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Beautifully done, Furious! This is leagues better and more informative than the old OP, which was getting really outdated. Yaaay new owners education! 
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Mar 11, 2012 18:31
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Uh, no that show pretty much tells people it's okay to get whatever breed they want, and perpetuates the myth of 'theyre all dogs so just get a dog hurf'. I have never seen any good, practical breed selection from that show and I watch it all the time just to look at dogs. Also did you see the Pit episode? 'locking jaws' was literally mentioned as a fact. I would go anywhere else for dog advice. For picking a breed of dog, people should always look at their own energy level and personal requirements before looking at aesthetics. Fostering is a fantastic way to really quickly find out what works for your situation and what doesn't.
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Mar 11, 2012 18:42
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Asnorban posted:Thanks for all the replies. I work from home so we are in a really good situation right now for having an active dog. We have 4 acres for it to run around on and are a few minute drive to lots of dog-friendly hiking trails. We would definitely be going to puppy kindergarten and probably some further training classes (especially since this would be my first). Also, just FYI, you mentioned the breeder offering to have 'tests' run on the puppy prior to you bringing it home (and just as a pet peeve, don't call it adopting. You adopt a dog from a rescue, what you're doing is not adopting, it's kind of just getting a dog) but there's no 'tests' that you can do on a puppy to be sure it's free of genetic disorders. Most of the conditions that can really gently caress up your dogs life are things you need the parents to be tested for prior to even breeding, which is not as simple as just having a vet look them over. No puppy will be able to be 'tested' clear for conditions like retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, etc, because these conditions don't show up until the dog is fully mature, at 2-3yrs old, or later in life when they suddenly develop a rare heritable terminal disorder. THIS is why it's encouraged in the OP to make sure any dog you get from a breeder (and yes, an 'oops' counts as breeding and is definitely more reprehensible than breeding on purpose because it implies both ignorance and a lack of caring about the overpopulation problem) has had those all-important tests through OFA, CERF, PennHip, etc. The vet isn't going to be able to test anything at this young age, and the vet wouldn't be the organization to test the dog anyway. Pretty much the vet will just look at the puppy and say 'yup it appears to be a healthy mutt puppy at this exact moment good to go' because that momentary condition of the pup is all the vet has to go on. If the parents haven't been tested, you're looking at a grab bag of possibilities, some good, most really, really bad. You were also asking why a dog from a rescue (and you can absolutely get an 8-10week old puppy from rescue!) would be a better bet than this dog. Well think about it. If you give money to the rescue, a) you're not supporting the people that bred that puppy and b) the dog comes fully vaccinated, fixed and usually with discounted puppy classes, whereas with this 'oops' puppy you're looking at paying for all that yourself. Puppies from rescue have almost always been raised and socialized in loving foster homes prior to adoption, so there's really no difference between the temperaments. Just in one scenario you're supporting an irresponsible decision, and in the other you're supporting an organization that saves the lives of dogs that are created by these irresponsible decisions. It's something to think about. In general, labradoodles are nice dogs, but they're not a breed, and nothing about them is really consistent. One dog may be super friendly and have a hypoallergenic coat, while his brother from the same litter may be aggressive and have a heavy shedding coat. I think it's fine to grab one from a rescue if you really really must have a weird doodle mutt, but there's no real reason to breed them, IMO. A dog is a companion, not a fashion trend. 
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May 14, 2012 18:15
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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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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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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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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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Madera, CA huh?  Do you mind posting the breeder site? I'm not passing judgement or anything but I want to give you a head's up. I used to live in the Bay Area and work in rescue with the SF SPCA, and the Central Valley area, particularly Madera, was a notorious puppy mill/BYB heavy area. All of our puppy pulls (transporting dogs about to be euthanized in local shelters so they could be adopted in the wealthy bay) were from Madera, specifically. Telling someone your dog was from Madera would make most people assume you bought from a puppy mill, and 99% of the time they'd be right. It's kind of the same as the Amish farm puppy mill problem on the East Coast, where someone would say 'oh I got him from a nice Amish farm' and everyone in the know would automatically realize that was a nice Amish puppy mill, because it's an area where local laws, zoning restrictions and law enforcement have allowed it to become rampant. That's what I think of when I hear Madera; basically puppy mill capitol of the West. I'm in no way saying 'oh poo poo you bought a puppy mill dog you monster' but the fact that he's from Madera and is having housebreaking issues similar to those of puppy mill dogs, makes a red flag stand up for me, so I hope I'm wrong and we can all go about our business because there are a fair few working farms out there and CA is a big state filled with mostly non-puppy mills. If I'm right though, you may be in for more issues than you thought.
