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My first time fostering a dog I plan to adopt if things go well. He's a 3-year-old lab mix from a county shelter. Housebroken and knows a few commands. Seems to be really smart too. That said, he's underweight and the shelter told me they were feeding him "whatever kibble was donated" but weren't specific. It's still the first full day with him, but he's only eating a little kibble (like three bites) at a time and has been pretty lethargic all day outside of our walk. I'm hoping it's just nerves being at a new place. Seems like he's warmed up to me as he came up, leaned against me, and gave me a bunch of kisses. But he doesn't want to do much other than lay down.
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Aug 24, 2020 01:27
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Thaddius the Large posted:Sounds like a reasonable adjustment behavior, laying low and trying to avoid causing a ruckus. I’d guess after a week or so he’ll start to warm up and unwind, and then the play comes out. This makes sense given he's been giving me a lot of sheepish looks. He actually just ate a bit more and did play around a bit!
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Aug 24, 2020 02:50
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Posted earlier about the dog I'm fostering in hopes of adopting. I'm really bummed but it doesn't seem like a good fit. Kind of asking for a more experienced / expert opinion here to be honest. He's got serious separation anxiety where he follows me everywhere and gets stressed within seconds of me closing a door between us (circling/pacing, whining, and panting). I thought we were making progress yesterday with getting him to lay down in the room with a line of sight to my home office (staying for 5, 10, then 15 minutes with a treat each time he made it). But I might have pushed him too hard today after wearing him out with a morning run. He's followed me even closer and has seemingly been stressed all day - ears pinned back and sad look in his eyes. (Like he's being scolded or punished - no matter how cheery my tone is.) He did play a bit, but right back to the sad look once we came back inside. Any thoughts from the thread? I'm willing to work with him but I'm worried I'm out of my depths and his issues are getting/going to get worse.
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Aug 27, 2020 04:11
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The Bananana posted:Question: I've got neighborhood cats that have hung out in my backyard. I just have the dog sit and stay while I go out and make sure one is not around. I'd close the door and scare the cat away first, then let the dog out. But that cat hasn't been hanging around since I got the dog.
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Sep 1, 2020 17:32
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Verman posted:Another option altogether could be training your dog to place (lay in a specific spot) when the doorbell rings or if someone knocks on the door. Over time if they hear the doorbell, they'll associate it with going to a specific spot or laying down and waiting for your release command. This can also help prevent your dog from jumping on guests or taking off through an open door. Seconding this for being very helpful. Look up Karen's Relaxation Protocol. My dog is a clinger and it's even helped with that since he'll go to his blanket versus being underfoot all the time.
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Oct 23, 2020 23:53
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Any tips for giving ear drops? Just got prescribed some for an ear infection and my guy hates me even going for his ears.
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Nov 14, 2020 03:55
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Sab669 posted:My loveable mutt wags her tail nonstop which isn't a problem in my apartment, but when I bring her to my parents they have a long hallway and the dog literally bludgeons her tail against the walls until it bleeds. We literally just spent like 10 minutes cleaning streaks of blood off the walls because it's not always immediately obvious when it happens. Can you take her out on a walk or play fetch to exhaust some of that energy?
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Nov 28, 2020 03:28
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Has anyone had their dog start shedding way more than normal after giving them a bath? Lab mix so I expect shedding but this has seemed excessive. It was his second bath using Burt's Bees Natural and he didn't shed like this after the first. Not sure if it's a seasonal thing though.
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Dec 4, 2020 05:48
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Thanks for all the info everyone.Instant Jellyfish posted:Bathing your dog opens up the coat and removes any grease so the trapped undercoat will fall out more for a while after the bath/grooming making it look like they're shedding more. It's really common, especially after de-shed grooms. This especially makes sense since I got him a lot better lathered up and cleaned this time compared to the first.
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Dec 4, 2020 18:10
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Riatsala posted:Lol, what a precious pup If you're only using a brush, get a Furminator. My dog is shedding significantly less after using it earlier this week.
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Dec 10, 2020 22:49
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Joburg posted:Knowing the name helps people find other cute dogs on Instagram, etc. I'll help with that: Its Rinaldo posted:Sad song good dogs
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Dec 30, 2020 22:22
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Real proud of my guy today. Took him to the park (not dog park) to play fetch. There were quite a few other dogs out there and he ignored them all. Even if it did distract him from fetch a bit 
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Jan 28, 2021 04:13
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WhiteHowler posted:Eventually you may find that they'll go in their on their own when tired or stressed out. This. I totally half-assed crate training since my guy doesn't get into anything but the trash (I just close those doors) so I didn't have a pressing need. But I stuck with meals in the crate and he will go in there to sleep most mornings now.
