we had a dog together and I really like that dog. It is her dog but she is ok with me having him every other weekend. Don't do this. Dog interaction aside, it's never going to be positive for you, and it will end pretty quickly once your ex starts dating or you do. Pets aren't like kids, and the 'shared custody' thing never works out, IMO. It may work for a while, but never permanently. My friend just went through this with her dog, because her ex had kids that loved the dog so she felt bad and offered him on the weekends when they would be there. They had a really amiable breakup, so she figured it would be mellow and easy. But every time she showed up to pick him up or drop him off, relations between her and the ex grew from amiable to hostile, until the ex told her to either leave the dog with her or never come back. She took her dog back, and he's a dog so he really doesn't give a poo poo. Foster dogs or volunteer at a shelter if you need a dog fix, and consider adopting one of your own. This scenario isn't in your favor, but having your own dog is!
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May 28, 2012 15:51
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So dog will be fine, thank you guys! Other stuff = Yes I know but I like my dog Look for the E/N post titled "My ex killed my dog to get to me" in a few months I guess.
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May 28, 2012 16:39
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We just picked up a 16 week old standard wirehair dachshund puppy this weekend! Her name is Liebe.   She is my seventh Dachshund by my girlfriend's first. It is the first time either of us have tried to keep a dog in a high rise. I asked a question about this earlier but didn't get any replies. Does anyone have tips on potty training in a highrise? We are having problems getting her to understand she can use pavement as a place to go, and then just getting her outside in time is challenge. We are crate training her and she loves her crate, just want to make sure we are handling potty training properly for our living situation. We want to avoid paper training if possible but considering the elevator ride it may be a necessity at least part of the time. Any suggestions?
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May 29, 2012 15:58
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I have the opportunity to apply to adopt a beagle that's being retired from a companion animal teaching program. We've never owned a dog before and have no experience in training. Also our main reason for considering adopting a dog is to provide companionship to our son, who is 5 years old and has been diagnosed with high functioning autism. Our son loves animals and is gentle with our two cats but he enjoys the more interactive play that he gets with dogs owned by friends of the family. Based on this and the info below, do you think think one of these beagles would be a good fit for our home? quote:The beagles are very good with people and are handled on a daily basis by veterinary students and staff at the program. However, they have not been exposed to young children on a regular basis. Most of the dogs do like children, although we have had an occasional dog that seems very frightened by them.
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May 29, 2012 18:42
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Canuckistan posted:I have the opportunity to apply to adopt a beagle that's being retired from a companion animal teaching program. Are you willing to spend a potentially significant portion of time teaching the dog to be okay around everything in and out of the house, and to house-train an older dog? How much exercise are you looking to give to the dog each day? How old (roughly) will the dog be when you get it? Are you willing to slowly teach the dog not to want to eat your cats, if it comes to it, or keep them entirely seperated? Getting a dog as a companion for a child is only okay if you, the adult, are going to take all the responsibility for it. Beagles *can* be pretty high energy, too.
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May 29, 2012 19:17
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Thanks for the concern about the time and dedication needed for a dog. I know what's involved with that and I'm OK with taking it on. I'm more concerned about adopting a dog that's not housebroken and unfamiliar with normal household life at 8 years old. Will these things require an experienced trainer to overcome? Of course I'm talking with the program coordinator about this as well and I'll trust her judgment as she's been through this a bunch of times.
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May 29, 2012 19:53
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nesbit37 posted:She is my seventh Dachshund by my girlfriend's first. It is the first time either of us have tried to keep a dog in a high rise. I asked a question about this earlier but didn't get any replies. Does anyone have tips on potty training in a highrise? We are having problems getting her to understand she can use pavement as a place to go, and then just getting her outside in time is challenge. We are crate training her and she loves her crate, just want to make sure we are handling potty training properly for our living situation. We want to avoid paper training if possible but considering the elevator ride it may be a necessity at least part of the time. Any suggestions? Do you have a balcony? I live in a townhouse with a balcony and until my 11-week old Pom gets his boosters and can safely go outside, we have him going in some gravel lined trays out there. I'm obviously not a potty training expert but maybe you could try doing that until your pup is better at holding it? Or just take her through the elevator and out every few hours until she knows she has to wait until the outside?