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Jun 30, 2012 20:09
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soap. posted:Not at all: Skedaddle Aussies. She seems very reputable. One litter a year, genetic testing, etc. Here's the father of the litter: Eaglecrest Titan. Whew. Nicely done. Never mind, and carry on. A good breeder in the central valley is a rare sight and a good thing to see.
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Jul 1, 2012 06:14
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If you live in a bad area, pretty much any dog is protection because of the barking. A little dog would work just as well as a big dog for that; my Pom protected my house from a potential burglary while we lived in East Oakland just by making an unholy racket while dudes were trying to sneak around outside. A Chow is a seriously dangerous and powerful animal if made to be a protective force, and not a good choice for a first dog. A Chow mix from the shelter, with a known temperament and tested with cats, is probably a better match.
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Jul 2, 2012 01:15
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I would consider anything under a two-three year health guarantee a huge red flag, personally. Most heritable genetic disorders don't even show up until the dog is past maturity at 2-3yrs old, and most dogs are still physically puppies at one year. The best breeders offer lifetime health guarantees, and if I'm paying the $$ for a purebred pup, you can bet your rear end I'd only pay for a lifetime guarantee. Every time I see a 1-year guarantee I tend to consider that a less-than reputable breeder.
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Jul 14, 2012 00:53
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Wow, what an obvious BYB. Also HOLY gently caress do not try to raise two puppies at once.
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Jul 19, 2012 18:06
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Alopex posted:That could work! Just don't decide 'he doesn't need a walk, he can go play in the backyard  ' and you'll be fine. A fenced yard is nice for housebreaking, especially when it's a 'grab n' go' situation and you don't have time to grab a leash/harness. As long as it's never viewed as a space where the dog can be left unsupervised (i.e don't use the backyard instead of a crate) or as a substitute for walks, a backyard is a nice asset in a dog's life. As for the breeder of the male, meh. They're your standard show breeder, no interest in bettering the breed, other than for aesthetics, and their dogs are the typical durfy show type, but they're fine, I guess. I don't see any mention of health testing, however, so be aware of hip/joint dysplasia and collie eye anomaly, as both of those problems are $$$ and pain for your dog. Good luck with the pup, and post pics. My girlfriend and I have a 10yr old rescued rough, and he's the best dog ever, but they can be quite neurotic, barky and intense if not exercised/given the right structure and environment. They're also sensitive flowers who will wither under harsh treatment, so avoid any and all 'dominance' training, but that should be a given.
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Sep 13, 2012 01:05
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I love puppies and I love dog training but holy poo poo I would never get two at once why in gently caress would you do that  Have you taken those dogs to a vet yet? Take them to a vet. Did you get the 'topical antibiotic' from taking them to a vet, because if not, stop putting random antibiotic on them. FYI, ringworm is incredibly contagious and you need to get treated because if you haven't already, you probably have it now. Yes you absolutely can give a dog too many baths and if you're doing it more than once a week at the most, you'll dry out his skin and make the condition much worse. So yeah, don't give excessive baths. Again, a vet will prescribe a treatment regime which may involve bathing, but they'll tell you when/how to do it. Also get invested in training classes now because you're going to hate your decision in about six months when they go through 'lol gently caress u' shepherd puberty. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 08:10 on Sep 22, 2012 |
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Sep 22, 2012 08:08
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It's great that your dogs worked out for you, but I would say that you are definitely the exception, not the rule. By and large, getting two puppies at once is a bad idea. ETA: Also, didn't you post about having issues with Littermate Syndrome or am I confusing you with someone else? LS is a lot to deal with on top of having two high energy young dogs going through puberty. Not exactly a piece of cake for anyone, let alone a new puppy owner. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Sep 23, 2012 |
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Sep 23, 2012 07:28
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Sometimes a little ribbing helps someone realize what they're in for. I don't think anyone should be offended by someone going 'lol no why' and then offering helpful advice to help them keep their dogs, but everyone's allowed to be a unique unicorn and think what they want. That ad is glorious and I find it hilarious that whoever bought it was so mad that they had to buy it twice.