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Jan 29, 2021 15:45
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Racing Stripe posted:Unfortunately, he is extremely reactive when he's on a leash. If he sees another dog closer than 100 feet away or so, he goes into an unhinged barking fit and has to be dragged away. Is it possible to try some of this training/treating in a place where you can expect dogs to be there? It sounds like you're trying to do the treating thing but he's reactive from such a distance you don't notice the dog in time to properly distract with treats. Is there a local dog park you can go to and try training from just outside his reactivity zone, gradually moving in as he gets more comfortable? Disclaimer that I have no specialty in this nor have I dealt with extreme reactivity like you've described. Just throwing this out in case it helps.
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Feb 5, 2021 22:57
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Racing Stripe posted:Incredible timing on this. I’ve been “charging” the clicker (I think that’s what it’s called, getting him used to hearing the click and getting a treat) and we just tried it out in the wild last night. He saw another dog from a bit of a distance and he locked on, and when he heard the click it really cut through the fog and directed his attention to the treat bag. We got away clean from a situation that otherwise probably would have turned ugly. I hope it continues to work, and that it will work in closer encounters. This is good to hear! I've been doing something similar with my dog because he will just lock on and stare at small animals and some dogs - trying to drill in the "look at me" command during these situations.
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Feb 6, 2021 20:15
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I kept Little Bear's name from the shelter simply because nothing better jumped out at me. Plus it grew on me. Here he is after I had him put his paw on the recliner for a piece of pulled pork. It took a bit for him to get it since it was new. But then he immediately put it right back up and sat there like this because I had more on my plate  
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Feb 9, 2021 03:43
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Ollie is such a cutie! Tried taking my guy to the dog park today for the first time. It was crazy busy and none of the people there were wearing masks so we never actually went in. Plus he's been reactive on-leash so I really want to take it slow. We walked along the fence and worked on "look at me" instead of him lunging and barking at the dogs. He did really well! Still don't quite trust him to go in yet, but we at least got to the point where we were right next to the fence and he was ignoring dogs and focused on me.
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Feb 27, 2021 04:09
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DarkSoulsTantrum posted:If you can, really try to go on an off time where it isn’t busy. Bringing an unsure dog to a bush dog park can be a recipe for disaster. Oh for sure. I've been really leery about dog parks anyway, especially with all the new pandemic dog owners. He actually does do well in open play boarding so I'm hopeful. But it's gotta be a manageable situation.
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Feb 27, 2021 04:24
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DoYouHasaRabbit posted:Saw a couple of people post about leash reactivity/dog aggression. You really need to keep a loose leash with your dog when you walk by other dogs. The second you keep that leash tight, your dog feels that you are nervous as a result they become nervous. That creates the reactivity. Keep that leash loose and give lots of praise while walking past dogs so you can shift the focus. My dog will run at another dog if given a loose leash though. So how do you balance that?
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Mar 6, 2021 02:12
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Professor Wayne posted:I think I'm going to name her Salsa. I'd be seriously tempted to name her "Left Eye" She's gorgeous and I'm glad it's going well so far!
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Mar 12, 2021 03:33
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Slow News Day posted:Welp, my foster just bit another dog and may have injured it badly. Don't beat yourself up for this. Like had been said, there's nothing you could've done. And it's terrifying when all of a sudden a random off-leash dog comes running at you and yours. Everything happens so fast and you have no idea of temperament or anything.
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Apr 24, 2021 05:23
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Hiking with my dog this morning. Coming down the trail and a guy and his two dogs are hiking up. There's two rocks that form a perfect triangle where I can box my dog in to let them pass. As he walks by, he eases up on the leash so his two dogs can come up to mine. Who is still boxed in. Mine tucks tail and pins his ears back so I immediately say "he doesn't like that". Guy is oblivious to my dog's body language and mine ends up nipping at his. Thankfully no bite or any kind of situation. But the guy gives us a dirty look like my dog's the bad guy. Despite another couple with a dog right behind this guy passing without any kind of reaction because they just kept moving.
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May 9, 2021 06:21
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breadnsucc posted:He doesn't want treats! Give him some time if you *just* got him. Mine didn't consistently take treats for maybe the first month but now he goes crazy for them. (Same story with his food too.)
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May 28, 2021 12:51
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Also, check your homeowners insurance as dog bites from certain breeds might be excluded.
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Jun 12, 2021 20:57
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I've got a dilemma: I was feeding my dog Iams High Protein dog food. They discontinued this, so I tried out Wellness Core. First poops on our walk are solid but second ones are usually soft and loose or sometimes even runny. He's also been not eating his meals occasionally. So I just go a small bag of Instinct Original to try out. Mixed it in with the Core and my poor guy has puked a couple of times today from it. Any suggestion for something like Iams High Protein? Or any other quality dog food?