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May 29, 2012 20:23
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I'm not sure where to ask this but I think that this is good because I've only had my dog for a couple months. I'm having problems walking her. Not like she's unruly or anything. She walks great, but will only go, at most, 100 yards from the house before she stops and will not go another inch. When I first got her, she walked for miles, but she is terrified of loud noises, traffic, people yelling, etc, and I think after being exposed to all that on her walks, she doesn't want to go out anymore. It's not like I'm walking her down busy streets in the city or something like that. We walk down bike trails that go through parks. This isn't to say that she doesn't want to go out; whenever I have to leash she gets super excited. However, we can only go so far, to seemingly arbitrary distances. A few houses down one day, around the block the next, and then back to a few houses. It makes getting her exercise in a pain in the butt, because the only activity she'll do is walk. She doesn't play fetch or anything. I've taken her to the dog park but it's very stressful for her. Any idea how to get her out and about again? She stops taking treats well before her threshold, so coaxing her into going farther seems impossible.
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May 29, 2012 20:30
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No balcony, unfortunatly. Right now we are doing what you suggested with the elevator. Does the gravel lined trays help them understand they can go on pavement? We are getting her out a lot, but then she won't go when on the pavement. Most of the time she will go in the apartment shortly after she gets back up into the apartment. The only really problem time is first thing in the morning, which is expected. She holds it in her crate, but then gets so excited she pees the second she comes out while we try to quickly wrap a towel on her to carry her outside in. I don't expect a solution to this soon, but if anyone has experience with it I would love to hear it. Its only been 2 days so far, so we just plan on being patient with her as usual. This specific situation is just so new to us both that we want to make sure we are taking the right steps.
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May 29, 2012 20:32
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nesbit37 posted:No balcony, unfortunatly. Right now we are doing what you suggested with the elevator. Does the gravel lined trays help them understand they can go on pavement? We are getting her out a lot, but then she won't go when on the pavement. Most of the time she will go in the apartment shortly after she gets back up into the apartment. Do you have a grassy area you could get her to eliminate on? I've never met a dog that liked eliminating on asphalt.
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May 29, 2012 20:41
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nesbit37 posted:No balcony, unfortunatly. Right now we are doing what you suggested with the elevator. Does the gravel lined trays help them understand they can go on pavement? We are getting her out a lot, but then she won't go when on the pavement. Most of the time she will go in the apartment shortly after she gets back up into the apartment. I have no idea if the gravel helps with pavement. I'm using it because I live in the desert with desert landscaping and gravel's pretty much everywhere here. Maybe it would be a good way to segue it for her? I know my adult dog was too polite to go on the pavement (I adopted her from a family that had a grass yard and doggie door) but after spending so much time on the gravel here she stopped caring as much and will occasionally go on the sidewalk. Is there a grassy patch at all near your place?
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May 29, 2012 20:45
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nesbit37 posted:housetraining stuff I assume you've read the guide in the OP. If this is the case, just substitute the grass area for whatever is acceptable, and allow extra time to take the elevator and extra time to wait outside. Dogs learn to go on certain textures, so the gravel isn't going to give you any leg up on housetraining unless your chosen bathroom happens to be a graveled area as well. Waiting for the first few eliminations on the pavement may take a while, though, so be patient. Once you get over that hurdle, you shouldn't have any issues. pat_b posted:Any idea how to get her out and about again? She stops taking treats well before her threshold, so coaxing her into going farther seems impossible. This means you're asking for too much and doing more harm than good. Take a step back and lower your expectations. Bring super yummy treats, and go as far as you can while the dog is still taking treats. Then hang out there for a little bit, then go back inside and call it good. Settle in for a long haul because there are no quick fixes here. Canuckistan posted:Service dog stuff I'm a little confused as to the situation you're describing. How old is the dog and why is it being retired from a companion dog program? Is it suitable as a companion dog for your son? I'm also confused as to how these (candidate?) companion dogs aren't house trained unless they're very, very young.