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Sep 26, 2012 00:12
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Yeah that's a requirement, not an option for poodles and poodle mixes. They need daily combing to avoid serious mats and skin conditions, and regular (every 4-6 weeks) professional grooming, which can add up. If you don't have time or $ to groom a poodle, definitely don't get a poodle. Even missing one day of combing can lead to an instant knot or a mat, and they have very sensitive skin so any tangles will cause them pain and discomfort. Don't be one of those owners that has to have their dog shaved down because they didn't realize how much grooming it needed. Start scoping out your groomers ahead of time and sometimes you can find a poodle-specific groomer, which is your best bet, and some groomers offer discounts for repeat customers, since they know poodles need to be seen regularly.
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Oct 3, 2012 01:03
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Dogs don't get used to being crated during the day unless they have to get used to being crated during the day.
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Oct 6, 2012 18:12
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Cool, a working bred Lab, that's not usually what you see. Drakeshead is a great kennel, too. Have you tried offering higher value treats like bits of human food (peanut butter Kong with a carrot/apple shoved in it is how I distract my dog) or a particularly smelly awesome treat? Sounds like typical teenagehood stubborness that you can work through if you are patient and adaptive.
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Oct 10, 2012 18:27
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This is book-typical behavior for JRTs and you got lucky with your Loki, as this behavior is more common for the breed. Hades is exhibiting the nerves and high-strung aggression that come with needing stimulation in both mental and physical aspects. MrFurious is right to tell you to find a trainer locally, though, since you could read something on the internet and try to do it yourself, end up doing it the wrong way and contribute to the dog's aggression. You say your problem has mostly been to do with mismanagement, so you probably should bring someone in to help you use proper management techniques, yes? Otherwise you're just going to continue to flounder without really knowing what's working and what's making it worse. Make sure the trainer you choose specializes in positive reinforcement, since any positive punishment to a high-strung dog like a JRT is going to amp up the nerves and lead to a reactive bite. Terriers don't handle physical discipline well. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Oct 29, 2012 |
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Oct 29, 2012 17:41
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She's 12 weeks old, you should be doing leash/harness/walk training already with her. Echoing what Serella said.
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Dec 9, 2012 20:52
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ShadowStalker posted:I also see that we probably got the puppy pack leader as you can tell he's a little alpha dog in the making. Flipping him on his back and placing a hand over his chest makes the dog scream bloody murder. It sounds like Im killing him. Well, he literally thinks you are killing him. You're posturing over him as a disciplinary tactic in a way that is almost entirely used when one animal is about to die, and even as a puppy he knows that. Concepts like 'pack leader' and 'alpha' are outdated methods of training that can really be harmful to your dog, especially with a breed designed to protect/guard like a GSD. He's not being 'alpha' when he resists this technique, he's simply saying 'Please, don't hurt me! I don't know what I did!'. Keep this up and he'll assume that everyone, everywhere, will always hurt him out of nowhere and he'll never know why. Soon, he could start biting to respond to that fear. You should check out the OP of the training thread and the OP of this thread for some tips on how to reform and update your ideas on training so you can successfully shape Duke into a calm, well-behaved adult, instead of increasing his neurosis and possibly creating a danger for yourself and everyone around you. 'Dominance' theory and Cesar Milan tactics aren't used by many professionals, and the few that do use them are usually underinformed and sometimes abusive. It's been denounced by virtually every major association of dog training and veterinary behavior, so tell whoever taught you to do that that they have decades of reading to catch up on. quote:Also, for GSDs, how long should we wait until we start doing jogs with him? We both run a few miles each morning and would love the dog to accompany us when its time. Our other dog doesn't run in a straight line and is too lazy to take with us. With large breeds, the consensus is to wait until their growth plates have fused, which is usually around 1.5-3years old. Don't run them too hard or too often before then, because it can be damaging to their hips/joints and you have a breed that is particularly prone to poor hips and joints. Did his parents get any kind of health testing? OFFA/PennHip, anything like that? Working dogs are great to breed, but with a dog like a GSD I'd be EXTRA EXTRA concerned about health testing, just because they're like, the poster dog for health problems relating to hips and joints. As for him 'not wanting to cuddle', he's an active working bred dog and it's unlikely he'll ever settle down according to your wife's needs, at least not for a few years. He's gonna need serious, strenuous daily physical and mental stimulation for 2-4hrs at a time, every day, for the next several years until he calms down enough to be lazy around the house, if ever! He just may not be that type of dog. Then again, he could go through his puppy crazies and decide he'll be a lap dog at 6 months, you never know. But he's still always going to need to be exercised in an intense, mind-working fashion, every day, just to wear him out to get to that point.