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Jul 22, 2021 01:35
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Insanite posted:It’s all an awkward situation. The Dogo’s owner misled the rescue org into believing that he was allowed dogs in his apartment when he’s really not. Now that the dog’s here, though, none of us, his landlord included, want to be responsible for putting the guy back into a chain of fosters or worse. Don’t know if that’s a counterproductive sentiment or a good one. So the landlord knows about the dog but isn't enforcing the lease? That can be a nasty situation litigation-wise (assuming US) if something were to happen. And a lot of homeowner's insurance forms have dog bite exclusions on breeds. So it's either the landlord or your neighbor on the hook. In case that changes things.
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Oct 2, 2021 20:53
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HootTheOwl posted:How do you guys get a dog to calm down when you take them places? This is more for taking my dog out in public, but I have him mat trained so he'll settle on his mat when I give the command. Look up Karen's Relaxation Protocol. Tons of videos/resources on it.
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Oct 27, 2021 04:48
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HootTheOwl posted:Meet this guy on our walk today It's definitely a coyote
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Nov 22, 2021 05:44
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I gave up immediately on clipping my dog's nails after he squirmed and I drew blood on the second nail I clipped. I just take him to Petsmart grooming and pay the $10 for a nail trim. 
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Feb 28, 2022 16:26
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Funny you mention injuries during fetch. My guy needs a $6600 TPLO surgery (partially torn ACL). He was fine the whole time playing fetch but was super slow getting up and favoring the leg when we got home. (He's running around and stuff now, but there's still swelling and his gait is different.)
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Jul 24, 2022 03:22
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Pavlov hurt his right rear leg yesterday. He didn't want to put weight on it. He was doing a little better today, was willing to walk around the house, so we went on a very slow walk. It was going well until he pooped, after which he reflexively tried to dig dirt over the pile, yelped, and started walking on three legs Do you know what happened? Might want to check to see if he torn an ACL or something like that. Little Bear partially tore his and there was zero indication anything had happened until we got home.
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Aug 14, 2022 23:38
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I've mentioned I've only half-assed crate training with Little Bear because he just chills out as long as I don't leave the trash accessible. Well this weekend I forgot to put my office trash can out of reach and he ate some kind of Kleenex/paper out of there. Which lead to it hanging out of his butt this morning when he pooped. I felt so bad laughing at his reaction, but it was really funny.
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Aug 29, 2022 22:12
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My dumb dog. He had a TPLO almost a month ago. Jumps up on my bed this morning. I get up and go to pick him up. He jumps as I'm trying to block him and ends up crashing to the floor. He held up his leg immediately after but is now walking with weight back on it minutes later. He better not have injured himself 
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Aug 31, 2022 13:43
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Working on re-socializing Little Bear now that he's been cleared for full activity after knee surgery. Go to the nearby dog park and walk him around the fence, working on look aways. (He tends to stare at other dogs which of course escalates.) Got him to the point where he was laying about 5' away from the fence with a dog right there. No reaction and glancing back and forth. Awesome. Probably all undone when we're walking back to the car. An older woman had her dog off leash and it ran up and started nipping at LB (it was baring its teeth and all). I'm SUPER proud of LB because he actually didn't go nuts like he normally would at first. He actually looked at me! But then the dog nipped and all bets were off. Thankfully I've gotten good enough with the leash/Gentle Leader where LB didn't make any contact on his lunges. The woman is screaming at her dog who finally backs down and goes with her down to the park. No apology and I just say "that's what leashes are for" to no acknowledgement.
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Oct 20, 2022 13:24
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:What's a good place to get pet insurance for my big oaf of a black lab? I have Nationwide Pet + Wellness for Little Bear. Reimburses 90% of all claims subject to a (I think) $7500 max annual limit. I was only out $700 tops for his TPLO surgery compared to the $6600 price tag.
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Oct 25, 2022 02:16
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Proud of Little Bear. He did great walking around the dog park fence today - even with a couple of dogs barking at him. He's now consistently looking back at me or at least will respond to "look". Which snaps him out of a stare and keeps him from reacting and going mental.
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Oct 26, 2022 02:25
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:How well do the inflatable donut style Elizabethan collars work? Sorry to hear about your girl  I had the same issue with Little Bear catching his hard plastic cone on things. This e-collar worked wonderfully (note the link goes to size small - you'll need at least large. LB is a 72 lb lab mix and we got the XL). It's also so much easier to get on and off. Just make sure you don't run it through the dryer on high heat without thinking
Dango Bango fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Dec 4, 2022 |
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Dec 4, 2022 02:48
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Son of Thunderbeast posted:Heard some puppy whines outside the window, found a stray left behind by his litter Aww! Just make sure to check with your city/state - in mine if you have a stray for 7 days you essentially own it legally. (In case that's an issue.)
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Jan 2, 2023 22:05
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Am I the only one who had the Thong Song pop into their head when those pics were posted?
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Jan 19, 2023 22:37
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| # ¿ May 6, 2024 06:50 |
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Scout is the best What cut of steak is that?
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Feb 7, 2023 02:33
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