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May 29, 2012 20:57
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Canuckistan posted:Thanks for the concern about the time and dedication needed for a dog. I know what's involved with that and I'm OK with taking it on. This sounds like a weird situation. Why are you looking at one of these dogs specifically?
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May 29, 2012 21:02
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Thanks, we have gone over the housetraining guide on the first page. We'll just keep at it. Just want to make sure we get it right and check experiences of others who have been in our shoes before. Rufus: Nope, no grass. Closest things are some trees planted in square foot breaks in the pavement with dirt and garbage right around them. Center City is pretty dirty and where we are is mostly green free. We can get to grassy areas, but none of them are realistically close enough for house training.
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May 29, 2012 21:03
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MrFurious posted:I'm a little confused as to the situation you're describing. How old is the dog and why is it being retired from a companion dog program? Is it suitable as a companion dog for your son? I'm also confused as to how these (candidate?) companion dogs aren't house trained unless they're very, very young. These are dogs that are used to teach vet students how to train service dogs but they've never been put to work as a service dog. I don't know why they're not housebroken but I assume they've lived their lives in kennels at the university. These dogs are retired after a few years and new dogs are brought in each spring for new students. I pass by their outdoor caged yard every day and they spend a lot of time outside being walked and played with by the students. As such I expect they're extraordinarily trained in some aspects but they lack the experience of actual day to day life in a normal house. The particular dog available to us is 8 years old and is excellent with kids and other animals. I'm thinking that an older dog will be less excitable and well socialized.
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May 29, 2012 21:09
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MrFurious posted:
I think they were talking about essentially adopting an ex-lab animal. It would have no service dog training, let alone house training, or training of any kind.
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May 29, 2012 21:11
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prom candy posted:This sounds like a weird situation. Why are you looking at one of these dogs specifically? We're going to adopt a dog and they need people to adopt dogs. Also I see them every day on my way to work and they're cute  a life less posted:I think they were talking about essentially adopting an ex-lab animal. It would have no service dog training, let alone house training, or training of any kind. No, they're not lab animals. They're teaching animals for future service animal trainers.
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May 29, 2012 21:12
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Canuckistan posted:We're going to adopt a dog and they need people to adopt dogs. Also I see them every day on my way to work and they're cute That makes more sense. I remember reading that Beagles are the favorite for most lab and kennel work, I think due to personalities, but I could be misremembering. I'm still confused by their process. I would think that the best way to teach individuals is via an internship with an actual service dog organization, but I have no experience with that industry. One of our trainers at the HS does have experience with service dog and SAR training, however, so if you'd be interested in a second opinion I could probably get one. I would caution you that this sounds like a pretty major project to me. It might be very smooth, but this dog will have 8 years of behavior that it's built up that may not be compatible with your home and living situation. As long as you're comfortable with dedicating a great deal of time in retraining, go hog wild.
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May 29, 2012 23:54
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But, you know, just to play devil's advocate... You run that risk adopting an adult from any shelter.
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May 30, 2012 02:04
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Maybe so, but if you get a dog that's been fostered in someone's home you're able to get a much clearer picture of what you're getting into.
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May 30, 2012 02:07
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Meet Ricochet! my new miniature Australian Shepard (sorry for poor quality, only have cellphone camera)
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May 31, 2012 22:50
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Just a quick update on Ginny. She's been diagnosed with suspected melanocytoma in her right eye, but with no real way of determining whether it's malignant or not. Unfortunately, because a benign tumour is much more likely, my insurance company has declined to cover any costs (as, apparently, my policy only covers malignant tumors). The ophthalmologist wants to try laser surgery to shrink the mass but can't guarantee that it won't grow back in the future. This leaves me in a bit of trouble now, as I'm unsure as to whether I can cover the costs of subsequent surgery if it were to grow back. Are there any animal charities in the UK that can help with veterinary costs? I looked at PDSA but they only cover people who claim housing or council tax benefit. gently caress. I've only had my puppy for 3 weeks, this is meant to be fun. I'm close to despair already.
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Jun 8, 2012 10:10
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