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Dec 27, 2012 18:59
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You can sometimes have amazingly good luck if you live in/near a major city that has an SPCA or local humane society that has a training program. A lot of no-kill shelters also offer training for both adopted and non-adopted dogs, and mostly these programs are positive reinforcement-based. Dog daycares and boarding facilities can also offer puppy kindergarten classes. But regardless of where you go, be sure you're checking the guidelines in the OP for the class, and be sure to ask whether its positive reinforcement based. Avoid 'Bark Busters' and other 'We Fix Your Dog By Choking And/Or Yelling' places. Do you happen to know if the parents of Duke were health-tested for anything prior to breeding, and if so, what for? I know I already asked that, but it's worth your while for you to find out, if you don't know. If they weren't tested, it'd be a good idea to take Duke in to the vet regularly as he grows up into a 1-3yr old dog and have his hips/elbows x-rayed to catch any signs of dysplasia before it has a chance to really degenerate. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 00:18 on Dec 28, 2012 |
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Dec 27, 2012 23:59
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No that was confusing, my bad. I meant as he's maturing from 1-3 years, since that's usually when it shows up. Although getting him in after six months probably won't hurt.
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Dec 28, 2012 00:18
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Whenever I'm looking for a good breeder I just search through the OFFA breed listing and google search the most tested ones to see if they're nearby.
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Apr 8, 2013 07:18
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Or you could, you know, take him outside instead of on newspaper. He's probably like 'hey why isn't this part of the house fine to pee in if the other part is?' and you need to make a clear distinction by taking him to the proper place (outside) instead of waffling about trying to transition him slowly. Just my opinion. I know apparently some have had success with paper training but it generally does not work well because of problems like this that never get fully addressed. It's a nice idea, just doesn't do that well in practice unless you're already really good at it.
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Apr 13, 2013 17:41
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Hey, thanks for that, actually. That's a really good way of explaining to potential adopters why they need to come back for vaccinations/why the vaccinations happen like that.
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Jun 11, 2013 19:26
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Triangulum posted:Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog is a really useful resource for understanding the way your dog communicates and it has tons and tons of photos and diagrams. Truth. Brenda Aloff is remarkably easy to read, and it's the book I recommend most for people to learn how to become 'dog people' instead of just dog owners. It's also helped me to identify warning behaviors versus intense play.
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Jun 28, 2013 19:47
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Dr Scoofles posted:I got a book I saw recommended elsewhere in PI (maybe earlier in this thread) called Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff. This was probably me, and I would like every dog owner or person who likes dogs to have this book.
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Jul 30, 2013 20:19
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It looks somewhere in the vicinity of 4-5 weeks, but those pics are blurry. Nothing should be fed Purina anything; take a look at the nutrition thread and pick a non-terrible-but-still-cheap brand like Blue Buffalo, Wellness CORE, Taste of the Wild, etc. Provide 3-4 very small meals a day (like, a 1/4 cup each time) of mixed water, kibble and a tablespoon of wet canned food.
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Aug 24, 2013 19:29
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WickedHate posted:I suddenly heard JoJo crying and came to find that mom had put her in the crate, even though it's night and she's a nocturnal breed, and also can't hold it all night till morning or during the seven or so hours we'd be away during the day. I'm going to ask my grandmother to look after her while we're away and work on crate training when we're here. Poor girl, as scared as she was, even if I did get her out after much arguing with mom. So wait, what? You took the dog out of the crate because she was crying? Did you read the crate training OP at all? Also she's not a 'nocturnal breed', what would that even be. No dog is a 'nocturnal' dog. A dog is a dog. Your dog is not a bat, she is a puppy who is now learning that whenever she cries you will come running. Work on that ASAP or you're going to have a massive anxious problem on your hands. I'm way surprised that more people didn't say anything about it being a pyr/anatolian mix. That's going to be a terrifying nightmare of a dog unless it's handled right, I hope you know that. LGDs don't give a poo poo about humans, traditionally. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 23:42 on Apr 22, 2014 |
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Apr 22, 2014 23:39
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Puppies sleep at night when you do. She'll be fine. Crate her. If she cries, guess what, she's gonna cry. Ignore it. Take her out before crating, once in the night and once super early in the morning, then gradually phase out so that it's all night.
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Apr 22, 2014 23:54
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Well good, that's 'petting and playing with' covered. Still need to work on socialization, which is neither of those two things.
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Apr 23, 2014 00:30
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